I began my week at the celebration of life for Delaine Eastin. She was a true pioneer for California education, and was the first – and only – female state superintendent.
The Westminster Church in Sacramento was packed. Daisy Gonzales opened the program with inspirational comments followed by a series of speakers and singers giving us sneak peeks into the life of a legend. Delaine must have loved Louis Armstrong’s A Wonderful World ….. two your women perfectly performed the song. Let’s take a moment to listen to A Wonderful World, enjoy the melody and the uplifting words.
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
… I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Later in the week, I spoke at the annual Online Teaching Conference. I was especially
excited to have the opportunity to mobilize our faculty and colleges in expanding and
improving our online presence. My talk focused on the intersection of AI, OER, and Online.
After the online conference I stopped by the UDW rally at the Santa Ana Zoo and joined four of our colleges (Saddleback, Santa Ana, Santiago Canyon, and North Orange Continuing Ed) to advance our low-income worker pathways demonstration project.
At home – I had a mother duck and baby duck visit this week!
Good morning California.
It is June 29, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!
Cerritos College Alumna Helps Create Endowment to
Support Single Parents Pursuing Nursing
The Cerritos College Foundation announced that alumna Sharon Reichle created an endowment to fund scholarships for single-parent students in the nursing program. Sharon committed $125,000 to be paid over the next five years and $25,000 yearly thereafter until her passing. She has also included the Cerritos College Foundation in her estate plan.
Orange Coast College’s Celebrates First Graduating Cohort
of Community Health Worker Program
Orange Coast College conferred certificates to the inaugural cohort of 18 students who completed the Community Health Worker program on Friday, May 17. Generously funded by the Samueli Foundation, Orange Coast College has developed a program that addresses the urgent need for certificated community health workers in the health and nonprofit sectors. These workers are crucial in filling service gaps for at-risk individuals and connecting those underserved by the traditional healthcare system with culturally competent health and social services.
Citrus College offers textbook alternatives to decrease student costs
With rising higher education expenses and inflation impacting the cost of living, many students are finding it increasingly difficult to pursue their academic goals. In an effort to remove one of the financial obstacles facing students, Citrus College faculty members have begun using open educational resources/zero textbook cost (OER/ZTC) options in their classrooms.
Golden West College Receives $2M+ To Expand
High School to Bachelor’s Nursing Pathways
On Thursday, April 4 the CalOptima Health Board of Directors approved a grant of $2,040,000 through its Provider Workforce Development Initiative to the Coast Community College District (CCCD) to expand the Running Start to Nursing pathway at Golden West College (GWC) and develop a K–12 pathway to the Radiologic Technology Certificate program at Orange Coast College. The Coast District is matching the grant with $2,710,000 in statewide Strong Workforce grant funds, for a combined $4.75 million.
In Case You Missed It
Bridging Pathways: Strengthening Community College Transfer
Save the date for the AICCU 2024 Annual Meeting, October 8-9 in Sacramento. AICCU President Kristen Soares and I will discuss strengthening the relationship between the independent higher education sector and community colleges to improve transfer pathways.
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
From Coastline College:
This past week, we hosted our annual Career Exploration camp for local high school students at our Garden Grove Campus! Students developed skills and were introduced to various career educational fields. The event was a great success!
*****
From Tina Maria King at San Diego College of Continuing Education:
I enjoyed spending the past few days with the Black CEOs of the CCCS. We covered personal wellness, financial education, Yoga, box breathing and more techniques to keep us whole and healthy. Thank you @drshaunharper for hosting a phenomenal retreat at @uscraceequity!
*****
From Hartnell College:
The Umoja team accepted a proclamation from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors for the Salinas Juneteenth Celebration. Hartnell student Sierra Bryant accepted the recognition from Supervisor Luis Alejo. We honor the efforts of Dr. Kendra Cabrera and Ms. Aysa Guillory.
*****
And check out this great video from Antelope Valley College:
Blast from the Past
Going back to 2020, here are my remarks to Kern County graduates:
And From the Home of the Renegades
BC Hosts 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration
The Bakersfield College Student Government Association (BCSGA) and A2Mend hosted a special event honoring and celebrating Juneteenth. Students, faculty, staff, and community members were invited to participate in the celebration which included food and fellowship, all while emphasizing the significance of the Juneteenth holiday.
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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.
That’s all for today.
See you next Saturday!
With much hope and joy,
Your Chancellor,
-sonya
#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora
