Category: Youth

Ventura County Community College District joins National Entrepreneurship Pilot to expand access to business financing education

by Community Contributor • April 20, 2026 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) is hosting “Foundations of Financing for Entrepreneurs,” a free workshop today at the HIVE Autonomous Innovation Center in Camarillo.

The workshop is part of a national pilot program, CEED to Success, designed to expand entrepreneurship and business financing education to underserved founders. As part of this initiative, VCCCD is partnering with the program’s founder, Baker Hill, through its Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) and a partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).

Startup Day Channel Islands brings one-day entrepreneurial experience to Ventura County

by Community Contributor • April 20, 2026 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — Aspiring entrepreneurs across Ventura County will have the opportunity to develop and pitch business ideas in just one day at Startup Day Channel Islands, taking place Friday, April 24, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at California State…

Bilingual report — Former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera to visit Allan Hancock College for reading and workshop

by Community Contributor • April 20, 2026 • Comments Off

SANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College will welcome acclaimed poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera for a special poetry reading and community zine workshop April 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. in Boyd Concert Hall (bldg. F) on the Santa Maria campus.

The free event, which is open to the public, will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from one of the nation’s most influential literary voices and participate in a collaborative, hands-on creative workshop.

Herrera, the son of farmworkers, was born in Fowler, California, and has spent more than five decades shaping American poetry through his writing, teaching, and community engagement. He served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2015 to 2017, becoming the first Mexican American to hold the position, and previously served as California’s Poet Laureate.

Bilingual report — Teatro de las Américas 34th Anniversary / 34 Aniversario, more news

by Community Contributor • April 17, 2026 • Comments Off

Teatro de las Américas

34th Anniversary

Dinner/Concert Fundraiser

Teatro de las Américas is celebrating its 34th anniversary as the only organization dedicated to Spanish-language theater on the Central Coast, and we invite friends, volunteers, and anyone interested in supporting the arts and culture in our community to join us for our annual benefit event.

Museum of Ventura County — Two exhibitions ending April 26

by Community Contributor • April 17, 2026 • Comments Off

The Museum of Ventura County extends beyond its galleries. Through community events, school tours, and outreach programs, we connect with people across Ventura County in ways that spark curiosity.

Over the past 12 months, we have reached more than 10,000 people through these experiences. Communities come together to share and reflect. Students see their local history in a new way. Families engage with one another through hands-on activities.

This is what the Museum does. We connect people through the shared stories of Ventura County.

Over 300 teens and their parents shop at Prom Closet at local YMCAS

by Community Contributor • April 17, 2026 • Comments Off

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Over 300 teens and their parents selected free prom attire at Prom Closets at the two branches of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA. Prom Closets were held at the Simi Valley Family YMCA and Yarrow Family YMCA in Westlake Village. Both Prom Closets were filled with donated, gently used and new formal wear for use by high schoolers at their prom.

For the past three years, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA and its branches have partnered with the Simi Valley Soroptimist Club to hold a Prom Closet at both YMCA sites.

13th annual Ventura County Farm Day draws large crowds

by Community Contributor • April 15, 2026 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The 13th Annual Ventura County Farm Day drew over 7,300 visitors to 18 local farms, ranches and agricultural venues across Ventura County. The number of visitors for the April 11 event was the largest since the annual event began.

Almost 10,000 vegetable seedlings donated by Plantel Nurseries were distributed at Duda Farms and Petty Ranch, two participating farms.

United Way of Ventura County announces sponsorship opportunities for 2026 Stuff the Bus

by Community Contributor • April 15, 2026 • Comments Off

Dear Friends of our Ventura County kids, Nearly 9,500 youth have been identified by the Ventura County Office of Education as homeless in Ventura County. Help us support local youth experiencing homelessness as they head back to school. Your contribution…

UCSB — The Current — ‘How information disorder shapes global politics’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • April 14, 2026 • Comments Off

n a media environment where creating content and spreading false or misleading material is easy, perception is everything. Political scientist Julia Morse examines how these dynamics play out in the international arena.

Bilingual report — 805 UNCOCUFund — Urgent: Stop the $460M Jail Expansion – Protect Our Immigrant Community

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2026 • Comments Off

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is currently considering a massive $460 million proposal (including long-term financing and staffing) to expand the North Branch Jail by 1½ housing units, adding 384 beds. We are calling on the Board to reject this overreach and limit the addition to just one housing unit (256 beds).

The Board’s current plan would more than double the capacity of the Santa Maria jail, locking our County into decades of crushing debt and soaring operational costs. Our County is facing $23 million in cuts to social and safety-net programs next fiscal year and a $66 million deficit over the next 5 years.

The Human Cost: A Devastating Blow to Our Immigrant Community

Beyond the fiscal irresponsibility, this expansion poses a direct threat to our immigrant neighbors. Our jails already hold many non-violent residents, including those struggling with mental health or substance use disorders, who do not need to be incarcerated to ensure public safety.

Meet the Development Team at the Museum of Ventura County

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2026 • Comments Off

Hi, I’m Heather Williams, Chief Development Officer at the Museum of Ventura County.

First and foremost, thank you for your support of the Museum. It’s people like you who help keep our mission, vision, and purpose alive.

I wanted to reach out to introduce myself and our team. You may know our Barbara Barnard Smith CEO, Elena Brokaw, but you may not know us, the development team. We’re the ones who call to thank you for your donations, send your tax letters, answer your membership questions, and most importantly, build and sustain the funding plan for the Museum of Ventura County.

Our small but mighty team wouldn’t be able to do what we do without you. Each quarter, we’ll send an email like this one highlighting wins that you, our MVC community, made possible.

‘Let Us Entertain You Seaside’ with free live music all month long at Ventura Harbor Village

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2026 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Ventura Harbor Village is setting the stage for a menagerie of free, family-friendly, live weekly music throughout April 2026 on the seaside Promenade Stage at the waterfront. The ongoing music series showcases a dockside selection of top-notch musicians who present a variety of genres, including Pop, Rock and coastal surf rock.

Enjoy the perfect coastal day with live music from 1 – 4 PM. Relax by the water as talented local musicians set the scene with a mix of lively and

laid-back tunes.

Whether you’re dining at a waterfront restaurant or simply soaking up the ocean breeze, the vibrant music adds the perfect soundtrack to your visit.

Bilingual report — Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Report: Potential storm water runoff contamination

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2026 • Comments Off

VENTURA — As part of the Ventura County Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program, the Environmental Health Division (Division) is providing the following precautionary information to the public. Rainfall that is significant enough to result in runoff can flow into storm drains, channels, creeks, and rivers that empty onto the beaches of Ventura County. In general, 0.2 inches (2 tenths of an inch) of rainfall may be enough to create significant runoff conditions.

Santa Paula Art Museum — Celebrate 16 years with us: Anniversary party & fundraiser on April 18

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2026 • Comments Off

Join us at the Santa Paula Art Museum’s Plein Air Anniversary Party on the outdoor patio at Parque 1055! Celebrate 16 years of art, community, and creativity as we honor the Shively, Clark, and Gunderson families for their incredible longstanding support.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and handcrafted cocktails while watching live painting by several of our Cole Creativity Center teaching artists, and bid on their original works in a silent auction. All proceeds support the Museum’s arts education programs, which provide 1,600 hours of arts instruction to more than 6,000 K-12 students every year.

Community Environmental Council (CEC) — Final Call: Spring Climate Stewards Course starts this Wednesday!

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2026 • Comments Off

The Central Coast is counting on people like you to step up for a climate-safe future. CEC’s Climate Stewards Certification Program, in partnership with the University of California Environmental Stewards program, gives you the tools to launch and lead climate solutions in your neighborhood. Starting this Wednesday, April 15, join a cohort of community members, professionals, students, and retirees who are done waiting on the sidelines and ready to lead.

Bilingual report — Ventura’s Music Under the Stars tickets go on sale May 12

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2026 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Music Under the Stars returns to the Olivas Adobe Historical Park this summer with eight outdoor concerts on Saturdays from July through August. Tickets go on sale May 12, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. PST.

The City encourages people to purchase tickets online, as many concerts sell out quickly. While tickets are also available by phone or in person, please note that customer service may not be able to accommodate all requests promptly due to high demand. Purchasing tickets online ensures the fastest and most reliable way to secure seats.