Category: Education

Bilingual report — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! Presents Final Three Free Performances of the Season with Jarabe Mexicano — May 17, 18, 19

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) returns with its final installment of the 2023-2024 season. Enjoy three free eclectic and upbeat performances by bordeño-soul music group, Jarabe Mexicano.

Jarabe Mexicano captures the nostalgic spirit of their border roots with their brand of “Bordeño-Soul,” which honors the musical tastes and cultural influences of its members. Jarabe, which translates to ‘concoction,’ highlights the eclectic mix of genres they perform ranging from Mexican Folk, Rock & Roll, and Norteño/Tex-Mex to Latin Rock, Trio Romántico, and popular Cumbia. Their traditional Mariachi string instruments and Norteño-inspired drums complement dramatic vocals in English, Spanish, and Spanglish, and show how this multi-generational ensemble embraces change while still honoring the past.

Bilingual commentary — Should Prospective Writers Be Discouraged by AI?

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2024 • Comments Off

We cannot deny that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a threat to the livelihoods of writers. How concerned should writers, or prospective writers, be?

The frustratingly simple answer is, “It depends.”

Writers who devote themselves to creating content for publications are particularly vulnerable because AI is remarkably adept at content creation. It scans the universe of language and generates literary content in a flash that is nearly as spirited as that of the human mind.

There are already books sold on Amazon that are generated by AI. Any books that we might write and place on the Amazon marketplace will be competing with a superabundance of books that may or may not have been written by humans.

Port of Hueneme Delegation On-the-Move During Trade Mission to South Korea and Japan

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2024 • Comments Off

PORT HUENEME — What is a more fitting way to usher in World Trade Week in Southern California than by having the Port of Hueneme complete a series of collaborative discussions, strategic meetings, and site visits during a whirlwind 10-day economic and green corridor trade mission to South Korea and Japan. Commissioners of the Oxnard Harbor District and senior Port of Hueneme leadership visited these two countries to reinforce, reinvigorate, and reimagine trade with key industry leaders and policymakers alike and align on innovation initiatives to green shipping lanes and operations.

“I was especially honored to be a part of this historic trade mission to Japan and South Korea, it is important for the Port of Hueneme to be a bridge to foster robust relationships with two of our most esteemed trading partners,” said Celina Zacarias, President of the Oxnard Harbor District.

CSUCI Partners with Excelencia in Education to Champion Evidence-based Programs for Latino Student Success

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2024 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) has chosen to become a leadership partner with Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts to accelerate Latino student success in higher education, to release a compilation of evidence-based programs that are at the forefront of improving higher educational achievement for Latino, and other, students.

Titled “Advancing What Works to Intentionally Serve Latino Students: Opportunities for Action – 2024,” the compilation focuses on cultural responsiveness and asset-based approaches to support Latino and post-traditional students in five key areas:

Engagement to Prepare Students and Families for College
First-Year Experiences Building Strong Foundations for Success
Bilingualism Enhancing Academic and Career Connections
Experiences and Partnerships Building Career Pathways
Gender-Based Learning Communities to Support Success

County of Santa Barbara May Newsletter

by Community Contributor • May 2, 2024 • Comments Off

Join us as we celebrate the unsung heroes who embody the spirit of selflessness and dedication, from tireless volunteers to dedicated public servants. Next up is Florice Soto, a Custody Deputy for the North Branch Jail.

CSUCI’s OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) Taste of Summer is here

by Community Contributor • May 2, 2024 • Comments Off

If you have been curious about OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), now is a great time to

try it for only $15 per class. OLLI is offering the acclaimed Taste of Summer term for six weeks

starting on June 10 th. We have a variety of 25 one-time classes taught by expert instructors.

Step back in time and explore life and love in Roman Britain or the art and architecture of

Pompeii. Be a part of examining recent decisions of the supreme court.

What made Abraham Lincoln’s speech so powerful? This class will consider Lincoln’s life and

how it influenced his speeches.

Meet your cousins, the primates: apes, monkeys and lemurs. Visit the southern African nation

of Botswana to enjoy living with elephants. Look up and open your hearts and eyes to the

wonders of the summer skies and explore the perils of sailing beneath the sea as a submariner

and a frogman during WWII.

Plan for an active and fulfilling retirement with the classes Inspired Retired and Recreation at

Any Age.

Enrollment begins on Tuesday, May 28 th at 8:30 AM.

For additional information visit the OLLI website – go.cusci.edu/olli. Or call 805-347-2748.

The classes are in person in Camarillo, Ventura and the CSUCI campus, and on Zoom. OLLI also

offers day trips and social events for its members.

Visit – go.csuci.edu/olli or call 805-437-2748 for more information.

Experience the joy of lifelong learning and meet new friends with OLLI!

VCCCD Celebrates LGBTQIA+ Students at Second Annual Lavender Graduation

by Community Contributor • May 2, 2024 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — Building on the success of last year’s inaugural celebration, the Community Colleges of Ventura County proudly hosted the second annual Lavender Graduation on April 26, 2024, at Moorpark College. The districtwide ceremony was open to all students identifying as LGBTQIA+ who attend Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura colleges and Ventura College East Campus. Family, friends, and other supporters were invited as well.

This year’s event was a sincere showcase of diversity and empowerment. The ceremony featured addresses from all three college presidents and inspiring speeches by three student speakers from each college, which underscored themes of resilience, inclusivity, and the importance of embracing one’s personal identity.

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County announces $12 million in loans for 492 new affordable housing units in Ventura County

by Community Contributor • May 2, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA COUNTY — Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announces $12,000,000 in loan commitments approved by its Board of Directors. Seven million of the $12 million will be matched by Prop 1 funding. The Valentine Road Apartments in Ventura, a Homekey development by the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura, will receive a $5,000,000 construction loan. Two developments by Red Tail Multifamily Land Development, Citrus Flats in Santa Paula and Arrive Ventura in Ventura, will each receive a $1,000,000 pre-development loan. Many Mansions’ Aspire Apartments in Oxnard will receive a $5,000,000 construction loan. Together the developments will bring 492 new affordable homes to Ventura County.

Ventura PD holding motorcycle safety enforcement operations in May

by Community Contributor • May 2, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The Ventura Police Department will have extra officers on patrol in May looking specifically for traffic violations made by drivers and motorcycle riders.

The top primary crash factors for motorcycles are unsafe speed, improper turning, right-of-way violations, driving under the influence and unsafe lane changes. Speeding is the most common factor, accounting for nearly a third of all crashes in the state.

UCSB — The Current — ‘How to build and protect skills in our modern workplace, a world filled with AI and robots’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • May 2, 2024 • Comments Off

Assistant professor Matt Beane‘s new book uncovers ways for workers to remain competent and competitive in an increasingly automated workplace.

Cottage Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Recognizes May as Mental Health Awareness Month

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that one out of every five adults in the United States experiences some form of mental illness every year. However, only half of these individuals receive proper treatment. This National Mental Health Awareness Month, Cottage Health stands with other community organizations to increase public awareness about the significance of mental health and provide access to support and education.

“For more than three decades, our team has been committed to destigmatizing mental health challenges and cultivating a healing environment for individuals who seek support,” said Darcy Keep, Administrative Director of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. “We recognize the apprehension that often accompanies seeking help. However, we want the community to feel empowered and know we are here to support them in their journey.”

United Way of Ventura County — Women United Luncheon is 3 weeks away – Tickets on Sale!

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

Keynote Speaker is Educator Erin Gruwell

MICOP — New Trilingual Website Sheds Light on SLO County’s Mexican Indigenous Population

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

SAN LUIS OBISPO — A new trilingual website shares survey findings that shed light on the demographics and health needs of San Luis Obispo (SLO) County’s Mexican indigenous population.

The website, written in English and Spanish with audio available in Mixteco (a group of languages native to the Oaxaca and Guerrero regions of Mexico), is an openly accessible resource for local organizations and agencies serving this community. The key findings of this study reinforce that Mexican indigenous community members—estimated to be between about three and eight thousand people living in SLO County—face unique health risks driven by poor housing and economic conditions as well as barriers to health services.

Bilingual report — Allan Hancock College seeks students for California College Corps program

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

Students who are accepted into the program as?College?Corps?“fellows” will?work with K-12 schools, food banks or climate action organizations to build healthier and more equitable communities across California. In exchange, they can receive up to $10,000, including a living stipend throughout the service term and an Education Award upon completion of 450 service hours. The program also provides students with valuable job experience and skills, as well as access to training, networking, and professional development opportunities.

MICOP — Nearly Two Hundred Farmworkers Organized, Marched, and Rallied to Launch a Living Wage Campaign

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA MARIA — In Celebration of May Day, on April 28, 2024, over a hundred farmworkers – along with CAUSE and MICOP – organized a rally and march to launch a new farmworker living wage campaign for Santa Barbara County.

“Nearly two hundred farmworkers are here today because of the ongoing and increasing difficulty to afford housing, childcare, healthcare, and food despite their essential work for the Central Coast, state, and nation,” said Hazel Davalos, Co-Executive Director of CAUSE. “In the face of doing physically strenuous labor to support an essential part of our local economy, those who toil in the fields are paid low wages, denying farmworker families the ability to live in dignity. The community of Santa Maria showed up today to celebrate May Day and stand in solidarity with farmworkers. Our state and society has deemed farmworkers as essential, and it’s past time that these very workers deserve to be treated as essential and paid wages that honor the sacrifice, health risks, and the hours farmworkers endure.”

First District Supervisor Das Williams — A Home For Everyone

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2024 • Comments Off

Recently my family and I had the chance to furnish one of the 80 new units at La Posada, the newest temporary shelter project at the former County Juvenile Hall. This project is just the latest in our efforts to help those experiencing homelessness get off the streets and into housing.

At the Board of Supervisors meeting last week, we got good news and bad news. The good news is, through our outreach and housing efforts, we ended homelessness for 1,400 people in our County last year. The bad news is, the overall rate of homelessness increased last year, with the number of people reporting it was their first time experiencing homelessness reaching an all-time high. While we are making good progress at bringing more shelter units online, the heartbreaking fact is that more and more people are newly falling into homelessness each year.

This is why our efforts to create more housing opportunities are so important. In communities with lower housing costs, things like a job loss, a divorce, or a medical episode are terrible things – but only in communities like ours, where housing is so scarce and costs are so high, do these things so often lead to homelessness.

Bilingual report — Empowering Ventura County Youth: Workforce Development Board Launches Revitalized Youth Program

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2024 • Comments Off

Recognizing this critical need in Ventura County, the Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDBVC) is seeking to pave the way for youth and young adults as they mitigate their unemployment or lack of career pathways; WDBVC has unveiled “Ventura County NextGen,” a revitalized youth program aimed at preparing Ventura County’s future workforce with essential skills and readiness.

Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation announces 2024 music contest winners

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Six young musicians took home thousands of dollars in scholarships Sunday, April 28, after competing in the annual music contest organized by the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation.

A professional panel of judges selected first and second place winners in the adult instrumentalist, junior instrumentalist and vocalist categories. Eleven finalists performed at the event. Awards ranged from $500 to $6,000 and totaled $26,000 overall. The contest took place at Music Academy of the West in Montecito.

This year’s vocal division winner is Ava Kimmel, 22, a soprano and junior at Westmont College. Second prize goes to Xeni Tziouvaras, 29, a mezzo-soprano and freelance vocalist embarking on an international opera career following graduation from the Manhattan School of Music.

UCSB — The Current — ‘New book explores gay, queer and feminist community in early advances in computer science’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2024 • Comments Off

Patricia Fancher digs into Alan Turing’s technical and scientific writing, highlighting his role in computing’s inception and his collaborations with women and queer individuals.