The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) and Family Service Agency (FSA) announced that FSA’s Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program has closed and South County mentoring matches have joined the School Based Mentoring Program at CADA as of July 2020.
CADA and FSA share similar goals of making a positive difference in the lives of young people and have been collaborating since April to facilitate a smooth transition for the youth, their parents, and their mentors.
The Museum partnered with Ventura College photography professors Brian Paumier and Jessie Groves for a new take on the exquisite corpse concept. Students were asked to use the Museum’s online photograph archive to find inspiration for a final project.
Presented are the original photograph screenshots the students selected and the images they created based on those selections.
The California Department of Public Health has issued Youth Sports Guidance. Youth sports training, conditioning and physical education is now permitted in Ventura County when those activities include continuous physical distancing of at least six feet and a stable cohort, i.e. the same children at each meeting. Teams, classes, and other youth sports activities that involve contact, competitive or team play are not permitted. The State guidance document may be found at COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Youth Sports.
On Saturday, August 1st, James Storehouse hosted their largest 6th annual back-to-school event in collaboration with Homes with Heart VC. Due to Covid-19, the event was transformed into a full service drive through experience complete with socially distanced superheroes, princesses and a Mister Softee treat to round out the day.
The event drew in over 700 pre-registered families along with over 500 youth in care to select from a variety of brand new backpacks, name brand tennis shoes, and other essential school supplies all passed out by masked community volunteers.
Due to the current coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis, many people in the Spanish-speaking Latino community are not getting the important information they may need for themselves and their families. For years, the Spanish-speaking community has struggled to receive timely, culturally-appropriate information related to emerging needs. In April, Mi Vida, Mi Voz (MVMV), a collaboration of local Latino-serving organizations, pivoted to address this critical need. With the pandemic’s disproportionate health and economic impact in the Latino community, this critical information is more relevant than ever.
While the Santa Paula Art Museum’s indoor galleries remain closed, its art classes have moved outside! All classes are being taught within the Museum’s outdoor courtyard to allow for art making while social distancing. Space is extremely limited as class sizes are being kept small, and preregistration is required. Register for class and read more about the Museum’s new policies for maintaining a safe learning environment on our website: www.santapaulaartmuseum.org/creativity.
On Wednesday, August 5, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the County of Ventura will host a virtual Community Forum open to all members of the public online via Zoom to discuss the intersection of race and law enforcement in our community. The Community Forum will consist of a panel of County leaders and community representatives who will participate in a roundtable discussion, followed by questions from the public.
Click here for more information about the forum.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC) is celebrating 50 years of service through youth mentoring in 2020! The organization serves all of Ventura County and because of that there are nearly 100 youth waiting for a mentor. BBSVC is asking the community to imagine the impact they can make as a friend and role model.
Nicole Lamartine is ready to do the heavy lifting as the campus’ new choir director.
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Southeast Ventura County YMCA is taking registrations for the Y’s KEY Academy to coincide with school openings in August. The KEY Academy is designed to enable parents to meet work demands while provide their children with a safe, structured environment for learning.
Parents can drop off their children at one of the three Y branches’ designated education centers. You can contact your local Y: the Conejo Valley YMCA in Thousand Oaks, the Simi Valley YMCA in Simi Valley, and the Yarrow Family YMCA in Westlake Village for more details.
The CWC Docs virtual dialogue with filmmakers Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia centers on the women of color who are transforming politics.
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For the first time, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is accepting first-time freshmen and both lower division and upper division transfer student applications for its Spring 2021 semester.
Applications for spring 2021 will be accepted beginning August 1 and continuing through August 31.
CSUCI typically opens spring enrollment only for upper division transfer students, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed circumstances for many students and CSUCI is seeking how to best meet those needs.
As soon as COVID-19 made its way onto the scene, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) was proactive in their response starting in the spring and continuing throughout the summer.
When the pandemic hit, the BGCGCV closed for two weeks to assess the COVID situation and then reopened under the guidance of health professionals and with the implementation of safety standards.
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District announces its policy to serve nutritious meals every school day under The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income is less than or equal to the federal guidelines.
Thanks to the generosity of over 50 funding partners and service delivery partners, United Way of Santa Barbara County’s (UWSBC) Fun in the Sun program has the capacity to support up to 350 children and families this year through a virtual format in light of COVID-19. Seven virtual sites are serving students from Carpinteria Unified School District, Santa Barbara Unified School District (4 school sites instead of its usual 2 school sites), Goleta Union School District, and school districts throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.
America, and even our community, is very divided on how to respond to the strange times we are in. However, we must be united in concern about the futures of our children and grandchildren, preserving lives, and saving as many jobs and people from poverty.
How can we do all that?
The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is teaming up with Oxnard photographer and filmmaker Christian Ramirez of Mezz Studio to offer a day of free professional headshots for those on the jobseeking trail. The event is scheduled for Thursday, August 6 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.
A professional headshot plays an important role in creating a positive first impression and can be used in many ways: email accounts, email signatures, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, personal websites, portfolios, guest blogs, resumes, and more. Sixty percent of employers research job candidates via social media and OPAC wants to ensure that community members who have lost work due to COVID-19 are supported and equipped in their career search.
In a new release by the VC Star is was reported on Tuesday, July 21, 2021 that the, “Oxnard Police Department Will Work With District Attorney’s Office to Vacate Civil Gang Injunctions”
Amidst COVID-19, PSHH’s educators have been working tirelessly to support students and families with the transition to distance learning. Educators have helped families obtain free internet access, secured chromebooks and laptops, taught internet navigation skills, facilitated meetings with school districts, delivered hundreds of free school meals, provided school supplies, and so much more!
During these months, we added 96 new students to our learning centers, raising our enrollment from 274 to 370 students – a 35% increase!
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education adopted an action plan for the safe reopening of schools during a special meeting Thursday night, clearing the way for distance learning instruction to begin August 17.
The decision gives the district flexibility and the use of three models: distance learning, hybrid (only part of the students on campuses at one time), and traditional (full-time in-person) depending on the changing conditions and risks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is available at www.smjuhsd.k12.ca.us.
A doctoral candidate who has studied mental health amid the pandemic offers insights into coping strategies.
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CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Professor of Anthropology Jennifer Perry, Ph.D., has been awarded $57,806 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand her research into those who lived on California’s Channel Islands for the last 10,000+ years.
“We’re looking at human-environment interactions through time, trying to understand how people lived on the Channel Islands,” Perry explained. “What we are looking at are archaeological sites along the channel that have evidence of human occupation over the past 10,000 years or more. From plants and animals and artifacts, we can look at change through time, such as changes in climate, and how people responded to that change.”
Here’s your County of Ventura COVID – 19 update:
94 new cases
6,049 total cases
1,524 new people tested
3,100 recovered cases
90 hospitalized
22 current ICU
2,886 active cases under quarantine
63 deaths (1 additional death – 84 year old female with comorbidity)
98,648 total people tested
Registration for ESL classes are open for the fall semester 2020 at Oxnard College. Credit and non-credit classes start August 24 and will be delivered online with flexible morning and afternoon schedules.
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Applied Physics and Mathematics double major Carmen Stepek will be pursing her doctorate in neuro-physics on the Emerald Isle as a Fulbright scholar.
The Class of 2020 graduate will attend the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) under the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Following the release of new state guidelines announced (on July 17) by Governor Gavin Newsom, all Ventura County school districts and charter schools will begin the new school year using distance learning without bringing students back to their campuses. The new guidance comes a day after most Ventura County schools had already committed to beginning the year with distance learning in support of the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
SBCC is bracing for a roughly 30 percent decline in non-California resident enrollment, especially students from outside the United States according to Superintendent/President Utpal Goswami. He offered his remarks during a virtual event titled “COVID Conversations” presented by the SBCC Foundation on July 16. In addition to enrollment trends, he discussed the college budget for the 2020-21 academic year. Read more…
We need 95 more backpacks to reach our goal!
Provide essential school supplies for local students experiencing homelessness or from disadvantaged families.
You can help pave the path to academic success for a child from a homeless or low-income family. Furthermore, your support not only provides essential school supplies – studies show that it also promotes learning, building self-esteem, and helps ensure that our youth stay in school.
The Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department has been selected as the 2020 Outstanding Large Agricultural Education Program Award recipient. The honor was awarded at the California Agriculture Teachers Association’s (CATA) 101st Summer Conference, which was held virtually.
The SMHS Agriculture Program earned the recognition due to its excellent achievements in the following areas: classroom instruction, experimental learning, the FFA student organization and leadership development, community partnership, and the teachers’ professional development. In California, there are more than 330 agriculture education programs across the state.
With summer upon us, Island Packers is happy to announce that Summer Whale Watching excursions have been added to their existing scheduled trips to the Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary. Visitors to Ventura Harbor Village, Ventura’s top seaside attraction, can now board an Island Packers whale watching vessel (the boat departs adjacent to Ventura Harbor Village) and travel from Ventura Harbor through the Southern California waters off Santa Barbara Channel, known for their marine mammal diversity, to see breathtaking mammals that cavort in waters off of the Channel Islands. Summer whale watching is available through August 30, 2020. Cost is: Adults (12-54 years) $68, Seniors (55 years and older) $62, and Children (3-12 years) $55.
Here is your COVID-19 update from the County of Ventura.
224 new cases
1,588 new people tested
5,192 total cases
2,726 recovered cases
95 hospitalizations
31 in the ICU
57 deaths (1 additional death – 77 year-old male)
89,336 total people tested
The SMJUHSD Board of Education on Tuesday night unanimously adopted a Resolution to make Ethnic and Gender Studies a requirement for graduation, starting with the class of 2025.
An Ethnic and Gender Studies Committee was formed several years ago to develop a plan and respective courses in this area. Ethnic and Gender Studies class offerings, with a focus on social justice and multiculturalism, have grown in the past few years. There were eight courses and in multiple sections offered last year across all comprehensive high schools in the district. The committee will now develop a five-year plan to continue to expand course offerings and ensure a successful implementation of the new requirement for all students.
With cases of COVID-19 surging in Ventura County and throughout California, most local school districts and charter schools have decided to begin the 2020-2021 school year entirely using distance learning without bringing students back to campuses.
*Sites are for those that live or work in Ventura County.
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
Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Rd., Ventura CA 93003, M-F, 10-7
Weekend testing: Friday to Tuesday at Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033 10-7
A new virtual reality tool slashes costs and opens optogenetics to scientists and students alike.
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97 new cases
4,884 total cases
1,467 new people tested
2,573 recovered cases
355 hospitalized
27 current ICU
2,255 active cases under quarantine
56 deaths
85, 711 total people tested
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) recently received a $2,500 grant from Anthem Blue Cross for their “Whatever It Takes to Build Healthy Futures” program and for the BGCGCV’s response to COVID-19.
“The funding has enabled us to keep four Club sites open during school closures, with the capacity to serve 300 youth,” stated Dr. Crystal N?one, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley. “It has also allowed us to provide 100% of our working youth development staff with intensive social emotional learning (SEL) support and training which provides them with the needed tools to best support our youth,” she added.
Join United Way of Ventura County’s 2020 Stuff the Bus School Supply campaign, which provides essential school supplies to local students in need. Please join us in our effort to provide 1,500 full backpacks this year!
The Ventura County Office of Education on July 10 released a document intended to help local public schools prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The Framework for Reopening Ventura County Schools was prepared by the Ventura County Office of Education in consultation with Ventura County Public Health and the county’s school districts and charter schools.
While most of the campus operates in cyberspace, the roughly 24 colonies at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s bee yard are thriving, thanks in part to two 2019 graduates who suit up and show up to care for the bees.
CSUCI’s pollinator-friendly campus, bee education, outreach and student involvement along with a number of other factors have earned CSUCI a Bee Campus USA designation for a second year in a row. CSUCI is one of 103 Bee Campus USAs across the nation.
Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) has provided $20,500 in sponsorships to seven community organizations that are helping county residents during the pandemic.
“We saw the immense need caused by the pandemic and we wanted to do our part to ensure the health and wellbeing of our community,” said Margaret Tatar, GCHP’s interim chief executive officer. “We are grateful to our community partners for working tirelessly to meet the needs of Ventura County residents and help them get through this crisis.”
Breakfast and lunch meals provided for Children 18 & Under Desayuno y almuerzo para Niños 18 & Menores
WHEN / CUANDO July 6/6 de julio – July 31/31 de julio Meals for Tuesday will be given on Monday and meals for Thursday and Friday will be given on Wednesday. Las comidas para el martes se darán los lunes y las comidas para el jueves y viernes se darán los miércoles.
With many structured physical activities still shutdown because of the pandemic, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA is hosting daily online fitness classes for all ages. The classes are offered at no cost to the community. No advance reservations and no YMCA membership are required.
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.
Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has announced the addition of Sam McCabe to its Board of Directors. McCabe founded his own consulting business in 2014 and brings his business intelligence, market research, sales and marketing development roles to the HSB team.
The Kiwanis Club of Thousand Oaks Charitable Foundation recently donated $2,500 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV). The donation will be used to help fund the many programs offered by the BGCGCV for local youth.
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.
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.
Most days I scroll through my Facebook timeline to see how my family and friends are doing. I feel a variety of emotions, love, happiness, sadness, anger and compassion as I review their lives and their commentary. Sometimes I contribute some understanding to a topic. I often learn something about life from someone else’s viewpoint or history.
