Category: Youth

Ventura College Foundation Provided $696,095 In Direct Student Support During 2020-2021 Academic Year

Despite pandemic challenges, the Ventura College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and financial assistance to Ventura College students and school programs, distributed $696,095 in direct student financial support during the 2020-2021 academic year and another $871,749 to 28 Ventura College programs across 17 department and divisions.

“This past academic year was like no other for students and their families, college leadership, faculty and staff, donors and the foundation,” says Anne Paul King, Ventura College Foundation executive director. “Despite everything, the foundation was able to build its financial reserves while distributing over $1.5 million in student and school program aid.”

Bilingual report — Jan. 7, 2022 – COVID-19 Update

January 7, 2022 – COVID-19 Update Everyone over the age of 12 is now eligible for a COVID-19 booster dose. Get your COVID-19 booster dose if: • It has been 5+ months since you completed your primary Pfizer series, •…

COVID-19 Test Kits for Students Arrive in Ventura County

The State of California delivered 132,000 COVID-19 test kits to the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) in Camarillo yesterday evening and this morning. The at-home kits are intended specifically for K-12 public school students as part of a program announced by Governor Gavin Newsom in December. Each kit contains two COVID-19 tests, and VCOE has received enough kits to provide one to every student in the county at no charge. They’re now being sent to local school districts, which will coordinate distribution to students and families.

Ventura County’s Community Colleges Respond to COVID-19 Surge

To protect the health of students and employees within the Ventura County Community College District and to help mitigate the surge in the county’s COVID-19 cases, Ventura County’s community colleges will start the Spring 2022 semester primarily online beginning Jan. 10. Spring classes at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges and Ventura College East Campus will be mainly remote for a limited time with exceptions for classes requiring in-person instruction. Scheduled in-person class sessions will be reinstated following a reduction in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.

“The health and safety of our students and employees has been paramount in operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We made the current decision to help reduce transmission and support ongoing public health efforts. We know we must be flexible in our planning as we approach the start of the Spring semester. Remote instruction will contribute to reducing employee and student absences as we help students attain their educational goals,” said Chancellor Greg Gillespie.

First two weeks of CSUCI Spring semester will be virtual and “fully vaccinated” is redefined

To minimize class disruptions to the greatest extent possible, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) courses will be virtual for the first two weeks of class, from Jan. 22 through Feb. 6, with some exceptions.

In addition, the CSU’s recently updated Interim COVID-19 Vaccination Policy redefines “fully vaccinated” to include a booster vaccine for students, staff and faculty when they become eligible to receive one.

Measures are being taken in addition to the ongoing requirement of appropriate mask-wearing indoors and other safety protocols because of the current wave of the highly-contagious Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, according to Interim President Richard Yao, Ph.D.

Bilingual report — Jan. 5, 2022 – COVID-19 Update

Things to consider more seriously in the midst of the Omicron surge
Get vaccinated and boosted.
Please stay home when you are ill to limit exposing others in the community.
Consider temporarily pausing on attending unnecessary indoor events until the Omicron surge slows down.
Wear a mask. They are required indoors for all in the State of California.

Vaccines best protection

The COVID-19 vaccine continues to be the best option to prevent serious illness or hospitalization from COVID-19. Make an appointment today at myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255.

Bilingual report — Update: Jan. 4, 2022 — At Home Test Kit Distribution

Good Morning – While supplies last a limited amount of COVID-19 home testing kits will be distributed at no cost by Ventura County Public Health today.

What: Drive through at home Covid-19 testing distribution
Where: Freedom Park, 275 E Pleasant Valley Road, Camarillo 93010 (Enter at Freedom Park Dr past the baseball fields)
When: Tuesday, January 4 from 1-3 pm
*Supplies limited *No cost

There will be NO distribution at Solar Drive in Oxnard. Only for Ventura County residents. Please be prepared to show ID.

Museum of Ventura County — New Year, New Museum Happenings

MVC Insider Season 3
Episode 3: Lucy Hicks Anderson
Friday, January 7, 2022 @ 10am
On Facebook Live

Get to know your local trans icon and trailblazer Lucy Hicks Anderson! Lucy was the first trans woman in history to fight for marriage equality in court, was an award winning baker, and ran a bordello here in Ventura County. That’s just in a nutshell– you won’t want to miss this MVC Insider! Mark your calendars and tune-in on Facebook for the next five Fridays at 10am. Check out all upcoming MVC Insiders here.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura Jan. 3, 2022 – COVID-19 Update

Since Wednesday, December 29, there have been 5,283 new COVID-19 cases reported and 34,015 new tests completed. There are 162 people hospitalized and 27 in the ICU. There have been 2 additional deaths of 73 and 65 year old males. Our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the community members who passed away. The R-effective for Ventura County is 1.83 which indicates that the speed of COVID is likely increasing rapidly.

Find a vaccine site at www.vaccines.gov or make an appointment directly at MyTurn.CA.gov. The Public Health clinic schedule is available at www.vcrecovers.org/vaccine.
COVID Therapeutics are currently in severely short supply. If you test positive for COVID-19, are exhibiting symptoms, and feel as though you meet the factors identified in the below risk groups, call your physician to see if you are eligible and where you might be able to receive treatment.
Ventura County Schools to Prioritize Safety Upon Return from Winter Break

78.7% of community members (ages 5+) have received one or more COVID vaccine doses.
72% of eligible community members have been fully vaccinated.
77.7% of community members 12+ have been fully vaccinated.

Ventura County Schools to Prioritize Safety Upon Return from Winter Break

As Ventura County students prepare to return from winter break amid increasing COVID-19 cases in the community, local school leaders are taking all possible steps to ensure the safety of students and employees

While some colleges and universities have announced plans to revert to distance learning temporarily, this is not an option for Pre-K-12 schools. The State of California does not currently permit Pre-K-12 schools to offer distance learning and expects all schools to keep their doors open for in-person instruction. Schools do provide an independent study option that allows students to learn from home. But unlike distance learning, it must be requested individually by families and is not intended to serve large numbers of students.

“The Ventura County Office of Education is continuing to work closely with Ventura County Public Health and our local school districts to ensure the safety of students and staff,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “A major effort is underway to expand optional COVID-19 testing for students so we can reduce the chances of the virus spreading at school. Many school districts have been working diligently during the winter break to distribute home test kits to families, and we expect a greater supply of kits to be available soon.” Free testing is also available at locations throughout Ventura County.

Santa Barbara Latino Philanthropic Leaders Raise Over $15K to Support Board Leadership Development and Invite New Members to join the 2022 Giving Cycle

The Santa Barbara Latino Giving Circle (SBLGC) announced that it will invest over $15,500 in three nonprofits in the greater Santa Barbara region. The SBLGC is part of the Latino Community Foundation’s (LCF) Latino Giving Circle Network™, a philanthropic group harnessing the collective power of paying it forward and civic engagement.

The three organizations selected for funding fall into the group’s priorities of board leadership development and mental health: 

Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (Santa Barbara) – CAUSE is a base-building organization for social, economic and environmental justice with Central Coast working class and immigrant communities.

Future Leaders of America (Santa Maria) – develops youth resiliency and leadership to create long-lasting systemic change by empowering and mobilizing youth leaders to advocate for policies that improve their lives and the lives of their peers and their communities.

Leading from Within (Santa Barbara) – Leading From Within invests in leaders who drive and create change.

Kaiser Permanente makes changes to ‘A Healthier Future’ Rose Parade float participation due to rising COVID-19 positivity rate

Taking into consideration that our Southern California region is experiencing a 26% COVID-19 positivity rate, and Los Angeles County currently has a 17.6% positivity rate and in consultation with our infectious disease experts, we have decided to continue to have our “A Healthier Future” float participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade.?Unfortunately, we will not feature our 20 front-line medical heroes as float riders and “out-walkers.” We must prioritize the health and safety of our front-line medical staff and ensure we are able to treat patients during this recent surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant.  

Bilingual report — Dec. 29, 2021 – COVID-19 Update

Since Monday there have been 1,052 new COVID-19 cases reported and 12,750 new tests completed. There are 92 people hospitalized and 18 in the ICU. There has been 4 additional deaths of a 58 year old male, 60 year old female, 78 year old male, and a 93 year old female. Our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the community members who passed away.The R-effective for Ventura County is 1.08. Delays in case reporting lead to underestimates of R-eff. It is possible that testing patterns over the Christmas and New Year holidays will result in abnormal trends.

Jan. 20 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative Journalist Andrea Elliott on ‘Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City’ (Rescheduled to March 9)

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott on Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City, Wednesday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. The presentation is part of the Justice For All series, featured in the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Andrea Elliott puts a human face to topics ranging from child poverty to Muslim life in the U.S. Her recent five-part series,Invisible Child, examined homelessness through the lens of an 11-year-old Brooklyn girl. The series won a George Polk Award, helped reignite a conversation about the dire state of poverty in America and inspired a bestselling book of the same name. Previously, Elliott’s coverage of Islam in America broke new ground in the study of radicalization and earned her a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.

Jan. 27 — Santa Paula Art Museum — Clubs, Classes, and Collabs!

Premiere Party: En Plein Air: An Exploration of Malibu and Ventura County

Presented by California Art Club

Saturday, January 15, 2022, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Free admission

An exhibition of plein air scenes from Malibu and Ventura County by 32 artist members of the famed, century-old California Art Club. All of the artworks are for sale. En Plein Air will be on view through May 8, 2022.

Jan. 29 — Association of Mexican American Educators – Oxnard Chapter to hold Oxnard Panda Express Fundraiser

The Association of Mexican American Educators – Oxnard Chapter will hold an AMAE Oxnard Panda Express Fundraiser for scholarships from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2121 N. Rose Ave., Suite 480, Oxnard.

“Help us in funding our local scholarships to high school students,” the organization reported.

Feb. 5 — SCIART Invites the Public to its First 2022 Exhibition, Emergence

Studio Channel Islands Art Center (SCIART) opens its first 2022 exhibition, Emergence, Feb. 5, featuring local emerging artists Maria Laura Hendrix and Andy Lepe, both resident artists at SCIART. The exhibition will also include a curated selection of “emerging artists” work in all visual media by juniors, seniors and recent graduates from local universities. The exhibition takes place in SCIART’s Blackboard Gallery located at 2222 E. Ventura Blvd. in Camarillo and is free to attend.

Feb. 11 — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Free Webinar- How to Create a 2022 Social Media Content Calendar

Join the EDC for a free webinar on creating a 2022 social media content calendar presented by Small Business Development Center Advisor, Deborah Deras!

Who’s ready to get organized this 2022!? Let’s be honest, we all get overwhelmed by Social Media because we often wear too many hats and think we need to be on every platform. The fact is we only need to be posting on the platforms where our target market is spending their time. The best way to get organized and efficient is to create a social media calendar. Deborah has a saying: schedule it in your calendar, see it in your life and she will show you how to do it to save time, energy and make you money.

Feb. 12 — OPAC’s Native Plant Fest sprouts

The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) welcomes its first annual NATIVE PLANT FEST on Saturday, February 12th from 11AM-4PM. The event brings together our community to celebrate and showcase local plant-inspired culture, food, traditions, and creativity! This festival is community-led by plant enthusiasts of diverse backgrounds who will share their plants, services, artwork, culinary creations, products, educational resources, and much more! 

Feb. 13 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents A.I.M by Kyle Abraham’s An Untitled Love featuring the Music of D’Angelo

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents A.I.M by Kyle Abraham’s An Untitled Love featuring the Music of D’Angelo on Sunday, February 13th at 7:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

One of today’s most in-demand choreographers, A.I.M. Artistic Director Kyle Abraham mixes modern, contemporary, ballet and hip-hop dance.

CANCELED — Feb. 17 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn for ‘Tales of Hope on the American Landscape’

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn for Tales of Hope on the American Landscape onThursday, February 17th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Renowned for their relentless chronicling of human rights abuses and giving a voice to the voiceless, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have co-written the bestselling books Half the Sky, A Path Appears, China Wakes, Thunder From the East and most recently, Tightrope. Together, they won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of China’s Tiananmen Square democracy movement. Their work is the subject of two full programs created by Oprah Winfrey and has inspired multiple PBS documentary series. More recently, Kristof left The New York Times to run for governor of Oregon to address pragmatic problems like homelessness and addiction that afflict his hometown. The husband-wife team will discuss what they learned while researching Tightrope and their reflections on the political landscape in Oregon and America today.

Feb. 22 — Teen Vaccination Clinic Set for at the OPAC

El Concilio Family Services is hosting their third mobile vaccination pop up clinic as a collaborative effort between The Oxnard Performing Arts Center, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme and the Ventura County Public Health Department.

In response to the pandemic and the low vaccination rates amongst teens,  El Concilio Family Services Breakthrough Youth for Success Program launched a new initiative called the Youth Leadership Ambassador Program-VaxNation Project in October 2021.

Feb. 25 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents author and social Commentator Roxane Gay for ‘Roxane with One N’

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents author and social commentator Roxane Gay for Roxane with One N on Friday, February 25th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at The Granada Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Roxane Gay brilliantly critiques the ebb and flow of modern culture with wit and ferocity. Her collection of essays, Bad Feminist, is a quintessential exploration of modern feminism, and her books – including An Untamed State, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, Graceful Burdens and Difficult Women – are celebrated for their honesty and humor. Gay also co-hosts the podcast Hear to Slay, pens the Work Friend column for The New York Times and was the first black woman to write for Marvel Comics. Her new podcast The Roxane Gay Agenda premiered on Luminary in partnership with iHeartMedia on January 25, 2022.

Feb. 26 — Celebrate Black History Month at Family Fun Day at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula

Celebrate Black History Month by learning about the contributions of African- American Scientists and doing your own experiments.

Attend the Family Fun Day at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 at 926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula.

Feb. 28 — SBCC to host discussion with Black History Month featured author

In honor of Black History Month, SBCC Interim Superintendent/President Dr. Kindred Murillo invites the community to a virtual event, Feb. 28, 12:30-1:30 p.m., when Dr. Helen Benjamin and Rev. Larry D. Smith discuss the new book “How We Got Over: Growing Up in the Segregated South.” Edited by Dr. Benjamin and 23 of her fellow graduates of Peabody High School Class of 1968, the book is a series of vignettes capturing the Black experience of childhood and teen years in mid-20th century Alexandria, Louisiana and the surrounding areas. The stories told reflect the different life experiences of the 24 graduates living with the racial, social, and economic injustices present in an entrenched Jim Crow society of the 50s and 60s. 

March 2 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents a FREE Virtual Thematic Learning Initiative event: Meet-the-Artists Talk with Jennifer Koh, Davóne Tines, and their Creative Team titled Why Everything Rises

UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the free virtual Thematic Learning Initiative event: Meet-the-Artists Talk with Jennifer Koh, Davóne Tines, and their creative team titled Why Everything Rises Wednesday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific. The meet-the-artist talk will be moderated by Lisa Sun-Hee Park, Department Chair and Professor of Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Panelists will include Jennifer Koh, Violin and Co-Creator; Davóne Tines, Bass-Baritone and Co-Creator; Ken Ueno, Composer; Kee-Yoon Nahm, Narrative Structure and Dramaturgy. Register for the free webinar at https://bit.ly/rises-ucsb-2022.

March 4 — Ventura County Mobile Library holding ‘Story Time at the Museum of Ventura County’

Ventura County Mobile Library will hold “Story Time at the Museum of Ventura County” from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday, March 4 at 100 E. Main St., Ventura

The Museum of Ventura County has been partnering with the county library to bring in-person Story Time. We’re welcoming you back to the Museum for the first one of the year.

March 9 — State-of-the-Art Biotech Lab on Display at Moorpark College’s Open House

Moorpark College’s biotechnology program offers a comprehensive curriculum in bio-manufacturing that includes hands-on learning in a state-of-the-art biotech lab. Students and the community who are interested in this rapidly growing industry are invited to attend the Biotech Open House, 5 – 7 p.m., March 9.

Visitors can watch lab demonstrations, explore the lab and examine how recombinant cells are grown in bioreactors and see how chromatography columns are used to purify life-saving biotech products.

March 10 — Tony Award-Winning Musical ‘Kinky Boots’ Opens at Moorpark College

The Moorpark College Theatre Arts and Dance departments are proud to announce the opening of “Kinky Boots,” a high-energy and timely story of all the wonderful things that happen when people from different worlds embrace diversity and inclusion. This Spring 2022 production of the six-time Tony Award® Winning Best Musical runs March 10 – 27, Thursday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

‘‘‘Kinky Boots’ has been an amazing journey for Moorpark College, our faculty and students on all fronts,” said director and Theatre Arts faculty member John Loprieno. “What started with fully masked outdoor rehearsals in our parking garage on cold January night has miraculously transformed into a fully realized and triumphant return to our mainstage.” 

March 15 — OC LIVE — Celebrate Women’s History Month (in-person) with classical dance from India

Join us for this special evening of classical dance from India! Performed by acclaimed dancer Vijayalakshmi, Mohiniyattam is a traditional dance form rooted in the feminine spirit and resonating with contemporary relevance. Experience the beauty and be inspired by the divine enchantress! 

Vijayalakshmi is a world-renowned Indian classical dancer, choreographer, actress and singer. Founder of the Mohiniyattam Institute, she is a leading exponent of this ancient dance form of South India. 

March 22 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Paris-based Arod Quartet

Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Paris-based Arod Quartet AT 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St.

With all four members only in their twenties, the Paris-based Arod Quartet has already dazzled awestruck chamber-music lovers in concerts at such prestigious venues as the Auditorium of the Louvre in Paris and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

March 24 — CSUCI to host ‘An American Journey,’ a raw and honest look at the African American experience in America

With shackles and bullet holes, a child’s Ku Klux Klan outfit, and signs reading “Colored only,” the collection called “Forgotten Images” is raw, unblinking and authentic.

“You look at these images and you can’t help but have some kind of emotion evoked,” said CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Outreach and Engagement Librarian Lydia Collins. “I hope it will create opportunities for authentic dialogue and disruptive discourse that leads to positive changes and helps us learn about one another.”

March 27 — Inaugural Fundraiser, Lumina Nights, Raises Funds to Support Survivors of Violence to be held in SLO

Lumina Alliance is hosting its inaugural fundraiser, Lumina Nights, on Sunday, March 27 at La Lomita Ranch in San Luis Obispo. The gala will be the first major event following the merger of RISE and Stand Strong in July 2021 and will raise funds to support those impacted by sexual and intimate partner violence in San Luis Obispo County.

An evening filled with music, wine, dining, and dancing under the stars, Lumina Nights will create new traditions and celebrate those leaders making an impact in our community and in the movement to end gender-based violence. Shining Light awards will be given to four community members and partners for their dedication to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.

March 31 — Historical Spotlight: Cesar Chavez & Local Farming at Camarillo Public Library

Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) will join the Camarillo Public Library in commemorating Cesar Chavez and his contribution to agriculture, labor rights, and environmental justice. Following a reading of Kathleen Krull’s “Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez,” SEEAG will provide children and their families with a look into the importance of our agricultural workers, the crops grown in Ventura County and how these crops contribute to our nutritional well-being.

March 31 — Annual Cesar Chavez Memorial March Committee to present ‘The Legacy of Cesar Chavez the Farm workers and Dolores Huerta’ online and in Oxnard

The Annual Cesar Chavez Memorial March Committee will present “The Legacy of Cesar Chavez the Farm workers and Dolores Huerta” celebration online and from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 31 at the Open Door Art Studio, 329 N. 5th St., Oxnard.

April 1 — Channel Islands Maritime Museum to Present Annual Oxnard Union High School District Student Art Show

Beginning April 1, 2022, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) will be presenting its latest exhibition, The Oxnard Union High School District Student Art Show, in its Brenda and Gary Farr Gallery.
 
Art is a strong, unifying element within the community and students will be showcasing their talents in a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional mediums.
 
“We are proud to host a show where students can share their creative expressions and lived experiences,” said CIMM’s Collections and Exhibitions Manager Olivia Williamson. “We invite you to come and witness the next generation of great artists.” 

April 1 — Ventura County Mobile Library — ‘Story Time at the Museum of Ventura County’

The Museum of Ventura County has been partnering with the county library to bring bilingual (in English and Spanish) in-person Story Time every first Friday of the month at 3 p.m. That way kids will have time to come right after school. This month’s theme is EARTH DAY. Join us for stories, then play and learn in the Chumash Garden and Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Children’s Garden, a fabulous and FREE outing for ALL!