Category: Youth

Southeast Ventura County YMCA Launches Annual Fundraising Campaign And Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary

by Community Contributor • February 14, 2024 • Comments Off

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Southeast Ventura County YMCA has launched its 2024 annual fundraising campaign. Now until March 15, the Y’s goal is to raise $200,000 so it can continue to offer its programs to all community members, regardless of an ability to pay. The Southeast Ventura County YMCA is also celebrating its 60thanniversary in 2024.

The YMCA‘s two no-cost signature programs are supported solely by donations. Find My Genius closes the learning gap that often occurs during summer, especially for children in low- to middle-income households. In 2023, Find My Genius enrolled 575 young scholars in its summer program and 287 took part in its year-round afterschool program.

United Way of Ventura County provides permanent homes for over 400 residents

by Community Contributor • February 13, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — United Way of Ventura County’s Landlord Engagement Program has officially provided permanent housing for over 400 people with a 97.4% retention rate. This means 434 individuals, including 74 veterans, 54 seniors, and 153 children, now have a place to call home in our Ventura County community.

Homelessness and housing challenges are continuing to rise due to limited affordable housing supply, extremely low vacancy rates, and rising rents which all elevate the critical nature of this program. UWVC’s Landlord Engagement Program (LEP) advocates for and supports those prioritized for housing vouchers and housing subsidies provided by local jurisdictions and community partners.

“In today’s competitive housing market, many people are struggling to find affordable places to live,” said Mitchel Sloan, president, and CEO of UWVC. “Our Landlord Engagement Program is helping provide a safe place to call home for our community’s most vulnerable individuals, families, seniors and veterans.”

UCSB — The Current — ‘Embracing single life: Love, intimacy and family beyond the couple’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • February 13, 2024 • Comments Off

View this email online February 13, 2024 Top News Embracing single life: Love, intimacy and family beyond the couple Using survey data from more than 20,000 people from over 100 countries, and drawing from research by other social scientists, Bella…

Uplift releases report examining economic data and perspectives of Central Coast residents

by Community Contributor • February 12, 2024 • Comments Off

“The community played a pivotal role in creating this report as well as the 33 governance committee members who collaborated on and helped shape and inform the plan and work to date,” said Quinn Brady, Project Director of Uplift. “We are excited to share the outcomes of this collective effort.”

CSUCI highlights Hispanic culture with a Chicana/o Studies quinceañera fundraiser and a lowrider car show on Feb. 10

by Community Contributor • February 9, 2024 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — The CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) campus will be alive with two Latina/o cultural celebrations from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, and the public is invited to join in.

Just as it is customary to honor a Latina’s 15th birthday with a grand celebration including music, dancing, food, tiaras and elaborate gowns, the Chicana/o Studies program is celebrating its 15th birthday with a big party in the Grand Salon with longtime Chicana/o activist Carlos Montes and his daughter, artist/activist/educator Felicia Montes, as keynote speakers.

“The quinceañera in Latina/o culture marks an important time of transitioning from a girl into a woman,” said Professor of Chicana/o Studies José Alamillo. “It’s acknowledging the next stage of life and the fact that the young woman will be doing big things. Our department is also becoming more mature and we’re also going to do some big things involving social justice and scholarship.”

Early Summer Camp Registration Begins At Southeast Ventura County YMCA Branches

by Community Contributor • February 9, 2024 • Comments Off

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Southeast Ventura County YMCA branches are taking early registrations for their summer camps. Camp is from June 17 to August 16 through the Yarrow Family YMCA and from June 10 to August 8 through the Simi Valley Family YMCA.

Campers in TK to 5th grade can attend day camp full-time (four to five days a week) or part-time (two to three days a week) for the entire camp session or selected weeks.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Reinforcing the diverse ways people access seafood can ensure healthy communities in the face of change’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • February 8, 2024 • Comments Off

Understanding and bolstering existing pathways for acquiring seafood — as opposed to creating new programs and processes — can promote food system resilience in the Pacific Islands.

Santa Paula Art Museum — This Weekend: Art, Wine & Cider Tasting, Live Music, and More!

by Community Contributor • February 7, 2024 • Comments Off

Art & Aperitifs: “Art About Agriculture”

?Saturday, February 10, 2024 • 4 PM to 6 PM
$35 per person

Have plans Saturday evening? Spend it at the Santa Paula Art Museum during our all-new Art & Aperitifs event from 4 PM to 6 PM! Enjoy the current “Art About Agriculture” exhibition while sampling locally grown and made wine and cider from Santa Paula Cellars and Anna’s Cider. Listen to live music by Santa Paula chanteuse Shay Moulder, and watch a live painting demonstration by “Art About Ag” artist Gabriel Islas.

Guest contribution — Providing Housing for the Homeless Leads to More Safety and Better Health for all of us, Particularly for Those who Live on the Streets

by Community Contributor • February 7, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Chronic homelessness is a health and safety risk for an entire community, including those who are homeless. High concentrations of homeless persons often result in increased emergency room visits and hospitalizations, police intervention, incarceration and drug and sanitation issues. This is just one reason why organizations like DignityMoves are working to reduce homelessness by providing safe, dignified housing for homeless individuals and families. This service improves the lives of both the residents of DignityMoves housing sites as well as those living throughout Santa Barbara County.

“We do have many safety issues associated with where people are camped here in Santa Barbara County,” said Mark Hatwig, Fire Chief of Santa Barbara County. “Most of these homeless encampments are not safe living spaces. …

Museum of Ventura County — Join Us for One of MVC’s Inspired Upcoming Itineraries!

by Community Contributor • February 6, 2024 • Comments Off

6 Generations 200 Years Later

Saturday, February 17

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Join us for a screening of “6 Generations,” followed by an insightful Q&A session with Chumash elder Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto and Professor Kristina Foss. There will also be a curated display on the 1824 Chumash Revolt, offering a glimpse into a pivotal moment in Chumash history.

Discover the untold stories, triumphs, and challenges that have shaped the shared heritage of the Chumash people. Cost: $10 non-members, free for members at Individual/Family level or higher. Includes admission to the Museum. Made possible, in part, by the Bauer Foundation. Click HERE for more information and to register.

Bilingual report — Allan Hancock College students present research to prestigious biology organization

by Community Contributor • February 6, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA MARIA — Two Allan Hancock College students were invited to present their research project to a prestigious body of scientists and scholars in Seattle, Washington.

Hancock students Brianna Munoz Gonzalez and Katherine Goldstein traveled to Seattle Washington, where the duo presented their research on native plant and bee populations to the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) during the organization’s annual meeting in January 2024.

“Being asked to present in front of a body of other researchers was a humbling and empowering experience,” said Goldstein, who received Hancock’s prestigious Marian Scholarship in 2023. “Every single researcher we spoke to was interested in what we were doing, took us seriously and saw the importance and the value of what we were working to accomplish.”

UCSB — The Current — ‘Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano to receive Luis Leal Award’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • February 6, 2024 • Comments Off

The author of “¡Ask a Mexican!” (2007), “Orange County: A Personal History” (2008) and “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America” (2012) will join Mario T. Garcia to discuss his work as a journalist, politics and the future of print media.

Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara announces new Chief Artistic Officer

by Community Contributor • February 6, 2024 • Comments Off

Music Academy of the West is delighted to announce the appointment of Nate Bachhuber to the position of Chief Artistic Officer. Nate is recognized for his collaborative and strategic approach to artistic planning with prestigious performing arts organizations including the LA Phil, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He takes up this new post on February 26, and looks forward to engaging Santa Barbara’s vibrant communities through music and, with his colleagues, expanding the Music Academy’s future artistic impact.

Gov. Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency in Southern California As Powerful Storm Makes Landfall

by Community Contributor • February 5, 2024 • Comments Off

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom (on Feb. 4)proclaimed a state of emergency for eight counties in Southern California as a series of winter storms began impacting much of the state with high winds, damaging rain and heavy snowfall. The text of the proclamation can be found here.

The proclamation covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The emergency proclamation includes provisions authorizing a California National Guard response if tasked, facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents, and making it easier for out-of-state contractors and utilities to repair storm damage.

Earlier today, the Governor visited the State Operations Center near Sacramento for an update on the storm and the state’s response efforts. B-roll video of the visit can be downloaded here.

Cottage Health to Host Blood drives on Feb. 22, 23

by Community Contributor • February 5, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — To bolster local blood supply and contribute to the community’s well-being, Cottage Health, in partnership with Vitalant, is hosting two blood drives in February.

The blood drives are scheduled in Goleta and Santa Barbara on the following dates:

Ticket sales have begun for Chicana/o Studies at CSUCI celebrates ‘Nuestra Quinceañera’ fundraiser on Feb. 22

by Community Contributor • February 2, 2024 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — Chicana/o Studies at CSUCI celebrates “Nuestra Quinceañera” at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Grand Salon at CSU Channel Islands.

Join us to mark our 15th year milestone! You are cordially invited to Nuestra Quinceañera: 15 Years of Chicana/o Studies at CSU Channel Islands. This fundraising dinner and celebration will honor the impact of Chicana/o Studies at CI and beyond. We will be featuring live music, delicious food, and engaging speakers. Taking place on February 10, 2024 (Saturday) from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Grand Salon, CSUCI.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Sea otters stabilize salt marsh banks as they recolonize a California estuary’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • February 1, 2024 • Comments Off

A new study finds that some features essential to the resiliency of Elkhorn Slough, a salt marsh-dominated coastal estuary in Monterey County, are improved by the return of sea otters and their insatiable appetite for herbivorous marsh crabs.

Conference Explores Challenges and Economic Impact of Undocumented Immigrants in California

by Community Contributor • January 31, 2024 • Comments Off

THOUSAND OAKS — Undocumented immigrants contribute more than $151 billion to California’s economy, according to the 2023 study “Demographic Profile and Economic Impact of Undocumented Immigrants in California: Separating Myths from Realities” by Jamshid Damooei, Ph.D., of California Lutheran University School of Management’s Center for Economics of Social Issues (CESI). To discuss and explore the findings, Cal Lutheran is holding the timely conference, “Separating Myths from Realities: Challenges Undocumented Immigrants Face and Their Economic Impact in California.” The conference will be held from 8 a.m. – noon on Feb. 22 in the Lundring Events Center on the Cal Lutheran campus.

February @ SPAM: Art & Aperitifs, Secrets of the Impressionists and More!

by Community Contributor • January 31, 2024 • Comments Off

Art & Aperitifs: “Art About Agriculture”

Saturday, February 10, 2024 • 4 PM to 6 PM

$35 per person

Elevate your taste in art and beverages during Art & Aperitifs, an all-new event at the Santa Paula Art Museum! Experience a new appreciation for the Museum’s current “Art About Agriculture” exhibition while sampling locally grown and made aperitifs, including wine and cider by Santa Paula Cellars and Anna’s Cider. Enjoy live music by homegrown Santa Paula musician Shay Moulder, and a live painting demonstration by “Art About Ag” featured artist Gabriel Islas.

Advance ticket purchase is required and space is limited. (Please note, this event is for 21-and-overs only.)

MORE INFO + GET TICKETS

Westlake, Channel Islands, and Thousand Oaks High Schools Take Top Spots in 2024 Ventura County Academic Decathlon

by Community Contributor • January 30, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024Ventura County Academic Decathlon, which was held over the past few weeks. The winners were revealed at a ceremony this evening in Camarillo. The three teams with the highest overall scores this year are:

1st Place: Westlake High School
2nd Place: Channel Islands High School
3rd Place: Thousand Oaks High School

Registration opens Feb. 12 for free Safety Around Water Classes at Yarrow Family YMCA

by Community Contributor • January 30, 2024 • Comments Off

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Registration will open on February 12 for Safety Around Water (SAW) classes at the Yarrow Family YMCA in Westlake Village. The free, six-session program provides water safety and basic swimming skills to children with little or no water experience.

The once-a-week sessions are offered on Mondays March 4 through April 15, and on Wednesdays March 6 through April 17. Class times are 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. SAW is for elementary-aged children. It teaches participants how to exit a pool safely and other water safety skills.

Registration has opened for Ventura County Public Works Day on May 21

by Community Contributor • January 30, 2024 • Comments Off

Registration closed March 4

VENTURA — The Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) has announced that registration has opened for Ventura County Public Works Day, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 at the Ventura County Government Center, 800 South Victoria Ave., Ventura.

Click here to register.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Extreme drought hits grasslands and shrublands harder than anticipated’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • January 30, 2024 • Comments Off

A global experiment covering 100 sites, undertaken to generate a baseline understanding of the potential losses of plant productivity in these vital ecosystems, quantifies the impacts of extreme drought across six continents.

SBCC Nurturing a Pathway for Professional Journalism in the South Coast

by Community Contributor • January 30, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The Channels, the student news outlet of Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), welcomes the campus and community to tour their new collaborative workspace on the East Cliff Campus during a grand opening celebration from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8 in Room A180 of the Administration Building. (See below for more event information.)

The Channels newsroom has relocated from a portable classroom on the edge of the East Cliff Campus to a newly redesigned space in the Administration Building at the heart of SBCC. This places students in the center of the action, giving them easier access to the administration, faculty, and staff and fellow media arts programs on campus. This move and investment emphasizes SBCC’s commitment to supporting and valuing students’ freedom of press and expression, recognizing journalism’s critical role in democracy and social justice, and operating with transparency. The new newsroom allows students to practice their craft within a professional space with state-of-the-art technology.

Jalama Beach in Lompoc: California’s Best-Kept Secret For Sun And Surf

by Community Contributor • January 29, 2024 • Comments Off

LOMPOC — Situated on California’s gorgeous central coast, Lompoc’s Jalama Beach is waiting to be discovered. With its wild beauty, rugged charm, and off-the-beaten-path location, this beach offers an authentic California experience unlike any other. Join us on a journey as we explore the allure of Jalama Beach and why it’s perfect for your next beach adventure. https://explorelompoc.com/jalama-beach/

Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation in Sant Barbara invites area music organizations, teachers to lunch

by Community Contributor • January 25, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation (PASF), a nonprofit that supports music education and scholarships for local students, is hosting a luncheon to gather input from Santa Barbara-area music organizations, schools and teachers.

The event, which is by invitation only, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10, at the La Cumbre Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Invitations have been sent to more than a dozen schools, colleges, teachers and music education groups involved in training junior instrumental, adult instrumental and adult vocal students.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Jody Enders’s ‘naughty’ French comedies nab prize for translation’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • January 25, 2024 • Comments Off

For her translation of raunchy Middle French stage comedies, Enders, a theater historian and professor of French, has won the Lois Roth Award from the Modern Language Association.

Celina Zacarias Elected as 1st Latina Woman to Serve as President of the Oxnard Harbor District, 2024-2025

by Community Contributor • January 24, 2024 • Comments Off

PORT HUENEME — On January 16, 2024, the Oxnard Harbor District elected Celina Zacarias as the President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Zacarias will be the first Latina woman to hold this top post and brings a unique perspective of community engagement, workforce development, and education with her extensive experience serving as Executive Director of Community & Government Relations at California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI).

“It is truly an honor to serve as the President of the Oxnard Harbor District Board of Harbor Commissioners,” said Commissioner Zacarias. “From the beginning of my time as a commissioner, it has been and continues to be my commitment and the commitment of my fellow Commissioners to strengthen our community through educational and workforce opportunities both now and in the future. I will continue the Port’s mission to support our customers, provide impactful community outreach, and serve as an economic force in Ventura County.”

California Nature Art Museum in Solvang — New Name; New Era — Exciting Future

by Community Contributor • January 24, 2024 • Comments Off

The Wildling Museum is now the California Nature Art Museum

Venerable Solvang Mainstay Celebrates the Natural Beauty and Diversity of the Golden State through Art, Education, and Conservation

Museum of Ventura County — ‘Come together, right now’ with Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal with the Beatles!

by Community Contributor • January 24, 2024 • Comments Off

Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal with The Beatles

Thursday, January 25
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
@Museum of Ventura County
100 E. Main St., Ventura

Ventura County author and journalist Ivor Davis had a front row, eyewitness seat as The Beatles revolution unfolded in all its gory detail. He travelled with them, ate with them, drank with them, and reveals the behind-the-scenes story of what unfolded from sea to shining sea in his 60th anniversary “Beatles and Me on Tour” book. Doors open at 6 pm for refreshments. Those who are not able to join in-person are invited to view via Zoom. Registration is free for members at the Individual/Family level and higher, $10 non-members, $5 non-members Zoom. Registration and information can be found HERE.

Ventura County Office of Education — Affordable housing for teachers; graduation rate improves; Hackathon winners; and more

by Community Contributor • January 23, 2024 • Comments Off

The high cost of housing in Ventura County is a serious roadblock for schools trying to recruit and retain teachers and support staff. One potential solution that’s getting increased attention is to use school-owned property to build affordable housing developments for education employees.

That idea will be the focus of a first-of-its-kind conference next month in Camarillo. A Home for Education will bring together decision-makers in education, government, and housing development to discuss the opportunities and challenges of this type of project.

UCSB — ‘The Current’ — ‘The exiles who shaped the contours of modern dance’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • January 23, 2024 • Comments Off

“Border Crossings: Exile and American Modern Dance 1900-1955,” opening Jan. 25 at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, “rests on the idea that the immigrant, the asylum seeker, the exiled artist, shaped the language of dance modernism.” Performances by Jose Limón Dance Company, Santa Barbara Dance Theater and UCSB Dance Company, as well as a symposium, complement the exhibition.