Last weekend I spent with my daughter in Toronto.
Toronto got slammed by a full-on blizzard, with thick snow and sharp winds messing up flight schedules. My flight to Toronto from LAX got cancelled and the one coming back spent over an hour on the tarmac being deiced.
Coming into Toronto after a blizzard had shut down Pearson –
And a lower altitude photo from the plane –
And a short video of the plane taxiing in Toronto –
Then back to California for a busy work week. Headed to Long Beach and then to Twentynine Palms to visit Copper Mountain College. Though small in size, the college has a wide reach and an outsized impact. In a geographically isolated area, Copper Mountain serves as both an educational anchor and a community hub.
Check out this fun selfie taken by our SSCCC student Valerie Pamphile – you can see Bill Rawlings and President Daren Otten at the back. And further back, Adrienne Brown.
And another great pic, this one with Julie Adams and Chris Ferguson added to the group:
Copper Mountain College has a tortoise preserve right on campus. The desert tortoise is an iconic species known for its long lifespan and remarkable ability to survive in harsh, arid conditions. It is endangered primarily because of habitat loss from development, roads, and energy projects, as well as disease and human disruption that threaten its fragile ecosystem.
The preserve at Copper Mountain protects this habitat, supports conservation efforts, and helps educate students and the community about caring for the desert they live in. It is pretty amazing that a California community college is literally helping safeguard an endangered species right on its campus.
Check out this 30-sec video of Professor Paul Delaney talking about the tortoise preserve being a natural laboratory for students.
Just a few miles away from the college is one of the most significant military installations in the country, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. As the largest Marine Corps base in the world, it prepares service members for complex, large-scale combat operations and plays a critical role in national defense. The installation is also a major economic engine for the region, shaping both the workforce and the broader community.
Here we are with Colonel Ron Storer who was a wonderful story teller about the Marine Corps and the training provided at the installation. He praised the partnership with Copper Mountain College.
Good morning California.
It is January 24, 2026.
A good day to be a Community College Champion
From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!
Calbright Partners With Barstow Community College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College For Research Supporting Students
Calbright has entered into partnerships with two sister California community colleges to test new research that improves support for students’ basic needs, including access to food and health care. Pilot programs developed through that research showed promising results: Significantly more students in the pilot programs disclosed that they needed support and scheduled meetings with Calbright staff who can guide them through the California programs designed to offer support to qualifying adults. This includes programs such as CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and CalWORKs, that help millions of eligible Californians receive support for themselves and their families. Now Calbright will work with Barstow Community College and Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) to further test, develop, and expand that research.
Santa Rosa Junior College Receives STARS Gold Rating
for Sustainability Achievements
Santa Rosa Junior College has earned a STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), recognizing SRJC’s leadership and ongoing progress in advancing sustainability across academics, operations, and community engagement. STARS—the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System—is a transparent, self-reporting framework used by colleges and universities worldwide to measure their sustainability performance. Santa Rosa Junior College’s full STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
PBS SoCal Recognizes East Los Angeles College Child Development Center
with Bryson Transformative Leader Award
PBS SoCal recently announced that the East Los Angeles College (ELAC) Child Development Center has been selected as the recipient of the John and Louise Bryson Transformative Leader in Early Childhood Award. The award recognizes the Center’s unwavering commitment to creating learning environments that value and empower every child and family in East Los Angeles and the greater Los Angeles Community College District.
Middle College Students Explore Emerging Technologies
in Eight-Week Cohort at Moreno Valley College
Through an eight-week Experiential Technology and Engineering Cohort hosted by the iMAKE Innovation Center, 68 Middle College students from Wendy Sharkey’s fifth and sixth period classes engaged in hands-on instruction in emerging technologies this fall. The cohort was designed as an immersive, project-based learning experience that introduced students to artificial intelligence, microcontrollers, mechanical systems, sustainability concepts, and app development.
In Case You Missed It
CBS News: Local Community College Students Partner
with Habitat for Humanity to Help Rebuild Altadena
Trade students are engaged in hands-on learning, as they help rebuild homes in Altadena in partnership with San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.
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OC Register: Santiago Canyon College hopes to lead the way in AI for educators
Jason Parks is staring at a problem with a moving target of a solution. A problem that not only promises to get worse but comes with the chaser of potentially taking a wrecking ball to his institution’s purpose, mission and reason for being.
Scott James is trying to be the solution to that problem. It’s a job with a moving target of answers that is the academic whack-a-mole of the 2020s. And James finds himself holding the mallet and wondering where and what he’s going to smack next.
The problem is artificial intelligence, or AI, which is turning the world upside down. And as AI flips industry after industry on its head, few industries find themselves dealing with the falling debris and attack on purpose more than academia. This is why Parks, the vice president of academic affairs at Santiago Canyon College, and James, a professor and distance education coordinator at SCC, are trying to get ahead of the AI craze and turn the debris field into an intellectual garden.
Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media
From Lake Tahoe Community College:
Mic check. Yogi has something to say…Did you know you can check out snowshoes, podcasting kits, and more from the LTCC Library? It’s all part of the Library of Things (yes, that’s what we like to call it), thoughtfully curated by our library staff to support student success and made possible by our recent LTCC Foundation Student Success Grant.
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From San Diego College of Continuing Education:
Spring Institution Day was an inspiring reminder of the shared purpose that drives our work at SDCCE. From campus safety and student support services to academic excellence and innovation, the “heart work” our colleagues bring every day is creating progress for student success.
*****
From Ventura College:
We’re celebrating our centennial all year long! Last night our Learning, Equity, Achievement, and Persistence Division (LEAP) honored tutors and staff who have made exceptional contributions to Ventura College over the years Congratulations to the honorees!
Dr. Vandana Gavaskar
Sandy Hajas
Pedro Gaxiola
Ouiall Ghazi
David Oros
Sara Sevilla
*****
From De Anza College:
Check out these photos from the @SVReads kickoff last week! Thank you to @profjohnapowell (The Power of Bridging), @KeeonnaHarris (Mainline Mama), Annie Hartnett (Unlikely Animals) and Sal Pizarro for making this an amazing event!
*****
And check out the first episode of San Bernardino Valley College’s Centennial Podcast:
Blast From the Past
I had to hop on the “back to 2016” trend I’ve seen going around social media. Here’s a pic from 2016 after Mayor Harvey Hall endorsed Measure J for Kern CCD:
And From the Home of the Renegades
BC Hosts Renegade Rally of Belonging to Promote Connection and Community
Bakersfield College was excited to welcome back students for the Spring 2026 semester. On the first day of classes, the BC Student Government Association and the Office of Student Life hosted the first ever Renegade Rally of Belonging. The event gave attendees a chance to learn more about various BC student resources, enjoy some delicious food, connect with fellow Renegades, and have fun!
The event included lively music, donuts, Ronnie Renegade, and a series of information tables for a variety of campus resources. The lively atmosphere provided the perfect environment for students to connect and take a quick break between their classes.
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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
