Category: Education

Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams — Mapping our Justice and Mental Healthcare System

by Community Contributor • January 22, 2024 • Comments Off

This coming Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors we will discuss a report showing that our County has a higher-than-average jail incarceration rate compared to the rest of California, and hear an update on efforts to better manage the population of the jail. The most basic service in government is public safety, but it does not make us safe when some people are ending up in jail, or coming back to it, because of a lack of mental health services. We have a moral imperative to improve the situation. But we also have a financial need as well.

Bilingual commentary — Pre-Columbian Custom on a City Bus

by Community Contributor • January 19, 2024 • Comments Off

I was on a city bus in Oxnard recently when I found myself fascinated by a female passenger that had boarded.

I know…that statement appears to be borderline salacious, but let me explain.

The woman with a dark complexion appeared to be indigenous Mayan. I’ve spent some time in Yucatán, Mexico, so I recognize the Mayan profile, including the majestic shape of the nose, when I see one. It is distinctively different from the indigenous profiles that hail from other parts of Mexico.

What struck me even more was the ease with which she was caring for her very young child, maybe one year old.

Santa Paula Art Museum — 30 Under 30 Opens Saturday + New Events and Classes Just Added!

by Community Contributor • January 18, 2024 • Comments Off

Premiere Party: “30 Under 30”

Saturday, January 20, 2024 • 4 PM to 6 PM

$5 SPAM members • $10 Non-members

Meet a new generation of California artists during the premiere of “30 Under 30” at the Santa Paula Art Museum on Saturday, January 20! The group exhibition features 30 diverse California artists between the ages of 18 and 29, who are pushing the boundaries of traditional fine art and heralding an exciting new chapter for California’s art scene. Beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres will be served. “30 Under 30” will be on view from January 20 to May 5, 2024.

MORE INFO

Museum of Ventura County Gratefully Acknowledges Community Support and Announces Changes in Admission Policy

by Community Contributor • January 18, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA COUNTY — The Museum of Ventura County extends heartfelt gratitude to our vibrant community for its unwavering generosity, allowing us to offer free admission throughout 2023. As we look ahead to the new year, the Museum of Ventura County, Downtown Ventura location, will undergo a transition in its admission policy beginning February 1, 2024. The grant that has sustained free admission will conclude, necessitating a shift to a sustainable funding model.

Starting February 1, 2024, the Museum of Ventura County, Downtown Ventura, will implement the following admission fees:

38th Annual California Strawberry Festival Seeks Sponsors & Exhibitors

by Community Contributor • January 18, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The 38th Annual California Strawberry Festival is seeking corporate sponsors and commercial exhibitors. The festival is taking place May 18 and 19 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.

Last year, the family-friendly festival drew more than 57,000 visitors from throughout Southern California including Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Kern, Santa Barbara and Orange counties.

UCSB — ‘The Current’ — ‘A global study reveals pathways to save threatened sharks, despite rising mortality trends’ and more news, events

by Amigos805.com • January 18, 2024 • Comments Off

View this email online January 18, 2024 Top News A global study reveals pathways to save threatened sharks, despite rising mortality trends Geographic protections and fishing regulations could improve what is currently a bleak outlook for sharks, but new policies…

SEEAG Introduces Visionaries Circle LEAGUE²

by Community Contributor • January 17, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is introducing its Visionaries Circle LEAGUE² (Leaders in Agriculture United for Educational Excellence) membership to recognize its premier donors who have shown support for SEEAG’s youth agricultural and nutrition education programs and Farm Day community education and outreach events. SEEAG’s focus is to educate students and the public about the farm origins of food, healthy eating, and the importance of local agriculture. Many of these donors have been involved in SEEAG since its first program was introduced almost 16 years ago.

“SEEAG has been extremely fortunate to have a dedicated, loyal donor base whose contributions have made a real difference in SEEAG’s ability to offer the cost-free programming we do. Without them, we would not be able to reach thousands of students every year,” says Mary Maranville, the nonprofit’s Founder and CEO.

Bilingual report — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Disaster Declaration for December 2023 Storm and Flooding

by Community Contributor • January 16, 2024 • Comments Off

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued an Administrative Disaster Declaration on Jan. 10 for damages to businesses and homes resulting from the Storm and Flooding that occurred Dec. 21-23, 2023. It is important that homeowners, renters or business owners apply for assistance to initiate an SBA application as a result of physical damage by the Physical Damage deadline of March 11, 2024. The Economic Injury Deadline is October 10, 2024.

Counties Impacted by the Disaster Declaration

Primary County: Ventura County
Contiguous Counties: Kern, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. These counties are also eligible for both physical damage and economic injury benefits.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Even the oldest eukaryote fossils show dazzling diversity and complexity’

by Community Contributor • January 16, 2024 • Comments Off

Researchers reveal that eukaryotic organisms had already evolved into a diverse array of forms 1.64 billion years ago.

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) free and webinar schedule

by Community Contributor • January 16, 2024 • Comments Off

AI FOR SMALL BUSINESS 101: HOW TO LEVERAGE AI TO ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH

January 24 @ 12:00 pm

Explore the real-world applications of AI. Don’t miss out on unlocking the potential of AI for your business success. Offered in partnership with EDC, WEV and SCORE. Spanish interpretation will be available.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Ventura College Foundation Provided $809,995 In Direct Student Support During 2022-2023 Academic Year

by Community Contributor • January 12, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, the Ventura College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and financial assistance to Ventura College students and school programs, distributed $809,995 in direct assistance support to over 5,000 students during the 2022-2023 academic year and another $1.17 million to 68 Ventura College programs across 16 departments and divisions.

“Since the foundation’s inception, it’s raised over $48 million to benefit Ventura College students and programs. There is no better way to celebrate the foundation’s 40thanniversary than to contribute another $2 million to help remove the financial barriers to education that students face,” says Anne Paul King, Ventura College Foundation executive director.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura invites public to respond to survey on COVID-19 response effort

by Community Contributor • January 12, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The County of Ventura invites members of the public to provide responses to a public survey regarding the County’s emergency response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey, which will help inform the County’s official After-Action Report (AAR), is available online in English and Spanish at the County’s website at www.ventura.org.

Celebrate 95 Years of Action with Us at the LULAC National Legislative Conference and Gala!

by Community Contributor • January 11, 2024 • Comments Off

Join us in marking a monumental milestone – the 95th Anniversary of LULAC.

Set in the prestigious Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, on Wednesday, February 14, and Thursday, February 15th, the LULAC Legislative Conference and Awards event promises a day rich with insightful discussions on key issues like Education, Economic Empowerment, Health, Climate Change, Immigration, and Bridging the Digital Divide, with an incredible line up of distinguished speakers.

The festivities continue with the LULAC Legislative Awards Gala on Thursday, February 15, where we will honor Edward James Olmos for his lifetime achievement in the arts and his incredible advocacy and philanthropy work.

UCSB — The Current — ‘The choreography of cross-ecosystem subsidies that connects the kelp forest to the beach’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • January 11, 2024 • Comments Off

A multi-institution collaboration of scientists investigates the rise and fall in the abundance of kelp, and how it affects shorebirds.

Island Packers Whale Watching and Island Excursions Now Offered Through April, 2024 To The Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — A winter Whale Watch trip is a perfect way to gather with family and friends to view Pacific Gray Whales migrating through the Santa Barbara Channel from their feeding grounds in Alaska to their breeding grounds in Baja.

Pacific Gray Whales are normally sighted in the SB Channel near Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island, and whale watching excursions to witness the whales are offered, now available through April, 2024, by Island Packers, a family-owned and founded in 1969, and the official concessionaire to the Channel Island National Parks. For more information, visit www.Island Packers.com. The mammoth migration of more than 20,000 whales and 6,000 miles twice a year remains a major attraction in Southern California.

Museum of Ventura County — There’s so much to do at MVC this month!

by Community Contributor • January 9, 2024 • Comments Off

Autism Society Ventura County Presents: Celebrating the Autistic Mind Art Show

Opening Reception Thursday, January 11

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Museum of Ventura County welcomes Autism Society Ventura County’s “Celebrating the Autistic Mind Art Show” January 11 – 14 from 11 am – 5 pm daily with a special opening reception on January 11 from 5:30 – 7 pm. Explore the imaginative works of 43 neurodiverse artists of all ages. Reserve your spot HERE and immerse yourself in creativity!

Music Academy in Santa Barbara welcoming incoming board members, Honors Retiring Members in 2024

by Community Contributor • January 9, 2024 • Comments Off

At the Music Academy of the West’s Annual Board Meeting in December 2023, three exceptional community leaders were elected to its Board of Directors: Montecito residents Susan Lichtenstein(retired, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Hill-Rom Holdings), Kelly Teich (President, The Warner Group Architects), and Santa Barbara resident Tom Orlando(industrial property manager, former manufacturing executive). It also honored the achievements of two retiring board members, Margaret Cafarelli and Tim Taylor.

UCSB — The Current — ‘When bad cells go good: harnessing cellular cannibalism for cancer treatment’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • January 9, 2024 • Comments Off

Scientists decipher a cellular murder mystery in fruit flies, solving a human immunodeficiency. The discovery has the potential to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

Museum of Ventura County Announces Call for Applications for the Bonita C. McFarland Scholarship for the Visual Arts

by Community Contributor • January 8, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA COUNTY — The Museum of Ventura County is proud to announce that applications for the Bonita C. McFarland Scholarship for the Visual Arts are now open. This significant scholarship program, established in honor of Bonita C. McFarland—a devoted supporter of the Museum and the broader arts community—aims to increase opportunities for emerging artists and amplify their impact on our community.

Lumina Alliance — January Is National Stalking Awareness Month

by Community Contributor • January 8, 2024 • Comments Off

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — January 2024 marks the twentieth annual National Stalking Awareness Month, an annual call to action to recognize and respond to this traumatic and dangerous crime. Stalking impacts nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the United States but too often goes unrecognized and unaddressed.1 It takes all of us – advocates, legal representatives, victims/survivors and their friends and family, and YOU – to recognize and respond to stalking. This month, Lumina Alliance invites you to join our efforts to “KNOW IT. NAME IT. STOP IT.” – this year’s Stalking Awareness Month theme, and help raise awareness about stalking on the Day of Action on January 18th.

Guest contribution — Embracing a Fresh Start: New Year’s Resolutions for Family Caregivers

by Community Contributor • January 8, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — As the calendar turns its pages to a new year, it’s a time-honored tradition to set resolutions. For family caregivers especially, the new year presents an opportunity to reflect on their journey and make intentional commitments to enhance their well-being and the quality of care they provide. The Caring Together Santa Barbara County network of organizations offer some meaningful resolutions tailored specifically for family caregivers.

We acknowledge that caregiving can be both overwhelming and extremely rewarding. Some of these suggestions may be out of reach for many caregivers. Keep in mind that our goal is to improve the wellbeing of the caregiver, as well as the person receiving care, not to add additional stress.

Bilingual report — CLU receives grant funding for City of Oxnard residents via Community Counseling Services

by Community Contributor • January 5, 2024 • Comments Off

OXNARD — California Lutheran University has received grant funding for City of Oxnard residents via Community Counseling Services and invites you to come in for free therapy sessions.

To find out if you are eligible for free services, please contact the clinic nearest to you. Low-fee therapy sessions are also available for those who do not qualify for the grant.

Bilingual commentary — Natural vs. “Miracle” Weight Loss

by Community Contributor • January 5, 2024 • Comments Off

The 2023-2024 holiday season is now in the rearview mirror. Many of us will be resurrecting those weight loss resolutions that perhaps we had attempted last year (and the year before that, etc.).

Now, suddenly, there are new, shiny objects that glisten on our lifestyle horizons: weight-reduction drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

The gravitational pull of these “miracle drugs” is too strong to dismiss them as mere fads. Even the respectable, time-honored Weight Watchers organization appears to welcome these drugs into the fold after spending decades encouraging traditional lifestyle-based changes in people’s lives, such as dieting and exercise.

But before conventional dieters cast their calorie tables and food portion scales overboard, they need to seriously consider the numerous downsides of these drugs.

Teatro de las Américas — Taller de Cine 2024 | Vision Board | Kids Workshop

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2024 • Comments Off

Objetivo

Realizar un corto de ficción mostrando al público el proceso de producción en tiempo real.

¿Qué es?

El Taller de cine del Teatro de las Américas es una mezcla de tutorial, detrás de cámaras, live streaming, documental y reality show.

Es un proyecto cooperativo en español en el que los participantes idearán, escribirán, producirán y actuarán en una película original.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura announces Residents and Business Owners Survey – COVID-19 After-Action Report

by Community Contributor • January 4, 2024 • Comments Off

The County of Ventura, in collaboration with Constant Associates, a third-party public health and emergency management consultancy, is developing a COVID-19 After-Action Report to document the County’s response to the pandemic and improve its preparedness for future public health crises. Among other data collection activities, to capture detailed data regarding our response efforts, Constant Associates has created a virtual survey, which we invite you to fill out. Please feel free to also forward this email and link to other members of your community or organization whose feedback you feel would be beneficial.

Your participation in this survey plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the County’s COVID-19 response efforts and ensuring that we are effectively meeting the needs of our community.

To access the survey, click the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/87XNSZM

Community Service Organizations Receive Over $530,000 in Funding from Local Health Plan on Central Coast

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — More than 40 service agencies and associations, as well as community nonprofits and organizations, in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties have already received or will receive community benefits funding in 2023 from the local health plan CenCal Health. By the end of this year, over $530,000 will have been distributed by the local Medi-Cal health plan to support and improve the overall health and wellness of communities in its two-county service area.

“During this holiday season of giving, all of us at CenCal Health want to highlight those local agencies and organizations that – in various ways – serve all our residents, including our members, and especially the most vulnerable of our children, youth and seniors,” said CenCal Health CEO Marina Owen.

Bilingual report — Ventura County Community Development Corp. — Camarillo Workforce Housing Down Payment Assistance Program

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2024 • Comments Off

Have you heard about our newest program in partnership with the City of Camarillo? The Camarillo Workforce Housing Down Payment Assistance Program is designed to help local working households purchasing in Camarillo achieve their dream of homeownership.

With up to $50,000 in the form of a ten (10) year deferred loan, low-and moderate-income first-time homebuyers can receive the financial support they need to make their homeownership dreams a reality. Plus, these funds can be combined with VCCDC’s other programs to maximize purchasing power.

VCCDC’s partnership with the City of Camarillo underscores our shared commitment to supporting the community and helping individuals achieve their homeownership goals. We encourage eligible and qualified individuals to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to achieve their dream of homeownership!

Enrollment For YMCA Winter Swim Lessons in Westlake Village Now Open

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2024 • Comments Off

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Enrollment for winter swim lessons is open for classes at the Yarrow Family YMCA in Westlake Village and Simi Valley Family YMCA. Group lessons are from January 16 through February 26. Private lessons are also available.

Weekly swim classes have a maximum ratio of one teacher per five swimmers. Swimmers are assigned classes based on their age and swimming ability. Age groups are three to five years, five to seven years and eight to 12 years. Parent/child classes are for children from six months of age to three years old. Swim diapers are required for infants and toddlers. Parents can select from class times and days on Mondays through Thursdays and on Saturdays.

Bilingual report — 12 Cadets graduate from Hancock’s Core Custody Academy

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA MARIA — Twelve cadets graduated from Allan Hancock College’s CORE Custody Academy on Dec. 29 during a ceremony at the college’s Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc.

All 12 graduates of CORE Academy Class #15 completed a comprehensive California Standards and Training for Corrections course consisting of 260 hours of instruction. The six-week academy is designed to prepare students mentally, morally, emotionally, and physically to work as correctional officers. Some of the instruction included emergency planning in a custody facility, report writing, ethics, investigation procedures, contraband, arrest and control, physical fitness training, CPR/First Aid, and emergency vehicle operations.

Local Grassroots Organization Endorses Slate of Candidates Committed to Immigrant Worker Power, Environmental and Housing Justice for California’s Central Coast

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2024 • Comments Off

Editor’s note: * Shooting Star Communications LLC, the parent company of www.Amigos805.com, does not endorse candidates running for political office. We reserve the right to refuse any political advertisement.

“Every election cycle we witness huge sums of money drop into our communities to sway races in support of candidates that represent powerful interests’ runaway profits instead of peoples’ lives – and this year is no different. CAUSE Action’s people power will continue to defend our communities from the special interest money flooding into our communities,” said Hazel Davalos, Co-Executive Director of CAUSE Action. “We have laid the foundation for us to have one-on-one conversations with thousands of voters. And CAUSE Action will work from now until election day to educate and mobilize voters to support candidates committed to environmental and housing justice, and building immigrant worker power.”