
The Graduate Division has awarded special summer funding to 55 students for pandemic-related research and creative projects.
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The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees is committed to diversity and inclusion as key priorities in the organization’s values. At its June 23 meeting, the Board adopted a Resolution Affirming a Commitment to Student Success for Black and African American Students. Action items to remove systemic barriers for Black and African American students were addressed at the Board’s Planning Session on June 27.
The Board is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion for Black and African American students in which they feel safe, respected and valued. Students will continue to be invited to share their unique perspective, talents and backgrounds.

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Spirit of Entrepreneurship awards by announcing this year’s winners online at spiritofentrepreneurship.org. The winners in 10 categories were selected from 30 finalists by a panel of independent judges from outside the tri-county area.
“It is important that we honor these amazing women for the remarkable businesses they have built and the impact they have on our communities,” said Kathy Odell, CEO of WEV. “Despite not being able to hold our annual awards dinner in person because of COVID-19, we are celebrating these women business leaders and acknowledging the various industries in which they have achieved success.”

Ford Dealership, 128 S. Hallock Dr., Santa Paula, CA 93060 M-F, 10-7
Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Rd., Moorpark, CA 93021 M-F, 10-7
Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033 F-T, 10-7
Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Rd., Ventura CA 93003, M-F, 10-7
Testing also available at all County clinics and state sites. Information in the attached pdf.

The SBA has extended the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application window through August 8, 2020 in response to the Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act. PPP is designed to help small business, nonprofits, veteran organizations, Tribal concerns, self-employed individuals, independent contractors, and other eligible borrowers keep their workers employed during the COVID-19 crisis.

Santa Barbara City College is pleased to announce that registration for Fall is now open to everyone in the community, whether to earn an associate degree, transfer to a four-year university or enjoy life enrichment classes through the School of Extended Learning.
Based on recent guidance provided by the state, county and Centers for Disease Control, a substantial majority of courses will be conducted online. A limited number of credit courses will be offered in a face-to-face or hybrid format, maintaining appropriate health and safety protocols. The list of face-to-face credit courses is available at www.sbcc.edu/classes.

Join us for a 2-part virtual conversation with artist Genevieve Gaignard and MCASB Curator Alexandra Terry to learn more about MCASB’s current exhibition Bloom Projects: Genevieve Gaignard, Outside Looking In.
In the first session, Genevieve and Alexandra will discuss the logistics of making an exhibition from inception to opening. They will share insights from the early stages of planning through to the physical installation of Genevieve’s exhibition.

We are excited to announce the launch of OC LIVE ONLINE, a web-based initiative that will bring arts and education programing direct to your computer or tablet or phone. Coming in August, OC LIVE ONLINE will include streaming presentations with leading figures in education and the arts, musical performances, virtual gallery tours, inspirational student voices, and a special series of homegrown encounters with our very own OC faculty.

When Class of 2020 students enrolled at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) as freshman, the Thomas Fire burned through two counties at the end of their first semester, followed by the Woolsey Fire, the Hill Fire and the Borderline shooting in 2018.
And when they went to graduate, a pandemic sent them home, sank the economy and turned their commencement victory lap into a virtual event. Now, they are trying to start their professional careers in a struggling economy.

Registration is now open for South Coast Writing Project’s ‘Young Writers Camp Online’ July 20-31 on Zoom.
The Camps run at various dates and times through July; see individual descriptions below
SCWP is an education non-profit out of UCSB that’s been holding youth writing camps since 1993. This year we are taking our camps online and making them donation-only to support during COVID.

As COVID-19 transmission rates continue to rise, Governor Newsom issued guidance July 2 that instructs counties that have been on the County Monitoring List for three consecutive days or more to close indoor operations for certain sectors which promote the mixing of populations beyond households and make adherence to physical distancing with face coverings difficult. Within those sectors, those that are not able to continue their business through outdoor operations must close that portion of their business effective immediately for at least three weeks, in order to further mitigate the spread of the virus.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme is preparing to open its Fifth Street Clubhouse on June 29 to a limited number of youth. It is accepting applications from essential workers’ families, with priority to existing members, for a summer camp, Club CEO Erin Antrim announced on June 30. Other sites of the BGCOP are expected to open at a later date.

The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed life and learning circumstances for the entire CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) campus, but it also meant an expanded role for the University as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
To that end, University leaders recently launched the “CARES Summer Grant Program,” which will provide funds for tuition for eligible students interested in taking summer classes. The funds come from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was enacted by the U.S. Department of Education to aid institutions of higher learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The past few weeks have brought news of a student-led rally for Black Lives Matter in Simi Valley plus two significant Supreme Court rulings, all of which promote equity and justice. At the Social Justice Fund, we celebrate these moments as a reminder that progress toward justice is possible and requires our participation.

COVID19 BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
If you are still looking for capital, don’t miss these opportunities for assistance!
VENTURA COUNTY BUSINESS ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM
The County of Ventura has created a COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant Program to provide grants of $5,000 awarded to small businesses and nonprofit organizations located in Ventura County to alleviate impacts from COVID-19.
If you wish to apply, please have the following documents handy:

The month of June 2020 will end in historical landmark victories for our LBGTQ+ and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) communities. The Association of Mexican American Educators, Inc., Oxnard Chapter, applauds our Supreme Court Justices for supporting these communities and future generations.

We live in a great country with a history that is both magnificent and, at times, not so magnificent. Until very recently, we were the light of the world, the “shining city upon a hill,” as our country has been called in flights of oratory throughout modern history. Nonetheless, there have been several ugly periods of time in American history that should have us hanging our heads in shame: the massacres of Native Americans in the nineteenth century; the internment of Japanese Americans in the mid-1940s; the persecution and humiliation of Mexican American youth in Los Angeles by military servicemen and white Angelenos during World War II. Few of us are aware of the Reconstruction era, just after the Civil War when the black slaves were given their freedom. In school, many of us were taught that the slaves were freed and we went on to become a great industrial power. And we lived happily ever after. But the truth is otherwise.

We continue to see increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in some regions of the County. I urge you not to panic, but to remember that jobs, businesses, and lives depend on continued use of precautions. These include:
Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, and staying away from large gatherings and crowds.
Putting distance between yourself and other people (at least 6 feet).
Wearing face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Face coverings may act as additional protection, but are not a substitute for physical distancing, which is the most effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces daily.

Carnegie Arts Cornerstones had been a major financial contributor to the planning and support of the now defunct Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, CA.
So while there is no longer a physical museum to support, the spirit of our mission lives on, and our future is bright. We still believe our mission to promote creativity, learning, and growth in the careers of artists, and to inspire passion and appreciation for the visual arts is still vital to the communities around Oxnard and throughout Southern California.
Wednesday, July 1ST
11:00AM – 12:00PM
I’ll be discussing what we have done so far in response to the health crisis, what our current status is, and what our plans are for re-opening. I’d also like to take this opportunity to discuss with you how the Museum of Ventura County can best continue to meet current and future community needs, particularly in light of the global civil unrest and its regional manifestations and impacts.
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Elena Brokaw
The Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director

An organization that recognizes excellence in sustainability practices has given CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) one of its highest ratings.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) commended CSUCI for earning a gold rating in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “CSUCI has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS gold rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”

CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will enter the fall semester with membership in the prestigious Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, which was founded in 1922 at what is now the Indiana University School of Nursing.
Adding CSUCI’s most accomplished nursing students to the 90-country, 135,000-member strong group of professional nurses has been a goal for Professor Emeritus of Nursing Karen Jensen, R.N., Ph.D., ever since the very first students graduated from CSUCI’s Nursing program in 2010.

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District is asking parents to complete a simple seven-question survey to assist in the planning of school reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Questions focus on student attendance area, in-person instruction options, remote learning options, sports participation, internet availability and a possible delay to the start of school for staff training. The survey was released through the All Call System to parents late Friday.

The Ventura County Complete Count Committee will lead a Census Caravan on Saturday, June 20. The caravan – which will have 20 vehicles and 20 different representatives from organizations such as Food Share, the Ventura County Library, Líderes Campesinas, the Boys & Girls Clubs, Center for Employment Training (CET), and MICOP – will start its route at 1:00pm in the city of Fillmore in front of City Hall and travel through the cities of Santa Paula, Port Hueneme, and end in Oxnard by 4:00pm.

Oxnard College student Ashley M. Gonzales has joined the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees as the Student Trustee for the 2020-21 academic year. Gonzales was selected through a districtwide student election in April and installed at the June 16 board meeting. She joins the elected board comprised of Chair Bernardo M. Perez, Vice Chair Josh Chancer, and Trustees Dianne McKay, Larry Kennedy and Gabriela Torres.

A record number of migrant students have enrolled in a program that will provided important educational opportunities this summer in Ventura County. A total of 850 students have signed up for at-home summer instruction offered by the Migrant Education Program at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). The program provides services to students who frequently change schools as their families move throughout the state to follow work opportunities in the agriculture industry.

KidSTREAM, Ventura County’s children’s museum, which is committed to providing hands-on exhibits and programs based on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math (STREAM), announced the addition of three new members to its board of directors: Wendy Acevedo-Solis, Iris Ilao, and Michael Jump.
“We are incredibly honored to have Wendy, Iris, and Mike join a team that is committed to bringing kidSTREAM to fruition; We are equally thrilled that each new board director brings strength and passion to their commitment to serve all the children of Ventura County” said Michael Shanklin, kidSTREAM’s Executive Director.

Based on recent guidance provided by the state, county and Centers for Disease Control, SBCC will offer a substantial majority of credit courses online for the Fall 2020 semester.
As some courses are difficult to teach online, a limited number of courses will be offered in a face-to-face or hybrid format, maintaining appropriate health and safety protocols.
Read the press release for more details…