The climate decisions we make today will affect our communities for decades to come. Young people deserve a say in shaping their future — and at the Community Environmental Council’s (CEC) Youth Climate Workshop, students can learn how to make their voices heard and take action in their communities.
Co-hosted with 805 Action, this free workshop invites students in grades 5–12 to explore how they can influence local climate policy and help shape a more sustainable future.
SANTA BARBARA — For the 37th year, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art honors the Mexican tradition of remembering the dead with a display of altars, created by students in the Museum’s school and outreach programs and local community groups from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. The Art Learning Lab will offer Día de los Muertos-inspired art activities for all ages on the Front Terrace.
Explore a vibrant display of community-created altars, engage in hands-on art activities for all ages, and enjoy a festive Calenda procession featuring traditional music and dance from Oaxaca and Guerrero.
SANTA MARIA — A frightening fall tradition is returning to Allan Hancock College.
After drawing thrill-seekers to the Santa Maria campus last fall, the Hancock men’s basketball program is bringing back its “Frightmare Forest”, a three-acre haunted maze designed to give visitors a Halloween scare while supporting Bulldog basketball.
The maze will be located at Hancock’s baseball and softball complex, next to the college vineyard at 800 South College Drive. Visitors will navigate a thrilling course filled with twists, scares and spooky surprises as they attempt to make it through Frightmare Forest.
OXNARD — Join us for a mesmerizing and heartfelt celebration of life and remembrance at OPAC’s 7th Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 at 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard.
For seven years, we’ve gathered in the heart of Oxnard to honor our ancestors and celebrate the rich traditions of Mexican culture.
Immerse yourself in a vibrant experience filled with colorful calacas, beautifully adorned ofrendas, captivating performances, local food vendors, and the warmth of community. Whether you’re new to this tradition or have celebrated with us for years, all are welcome to come together, honor those who came before us, and embrace the beauty of life, remembrance, and tradition.
SANTA BARBARA — On Oct. 7, WEV brought together community members, philanthropists and advocates at La Cumbre Country Club for its annual League of Extraordinary Women Luncheon in recognition of National Give to Women & Girls Day. The gathering celebrated the collective generosity that makes WEV’s work possible and called attention to the importance of investing in women’s economic futures.
Since its founding in 1991, WEV has worked to ensure women have access to the education, training, financial resources and support they need to shape their own futures. That work matters not only to individual women, but also to the families and communities strengthened when women have greater financial security and more choices.
The Ventura County Office of Education is being honored with the prestigious Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association for its Alternative Education program, which serves students who have been expelled, are involved with the justice system, or face serious obstacles in school.
OXNARD — Join us in honoring the rich traditions of Día de los Muertos with a heartfelt community altar, created in partnership with the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Nonprofit (OPAC). This meaningful installation offers a space to celebrate, remember, and connect with loved ones who have passed.
Ventura County residents should not have to choose between wildfire safety and reliable electricity. Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) have left families, businesses, and entire communities facing prolonged outages, often with little certainty about when power will be restored.
While preventing wildfires must remain a top priority, the frequency, duration, and disruption of these shutoffs demand greater accountability. That is why I have made it a priority to challenge SCE, secure meaningful improvements, and advocate for long-term solutions that better protect our communities.
OXNARD — Pipiripau will host the fourth annual Panteón Fest on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Heritage Square in downtown Oxnard from 1:00 to 9:00 PM. This year’s festival pays homage to Chespirito, the beloved Mexican comedian and creator of El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado.
“Panteón Fest is about bringing our community together to celebrate our culture, remember where we come from, and create something meaningful for the next generation,” said co-founders Rolando and Heriberto Rubalcava.
CENTRAL COAST — People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) has received a generous $100,000 grant from Wells Fargo in support of Central Coast students enrolled in their education program and to help launch their newest Learning Center at Buellton Garden Apartments.
For families with school-aged children, PSHH’s eight onsite Learning Centers offer a safe, engaging environment where students receive homework assistance, participate in enrichment activities, build confidence, and develop skills that support long-term academic success. These year-round services are all provided at no cost to the families, thanks to partners like Wells Fargo.
The Port of Hueneme’s 13th Annual Banana Festival set a second consecutive attendance record as nearly 19,000 guests came to the Port for a celebratory day of live music, banana treats, tours, a classic car show, and family-friendly fun. This year’s theme, “Gateway to the World,” highlighted the Port’s role in connecting local consumers to global goods and markets.
Ventura County is preparing for the first Santa Ana wind event of the season, with strong winds, hot and dry conditions, and an elevated risk of wildfires expected across the region. Residents are encouraged to prepare for potential Southern California Edison (SCE) power outages, take necessary safety precautions, and stay informed as weather conditions evolve throughout the week.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning from Thursday, October 15, at 6:00 a.m. through Friday, October 16, at 10:00 p.m. This wind event is expected to bring sustained winds of 25–40 mph, with gusts potentially exceeding 50 mph across our valleys, coastal communities, and mountain areas.
CARPINTERIA — Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is reaffirming the organization’s commitment to emergency preparedness and community resilience as El Niño brings uncertainty about unpredictable and potentially dangerous weather.
The Girls Inc. of Carpinteria (GIC) campus, located at 5315 Foothill Rd. in Carpinteria, is well-equipped in the event of an emergency — with large indoor and outdoor spaces, an industrial-sized kitchen stocked with necessities, and basic supplies at the ready.
Under normal circumstances, these features equip GIC to serve the more than 700 girls and young women who access their programs each year. In the event of an emergency, they would allow the organization to respond to a crisis by offering food, shelter, and other resiliency resources.
SANTA MARIA — The Allan Hancock College Board of Trustees has selected Hancock alum and longtime community leader Elisa Pardo to represent Trustee Area 1, filling the vacancy left by outgoing trustee Hilda Zacarías.
The board selected Pardo during a special meeting Oct. 9, and she was officially sworn in at its Oct. 13 regular meeting at Santa Ynez Valley High School.
Economic Development Collaborative (EDC), Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP), REACH, and Uplift Central Coast are pleased to share the new Autonomous Systems and Advanced Air Mobility Prospectus.
The prospectus highlights the Central Coast’s strengths across Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, bringing together the companies, testing infrastructure, research assets and talent pipelines supporting the region’s next generation of aircraft.
For More Information Click Here
With a federal grant from the Advanced Projects Research Agency for Health, researchers are working to bring soft robotics to cardiovascular surgery with a method that combines maximum precision with minimal harm.
Read more about robot brain surgery
MOORPARK — Moorpark College and Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) (on Oct. 12) announced the Spring 2027 launch of two new bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity, marking a significant milestone in higher education for Ventura County and the broader region. The programs respond directly to an urgent national demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals—a workforce gap projected to reach hundreds of thousands of unfilled positions across the United States.
“The future of higher education depends on our ability to work together, respond to the evolving needs of our communities, and create meaningful opportunities for students,” said Dr. Rick MacLennan, Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District. “This collaboration reflects what is possible when our institutions align their strengths to expand educational pathways, support regional workforce needs, and prepare students for an increasingly complex and interconnected world.”
SANTA MARIA — When Allan Hancock College Community Education introduced its new Image Transfers from Photographs course, instructor and U.S. Navy veteran Helen Boursier expected to bring together students interested in art and creativity.?
What she did not expect was that the class would become a gathering place for seven veterans representing more than six decades of combined military service.?
“I wasn’t surprised to see so many veterans in the class because I already knew several of them through the local veteran community, but I was incredibly pleased that they decided to sign up,” Boursier said. “It was especially rewarding to hear that they enjoyed the experience and wanted to know when I would be teaching the class again.”
Celebrate Día de los Muertos with a Free Family Day
Sunday, October 25
11 am – 4 pm
Explore a vibrant display of community-created altars, engage in hands-on art activities for all ages, and enjoy a festive Calenda procession featuring traditional music and dance from Oaxaca and Guerrero.
Now in its third year, the procession, produced by the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, celebrates Mexican traditions while bringing the community together in a joyful expression of remembrance, culture, and connection.
Scholar Heidi Amin-Hong explores how systems of colonialism, militarism and global capitalism create displacement and treat people and environments as disposable.
Read more about the issue
Thank you for standing with us during these increasingly difficult times. At 805UndocuFund, our mission has always been rooted in protecting the dignity and safety of undocumented and mixed-status families across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. Today, that work is more urgent than ever.
CENTRAL COAST — For nearly two years, immigrant communities across the Central Coast have faced kidnapping, family separation, and escalating violence at the hands of ICE. And now, as Californians begin to vote, ICE activity is surging – in an attempt to bring more fear and intimidation into our communities.
As of Tuesday afternoon, at least 32 of our neighbors in the region have been taken by ICE this week. Parents. Neighbors. Workers. Families torn apart.
But we are not powerless. We know how to respond. We know how to protect each other. We know how to organize. And we know that information is power.
At times I scan newsworthy social media notifications that appear on my phone. One thing has become abundantly clear to me: the posts I see are a window into the linguistic decay that has been settling into our American culture.
I am struck by the paucity of commentary that is written well. The overwhelming majority of the posts offer a glimpse into the atrocious grammar and spelling that are a regular feature of our national discourse. This widespread deterioration of the English language, by which we communicate with each other, raises a seriously unsettling question about our society: why have we allowed ourselves to embrace and normalize this consistently sloppy writing?
GOLETA — LEAP celebrates Juan Pimentel’s 20 years of service and his new title as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of LEAP: Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner., recognizing his longstanding leadership and commitment to children, families and community.
Pimentel joined LEAP, then Isla Vista Youth Projects, in 2006 at age 19 as a Work-Study student attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, serving as a group leader in its after-school program.
THOUSAND OAKS — TOArts is bringing National Geographic Live back to the Bank of America Performing Arts Center for the 2026–27 season, with four acclaimed explorers whose work spans wildlife filmmaking, ecology, photography and the science of sound. This year, with support from Bank of America, TOArts is adding on to the on the onstage experience with creative programming and expanded student access designed to bring audiences even closer to the ideas, stories and people behind each presentation.
VENTURA — On Tuesday, October 6, the Board of Supervisors heard a report on the County’s inter-agency efforts to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño storm season. Staff from the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, Fire Department, Public Works Agency, and the County’s Public Information Office shared updates on work already underway to help ensure the community is storm ready ahead of a potentially wetter winter.
Pre-season efforts are focused on reducing risk and ensuring the County is ready to respond quickly if significant storms impact local communities. Preparations include inspecting and maintaining flood-control infrastructure, clearing drainage systems and debris basins, preparing swift water rescue resources, and coordinating emergency response plans for areas at higher risk of flooding and debris flows. The County’s Public Works Agency has already removed more than 235,000 cubic yards of material from detention basins and waterways in preparation for the winter storm season.
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is excited to announce that the JSB Café is now open and ready to serve students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. The cafe will once again serve as both a restaurant and a training ground for students in SBCC’s School of Culinary Arts with direction from Chef Roberto Lopez Carrillo.
“It is with great joy that we announce the reopening of the JSB Café for our campuses and the community-at-large,” shared SBCC Superintendent/President Dr. Erika Endrijonas. “The reopening marks another milestone for SBCC in the recovery from COVID-19 and adding another community resource at our Cliff Campus. Thank you to the amazing Chef Carrillo and culinary students.”
“People are usually pretty good at planning for the life they expect to have,” Tull said. “It’s the things we haven’t thought through that can leave families scrambling. I want to help people think about those situations before they happen, rather than trying to sort everything out in the middle of a crisis.”
Leander Anderegg, Kelly Caylor and David Valentine are honored by the American Geophysical Union for their work.
Read more about the research
Join us for our Annual Dinner, support our Christmas Toy Giveaway, and discover ways to volunteer
Jungleland, USA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the legendary tourist attraction that put Thousand Oaks on the map. Jungleland was home to animal stars of the silver screen like Tamba the Chimp and Leo the MGM Lion, and featured animal trainer Mabel Stark.
Now open for research, the collection provides scholars, students and community members with a rich resource for studying Chicano literature, grassroots activism and social movements.
Read more about the Luis J. Rodriguez Papers
There’s still time to share your perspective with CEC — but our community survey is closing soon!
We’re asking Central Coast residents to share how they want to hear from CEC and what would make it easier to connect with the climate action work happening in our communities. Your feedback will help us better understand how to reach more people and create accessible pathways to get involved.
SANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College invited 1,300 local high school and college students to its Santa Maria campus Oct. 2 for the college’s annual?Career?Exploration?Day.
The in-person event provided participating students with the opportunity to explore potential career paths and learn more about the college’s academic and career technical education programs.
“Career Exploration Day helps students see what’s possible beyond the classroom,” said Hancock Career Counselor David Hernandez. “By talking directly with employers and industry professionals, students can discover careers, companies and opportunities they may not have known were out there.”
Let me start by saying that I am not receiving any compensation from Tesla Corp. for this article. Nor am I trying to promote the make or model of any car.
I am simply writing as someone who has driven cars for over 60 years. Over just the past year, I have had the opportunity to drive an electric vehicle (EV)—specifically, a Tesla.
Manriquez Loza is one of 22 students across the CSU selected for the annual award, which recognizes superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need. She was honored as the CSU Foundation Board Member Ron and Mitzi Barhorst Scholar during the CSU Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 22.
A first-generation college student, Manriquez Loza is pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Equity and Justice at CSUCI, where she maintains a 3.9 GPA. Her academic and professional work reflects a longstanding commitment to empowering Indigenous communities and improving educational opportunities for historically underserved students and families.
VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) has received the prestigious Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association (CSBA) for its innovative approaches to alternative education that are helping students overcome significant barriers to graduation and success after high school.
VCOE’s Alternative Education program received the award for its submission “From Incarceration & Expulsion to Graduation, College & Workforce: Sustaining an Impactful Whole Child Ecosystem in Court & Community Schools.” The program serves students in grades 6–12, including expelled students, justice-involved youth, and students facing significant academic, behavioral, and social-emotional challenges. It operates Gateway Community School in Camarillo and Providence School at the Ventura County Juvenile Facility in Oxnard.
“Homecoming is a celebration of the people and partnerships that make Cal State Channel Islands such a welcoming and vibrant community,” said CSUCI Interim President Susan Andrzejewski. “We look forward to bringing alumni, students, families, friends and neighbors together to share in our Dolphin pride and strengthen the connections that extend well beyond our campus.”
VENTURA — The County of Ventura is taking proactive steps to coordinate efforts across agencies to strengthen readiness, identify potential resource and informational needs, and ensure infrastructure resiliency ahead of what could potentially be a very active winter season. The National Weather Service is forecasting that significant El Niño conditions will continue to intensify through the end of 2026, with the possibility of these conditions creating the strongest event on record. The presence of strong El Niño conditions raises the likelihood of Ventura County experiencing a stormier, wetter than usual winter.
SANTA MARIA — Educators, counselors, students and community advocates from across the Central Coast gathered at Allan Hancock College Sept. 30 for a conversation focused on expanding college access and helping students navigate financial aid.
Allan Hancock College and the Central Coast Cal-SOAP Consortium hosted Daisy Gonzales, Ph.D., executive director of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), for the event at Boyd Hall on Hancock’s Santa Maria campus.
CAMARILLO —The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) is inviting the community to hear directly from its leadership at its State of the District event, bringing together elected officials, regional industry and nonprofit partners, educational leaders and friends of the district to celebrate the work of VCCCD’s students, faculty and employees, reflect on the District’s progress and look ahead to what’s next. The free, public event takes place Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at the Camarillo Public Library.
Chancellor Rick MacLennan, joined by Moorpark College President Julius Sokenu, Oxnard College Interim President Steve Hall and Ventura College President Luca Lewis, will offer a firsthand look at how VCCCD is responding to a changing Ventura County and creating more ways for students to access education, build careers and find opportunity close to home.
Fans of the spooky season will love our October events and classes! Don’t miss our Halloween-themed Free Family Day, creative classes inspired by ghosts, skulls, and haunted houses, and more frightfully fun ways to celebrate fall.
For innovations with lasting impacts on society and for his influence on generations of inventors and entrepreneurs, he received the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural UC Regents Innovation Awards.
Read more about Bowers’ work
CAMARILLO — Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) will begin accepting application submissions for the Fall 2027 term on Oct. 1, 2026. Students should submit their applications through the Cal State Apply portal. The priority application deadline for most Fall 2027 applicants is Jan. 15, except for the Nursing program which has a Nov. 30 deadline.
Applications for transfer students interested in Spring 2027 admission are already open. Students seeking Spring admission should submit their applications by the priority deadline of Oct. 30.
Thank you to everyone who joined our webinar “All About Electric Vehicles: Ownership, Charging, and How to Get Money Back”! CEC’s Climate Mitigation Program Manager Sean McArthur walked through the benefits of driving electric, how to navigate charging options and costs, and incentives that can help make EV ownership more affordable. If you’re ready to learn more or considering making the switch, CEC is here to help!
CAMARILLO — Students can soon get started at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges in about 15 minutes, as the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) launches its new, simplified enrollment experience through CCCStart on October 8.
The district is among the first in California to adopt CCCStart, an enrollment platform that will replace the long-standing CCCApply system statewide by June 2027. This change is part of a statewide effort led by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to modernize how students begin college. The new platform was designed to expand access, improve the student experience and protect against fraud.
THOUSAND OAKS — Ventura County Fire Department, in partnership with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is proud to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme: “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower.”
Many devices used in our daily lives; phones, tablets, laptops, tools, toys, e-bikes, and scooters, run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which store a lot of energy in a small space. If they are damaged or charged the wrong way, they can overheat, start a fire, or even explode.
“With Medi-Cal changes rolling out over the next year, we want to ensure our providers and community organizations have the resources they need to help members navigate the upcoming changes,” said Dr. Felix Nuñez, GCHP’s chief executive officer. “With these grants, our goal is to minimize coverage disruptions for eligible members so they have continuous access to high-quality care and services.”
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Get ready to see Mary Cassatt in a new light. Come see Cassatt & Friends, a new exhibition that offers an intimate look at the creative connections between drawing and printmaking among Mary Cassatt and her contemporaries. While Cassatt is best known for her luminous paintings, she was also an accomplished printmaker—and SBMA’s permanent collection includes a number of her printed works. At the heart of the exhibition is Simone in a White Bonnet Seated with Clasped Hands (No.1), a unique counterproof created by dampening a pastel drawing and pressing it onto another sheet of paper to transfer the pigment and create a mirror image.
In a multinational megastudy, social psychologist Hongbo Yu and collaborators analyze gratitude practices across 34 countries, with findings that illustrate the importance of cultural context.
Read more about practicing gratitude
“Understanding how to access financial aid can make a meaningful difference in a student’s ability to pursue their educational goals,” said Dr. Luca E. Lewis, Ventura College president. “We want to make sure students and families have the information and support they need to navigate the financial aid process and take full advantage of the resources available to them. At Ventura College, opportunity starts here, and we are committed to helping our students take that next step toward their future.”
We are still still beaming with the warmth and beautiful show of support from so many of you last Thursday at Raising Justice!
Whether you joined us in person, invited a friend, or donated from near or from afar, THANK YOU!
Dear Ventura County Community Foundation family,
Today I invite you to watch one of my favorite TED Talks of all time: Drew Dudley’s “Everyday Leadership.”
In just six minutes, Dudley reminds us that we are all leaders. We tend to associate leadership only with enormous achievements, defining moments or extraordinary individuals. When we do that, leadership starts to feel inaccessible, something reserved only for other people. But our capacity to change another person’s life, and our community’s future, is far greater than we realize.
CAMARILLO — Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) is inviting the community to support students experiencing food and basic-needs insecurity during the CSUCI Dolphin Pantry Donation Drive on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, 2222 Ventura Blvd., Camarillo.
The event is presented through a collaboration among CSUCI Basic Needs, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at CSUCI, and Studio Channel Islands Art Center. The eventconnects a passion for lifelong learning with the shared purpose of supporting CSUCI students.
MOORPARK — Moorpark College and the Moorpark College Foundation will kick off a year of celebrations marking the college’s 60th anniversary with Moorpark College Serenades: The Premiere, a free outdoor concert on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 4–6 p.m
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health brought together physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory care practitioners and other clinicians from across the region on Friday, Sept. 18, for the 2026 Sepsis Conference, a multidisciplinary educational event focused on the recognition, treatment and management of sepsis.
The conference offered a day of education highlighting evidence-based practices, emerging research and new approaches to caring for patients with sepsis.
Presentations addressed key areas in sepsis care, including maternal sepsis, antibiotic stewardship, the use of artificial intelligence in sepsis management and recent clinical research.
