Category: Youth

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County to launch new wellness fundraising event ‘Move For Kid’s Sake’

by Community Contributor • March 22, 2022 • Comments Off

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC) will be hosting its first-ever Move For Kids’ Sake, an event and fundraising campaign that will focus on healthy living awareness. Through activities like in-person martial arts and yoga demonstrations, hiking, a surf day, and a health fair, community, youth and BBSVC participants will be introduced to new ways to get active and live healthy, first-hand. The agency’s inaugural Health Fair this year is located in Simi Valley’s Rancho Simi Community Park (Erringer and Royal) on Saturday, May 21. The Health Fair will provide families with additional information and resouces to promote a lifetime of healthy living for our Littles.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Art Reflects Life’ and more information

by Community Contributor • March 22, 2022 • Comments Off

New research reveals the strong family ties of Latina teens, themes evident in Oscar-nominated films “Encanto” and “West Side Story.”

VCCCD Names Mara Rodriguez 2022 Classified Employee of the Year

by Community Contributor • March 21, 2022 • Comments Off

In her nearly three decades with America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, Mara Rodriguez has remained devoted to students, animals large and small and to the college itself. Her dedication to the college and the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) has garnered Rodriguez a special honor: 2022 VCCCD Classified Employee of the Year. The award recognizes classified professionals who demonstrate professional ethics and standards and serve the community with purpose and passion.

The District awards this distinction in accordance with the California Community Colleges (CCC) Board of Governors, who will consider Rodriguez for the CCC statewide award. Additional VCCCD Classified Employee of the Year nominees included Lt. Cesar Romero of the District Administrative Center, Amparo Medina of Oxnard College and Jessie Llamas of Ventura College.

CSUCI program that paves the way to college for farmworking families gets a boost

by Community Contributor • March 18, 2022 • Comments Off

For children who are the first in their family to attend college, pursuing higher education is often a family decision. This can be especially true for farmworking families who may believe they don’t have the background or finances to support their student.

A CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) program designed to show farmworking families a pathway to college has just received a $50,000 boost from Reiter Affiliated Companies’ philanthropic arm.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura Farmworker Resource Program Launches Trilingual “Raíz Informativa” Video Podcast in Mixteco, Zapoteco, and Spanish

by Community Contributor • March 18, 2022 • Comments Off

The County of Ventura’s Farmworker Resource Program has launched an interactive video podcast called “Raíz Informativa,” which airs in Mixteco, Zapoteco, and Spanish to deepen and expand connections with the Ventura County farmworker community. Raíz Informativa, which translates to “Informative Root,” is a monthly hour-long video program streamed live to Facebook that shares information, supportive services, and resources related to the agricultural industry and topics relevant to farmworker interests and needs. It is the first video podcast of its kind hosted by a government agency designed to reach farmworkers.

Bilingual report — Environmental Justice Youth Leaders to host the second annual virtual ‘Other Strawberry Festival’ on May 1

by Community Contributor • March 18, 2022 • Comments Off

The Other Strawberry Festival virtual event is a place for conversations about the impact of pesticide use and racial injustice in conventional strawberry growing, bringing together community to create change for a more just and healthy food system for people and the planet.

VCCCD Updates Mask Requirement Protocols

by Community Contributor • March 18, 2022 • Comments Off

After reviewing revised guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and county public health orders, Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) is adjusting its COVID-19 indoor face mask protocols. Effective April 11, wearing masks indoors at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges and the District Administrative Center will no longer be mandatory. However, VCCCD will highly recommend using masks indoors at all VCCCD locations for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

“Over the past two years, the District has followed the data and adhered to the recommendations, guidelines and orders of our public health experts for the safety of our campuses and the community,” said Chancellor Greg Gillespie. “We will continue to follow recommendations from health experts in order to help maintain lower COVID-19 rates.”

The Foundation of VCCU gives $50,000 in grants to local nonprofits

by Community Contributor • March 17, 2022 • Comments Off

The Foundation of VCCU, a philanthropic nonprofit organization established by Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU), has provided $50,000 in grants to 10 local nonprofit organizations. The grant money will support these organizations’ efforts to make a positive difference in the Ventura County community.

The Foundation of VCCU gave $5,000 to each of the 10 nonprofits. The grant recipients included Turning Point Foundation, DRAGG, Brain Injury Center, Casa Pacifica, Women’s Economic Ventures, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Westminster Free Clinic, House Farm Workers, Bike Ventura and Parkinson’s Foundation.

“We are honored to support the incredible work these nonprofits are doing in our local community,” said The Foundation’s board president, Alma Medina. “Their efforts are changing countless lives, and we know that this grant money will help them continue to make a meaningful impact here in Ventura County.”

March News from People’s Self-Help Housing

by Community Contributor • March 17, 2022 • Comments Off

Phase 1 of a rehabilitation at our Isla Vista Apartments is complete! Construction consisted of accessibility upgrades, seismic retrofitting, and full replacement of the plumbing, roof, and interior finishes. We are excited to welcome the first group of residents back to their newly renovated homes!

Registration opens for 12th Annual SBCC Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge – Pitch your business idea and win awards

by Community Contributor • March 17, 2022 • Comments Off

The Santa Barbara City College Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has announced its call for entries for the 12th Annual Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge (NVC) business plan and pitch competition. The event is open to SBCC students and all college and high school students in Santa Barbara County.

“This is the Scheinfeld Center’s 12th year hosting the competition to promote student entrepreneurship and career development and we’re thrilled to provide students the ongoing opportunity to interact, network, and further sharpen their entrepreneurial skills through business plan writing and pitching,” states Julie Samson, Director of the Scheinfeld Center.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Outstanding Women in Tech’ and more news

by Community Contributor • March 17, 2022 • Comments Off

In connection with Women’s History Month, IT staff member Anne Weger gets special recognition from the UC Office of the President.

In March, the Museum of Ventura County has something for everyone

by Community Contributor • March 16, 2022 • Comments Off

Family Fun Day:
Persian New Year Celebration
Saturday, March 19th from 12-2pm
@ the Museum of Ventura County
Free

Bring in the beginning of spring and the Persian New Year with family and friends at the Museum of Ventura County. This event is celebrated on the spring equinox by millions of people across the globe as a season of rebirth and good luck. This cultural event will be a fun afternoon for families and adults alike! Click here to learn more about this free event.

Santa Barbara City College — The Bridge — ‘Back on campus for in-person classes!’ and more news

by Community Contributor • March 16, 2022 • Comments Off

Spring semester on campus got off to something of a quiet start, with classes remaining online for the first five weeks. On Feb. 22, however, all that changed as in-person classes and services made a comeback. Tracy Lehr of KEYT-TV came to main campus to interview students, who expressed their pleasure that they could meet their instructors and other students face-to-face again. View the broadcast here.

UCSB — The Current — ‘The Longest Drought’ and more news

by Community Contributor • March 15, 2022 • Comments Off

A team of climate scientists led by Samantha Stevenson reconsiders the meaning and implications of drought in light of a changing world.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County: Mentors of the Year Announced

by Community Contributor • March 15, 2022 • Comments Off

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC)?is honored to announce the agency’s Bigs of the Year for 2022, a recognition awarded to the volunteer mentors who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to their “Littles” (youth mentees) and who have gone above and beyond in their efforts for the agency as well as the greater community. This year’s awardees are Kevin Gamboa and Karyn Hagy; Karyn is also the Big of the Year for California Statewide, a recognition that nominates her as Big of the Year for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

“Our agency is proud of every Big and Little, and their unique mentoring journeys,” says Danica Selvaggio, Interim CEO of BBSVC. “This year, we’re grateful for the opportunity to recognize Karyn and Kevin for the many ways they dedicate themselves to youth mentorship and to BBSVC as an agency. We also want to recognize the dedication of their Littles, Marcie and Dorian – it’s a special thing to see when a match grows into a bond that will last forever.”

Bilingual report — County of Ventura March 14, 2022 Update – COVID-19

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2022 • Comments Off

Happy Women’s History Month! “The teamwork that I contribute to the Fire Department family is meaningful and impactful to me as I am able to serve the people of Ventura County, including the community I grew up in. Women’s History Month is a good reminder that so many hard-working, and dedicated women have paved a path before me that I am honored to walk. I love investing my time into the county and community that has invested in me.” – Marisol Rodriguez, Captain of Engine 84, Ventura County Fire Department.

Conejo Community Outreach’s diaper bank surpasses 500,000 diapers distributed

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2022 • Comments Off

Conejo Community Outreach (CCO), a local 100% volunteer-run nonprofit, has surpassed half a million diapers distributed to families in Ventura County through its community diaper bank. The diaper bank, which launched in March 2018, averaged 25,000 diapers per year prior to COVID-19. In March 2020, as the local economy shut down, requests for diaper support increased by more than 88%. Now, the diaper bank is averaging 225,000 diapers per year, regularly distributing more than 25,000 diapers per month to more than 300 local children.

FIRST Robotics Makes Big Splash on the Docks at Port of Hueneme

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2022 • Comments Off

Dubbed a varsity “Sport for the Mind,” the adrenaline-pumping Hueneme Port Regional and Ventura County Regional FIRST Robotics Competition was held at the Port of Hueneme. Over 100 high school students from Ventura County, Hawaii, Wyoming, Colorado, Mexico, Brazil, Lesotho, Colombia and Singapore showcased their hard work by designing and building original robots. The competition took place over two consecutive weekends from March 3-6 and March 9-12.

“The Port of Hueneme is proud to support our educational partners and bring together teams of talented students from our local high schools and around the world, to solve engineering design problems in an intense and competitive way,” said Mary Anne Rooney, President of the Oxnard Harbor District. “I look forward to this year’s FIRST Robotics Competition leading to many more years of a continued education partnership with the Port of Hueneme.”

2022 California Strawberry Festival Cancelled

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2022 • Comments Off

The 2022 California Strawberry Festival, which had been set for May 14 and 15 at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard, is officially cancelled due to the uncertainty caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are disappointed that we’ve had to again cancel the Festival,” says Dean Kato, Chairman of the California Strawberry Festival Board of Directors. “Tens of thousands of festivalgoers look forward to attending the celebration each year. Sponsors, exhibitors, performers, vendors, and hundreds of volunteers are instrumental to its success.

Santa Paula Art Museum — This Weekend: Two New Exhibits & Two New Classes

by Community Contributor • March 10, 2022 • Comments Off

Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Free admission

Join Ventura artists (and couple) Lynn Hanson and John Robertson for the premiere of their concurrent exhibitions, Fieldnotes: Lynn Hanson and A Narrative: John Robertson. The side-by-side exhibits span thirty years of each artist’s work, including drawings, paintings, assemblages, and more. Admission to the event is free, and reservations are not required. Fieldnotes and A Narrative will be on view March 12 to July 10, 2022.

Southeast Ventura County YMCA National Day of Prayer Breakfast Seeks Sponsors

by Community Contributor • March 9, 2022 • Comments Off

The Southeast Ventura County YMCA is seeking sponsors for its annual National Day of Prayer Breakfast. The breakfast is Thursday, May 5 at CLU’s Gilbert Sports Center in Thousand Oaks.

The prayer breakfast, one of the largest in Ventura County, will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and will include speakers, spiritual and community leaders providing invocations and prayers and live musical performances.

SBCC computer science team takes first place at Southern California programming competition

by Community Contributor • March 9, 2022 • Comments Off

At the Southern California International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) held Feb. 25-26, Santa Barbara City College won the top honor for two-year colleges for the second year in a row.

The ICPC is a programming challenge for college students to solve real-world problems, fostering collaboration, creativity, innovation and the ability to perform under pressure.

Held in Riverside, California, 48 teams from 15 Southern California institutions competed to solve a set of 10 programming problems in five hours. The problem set was particularly difficult this year, with no team solving all of the problems.

Mental Wellness Center Partners with SeaVees to Support Mental Health Education for Local Youth

by Community Contributor • March 8, 2022 • Comments Off

Mental Wellness Center (MWC) is partnering with SeaVees, the Santa Barbara-based shoe company, to support mental health education for local youth throughout Santa Barbara with a shoe that gives back to the community. Designed in collaboration with Carissa Potter Carlson of People I’ve Loved, this new collaboration is meant to bring awareness to the importance of mental health, with 10% of every pair sold being donated to MWC.

“The Mental Health Awareness Baja Slip On” is a limited-edition slip on sneaker that includes Carissa’s affirmation artwork on the outside upper and a secret message screen-printed in the inside footbed. The outsole uses a pop of colorful green, the color of the international symbol for mental health awareness.

Cal Lutheran exhibits popular rock posters

by Community Contributor • March 8, 2022 • Comments Off

California Lutheran University is hosting an exhibit of eye-catching rock posters created by Zoltron, who started as a street artist and developed a worldwide fan base that includes rock stars and museum curators.

“Zoltron: The Art of Rock ‘n’ Roll” opened Feb. 14 in the William Rolland Art Center on the university’s Thousand Oaks campus and will continue through April 1.

Livingston Memorial to present Grief Support for Children and Young Teens

by Community Contributor • March 8, 2022 • Comments Off

Many children and teens have experienced the death of a loved one during the pandemic. This is a difficult time for anyone grieving a loss. Livingston’s Grief and Bereavement Program recognizes the value children and teens receive from sharing their grief experience with their peers. Our groups provide support, connection and validation that they are not alone.

CSUCI’s 2022 commencement will be four ceremonies over two days

by Community Contributor • March 7, 2022 • Comments Off

CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) graduates, friends and families will celebrate 2022 Commencement in-person.

Commencement will consist of four in-person ceremonies spread out over the weekend of May 21 and 22 to allow for social distancing. There will be a morning and an afternoon ceremony on both Saturday and Sunday, with different academic programs scheduled for specific times and dates.

President Richard Yao, Ph.D. said he is thrilled that his first commencement ceremony as the permanent president of CSUCI will be fully in-person.

“These students have worked hard for this moment, and we are delighted to be able to offer them, their friends, and families a full in-person experience,” Yao said. “The past three years have been filled with challenges that these students met with resilience and determination, and we could not be prouder of them. This also gives our faculty, who have been equally resourceful, a chance to celebrate this day along with the graduates. I am honored to be the president of such a dynamic campus community.”

SEEAG Reaches Over 15,000 Students And Community Members In 2021

by Community Contributor • March 4, 2022 • Comments Off

SANTA PAULA — Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students and the community understand the farm origins of their food and the importance of local agriculture, spread its message to more than 15,000 students and community members in 2021.

“One of SEEAG’s goals is for the public to better appreciate our local farmers, ranchers and farmworkers who grow the food we eat,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “The food supply chain from farms to our tables is a journey we don’t often think about, but we should.”

SEEAG’s Farm Lab at Petty Ranch in Saticoy welcomed over 1,600 second graders, including low-income, Title 1 students, for a hands-on farm experience. “In addition to the wonderful experiential education benefits that Farm Lab gives students,” says Maranville, “it also gets kids outside off their devices and tech, which improves their mental health and wellbeing.”

Bilingual report — The War on Education

by Community Contributor • March 4, 2022 • Comments Off

As I sit down to write this article, the Russian army is waging war on its neighbor, Ukraine. This is of enormous concern in Europe and around the world. But there is a different kind of war in our own midst that threatens to undermine the very foundations of our country’s success as a nation.

Until recently, education of our children and young adults was something that we valued – something in which we took pride and strove to provide for them. We thought it was important that our children were learning math and history and music. We used to admire young people who chose to go to our colleges and universities. Now we also recognize that higher education is not the only path to financial and personal success.

Kaiser Permanente launches Ukrainian relief giving campaign

by Community Contributor • March 4, 2022 • Comments Off

Kaiser Permanente has launched an employee and physician giving campaign to help with the urgent Ukrainian refugee crisis for physicians and employees who wish to personally support organizations helping with the relief effort, providing refugees with food, shelter, warm clothing, medical care, and supplies. Employees and physicians can choose to support these efforts by donating to any of 3 organizations selected by Kaiser Permanente, and the nonprofit integrated health care organization will match individual donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $200,000.

The program was announced March 1, and in less than 2 days employees and physicians donated more than $200,000 in relief funds, ensuring the organization will contribute at least $400,000 for Ukraine relief.