Over 250 state and local leaders from a wide range of workforce development systems gathered at Skyline College on October 10, 2014 to discuss the Department of Labor’s new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) signed by President Obama in July this year.  This Town Hall meeting was second in a series of nationwide meetings organized by the Department of Labor (DOL) to solicit input on the WIOA implementation.

The signing came after the bill’s passage in Congress with strong bipartisan majorities in both houses. The new law marks the first major update to federal job training programs in more than 15 years and outlines plans to improve coordination in workforce programs for adult and youth training and education programs at the federal, state and local levels. The law was previously called the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), itself an update to previous federal workforce investment policy. That law was enacted under President Clinton in 1998.

The Town Hall meeting was organized by the Department of Labor (DOL) Region 6, headquartered in San Francisco, in partnership with Skyline College’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD). The DOL Region 6 encompasses a large area including Alaska, Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, American Samoa, Saipan-CNMI, Federated States of Micronesia, and Territory of Guam.

In the opening plenary, Skyline College Vice President of Administration Eloisa Briones highlighted the community college connection to the new WIOA by mentioning President Obama’s visit to the Los Angeles Trade Technical College soon after signing the WIOA.

She also mentioned Skyline College’s long history of collaborating with the local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and the DOL on various workforce training projects. The WIB is a local agency that received federal dollars to guide workforce policy and investment at the local level with other industry and education partners.

Virginia Hamilton, Regional Administrator and Bryan Rogers, Regional Director of the DOL Region 6, facilitated morning and evening group discussions. Participants identified and prioritized various aspects of WIOA implementations strategies.

The event commenced with panel discussions by representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Under direction of Dr. Raj Lathigara (Director of the CWD), Rita Gulli, Aaron Wilcher, Soledad McCarthy, Jeremy Evangelista, and Alina Varona from the CWD helped organize this event. Staff from the Department of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations at Skyline College assisted with the event publicity.

Article by Raj Lathigara | Photos by Maryam Ali and Claudia Paz

These outstanding scholars will champion a myriad of civic engagement and targeted outreach on and off campus on behalf of the Student Support Services program. The scope of their work will elevate a broad swath of community activism and dialogue through the implementation of service learning curriculum for our 330 TRiO students as well as classroom presentations, culturally-relevant learning opportunities, leadership development, and network building in the larger community for those serving first-generation, low-income and other historically marginalized populations. You will find their photos and brief introductions below:

“Hello my name is Jessica Baumann and I am a new TRIO Ambassador. I look forward to being a resource of information for my fellow Skyline students. I am also a Senator in the ASSC Student Government and President of LASO (Latin American Student Organization). I feel it is important for students to be aware of all the resources on campus in order to become empowered and successful.  These different programs and organizations have helped me to succeed academically and take advantage of all the resources on campus.”

“My name is Drea Gabriel and I was born and raised in Southeast San Diego, home of the San Diego Super Chargers!  This year I have the privilege of serving as a TRiO Student Support Service Ambassador for the fall 2014 semester. In addition to my TRiO duties & obligations, I also hold a student teaching position at our wonderful Skyline College Child Development Center, I am the Beta Theta Omicron Vice President of Scholarship (Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society), and I recently completed an internship at the San Mateo Probations Juvenile Department.

Hopefully my experiences as an ambassador, probations intern, student teacher, and Psychology major will come in handy as I pursue my career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.”

 “Hello my name is Daniel Erazo.  This is my second year as a TRIO Ambassador, and I am very excited to be part of the team again this year.  I have been heavily involved in TRIO during my time at Skyline College as a student, club member, and ambassador.  I served as the TRIO club president, and been part of the organizational committee for National TRIO Day the last couple of years.  I am studying business with the hopes of having my own business someday.  As a side note, I have a huge sweet tooth, so you can always win me over with candy.”

We are thrilled to announce that our TRiO Student Ambassadors are currently offering brief (3-5 minute) classroom presentations to highlight the benefits of becoming a member of the TRiO Family.  As a TRiO student, individuals would have FREE access to services that include but are not limited to:

• Specialized TRiO Counseling (Academic, Career, Personal)
• One-on-one tutoring (English/Math)
• Scholarships (TRiO Grant-Aid)
• College Campus Visits
• Cultural Enrichment Activities

We understand that class time is precious and at a premium. To that end, we can assure you that our presentations will be concise and informative.  If interested, please email Drea Gabriel at agabri13@my.smccd.edu  (TRiO Ambassador) to confirm time, date and room number.  We look forward to hearing from everyone and visiting your classrooms in the near future.

Please consider joining our TRiO FAMILY!

Article by Arash Daneshzadeh

A Skyline View editorial published in spring 2014 about the campus media policy has been picked as a Story of the Year finalist by a national journalism organization.

Former Skyline View Editor in Chief Aaron Washington and current Editor in Chief Michelle Kelly, who penned the editorial on behalf of the staff, are up for the prestigious award under the editorial/opinion category of the 2014 Associated Collegiate Press Story of the Year Contest. Among the other schools listed as finalists in this category are Yale University and UCLA.

Winners will be announced Nov. 1 at the National College Media Convention in Philadelphia.

You can check out all the finalists here: http://studentpressblogs.org/acp/2014-acp-story-of-the-year-finalists/

Article and photo by Nancy Kaplan-Biegel

Pyae Sone, a former EOPS student, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the California Community Colleges Extended Opportunity Programs and Services Association (CCCEOPSA).  He recently graduated summa cum laude with two Associate Degrees, and is continuing his studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California, Davis.  Pyae was also accepted at UCs Berkeley, San Diego and Santa Cruz; and CSUs San Jose & Sacramento.

“Personally, EOPS Counseling, book grants, and calculator loan programs have been vital.  Indeed, I would not be who I am today without EOPS support,” he acknowledged.

Article by Imelda Hermosillo | Photo by Pyae Sone

On Friday, October 3, a group of Skyline College students traveled to UC Berkeley, joining over 100 other students from California community colleges for MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) Engineering Day.

Activities included Personal Statement and Financial Aid Workshops, Engineering and Biology Laboratory tours, and networking with other students from as far south as Ventura.  One highlight for the Skyline College MESA Engineering students who attended was a panel comprised of recent UC Berkeley transfer students.  They described their transfer experiences and the high demand that the school has for its students; it was encouraging and inspiring for those in attendance.

Pictured are (L-R) Nery Barrera, Griselda Castillo, Daniel Dela Cruz, Daniel Jose and Roberto “Carlos” Segura.

Article by Alana Utsumi and Stephen Fredricks | Photo by Stephen Fredricks

In the wee hours of dawn this last Saturday, at 4:00 am, five Skyline College and six Cañada College students in the new patient navigator program gathered at Stanford to board a bus for the 12^th annual UC Davis Pre-Medicine & Pre-Health Career National Conference held October 11-12. After shaking off the long drive and stunted slumber, students took a variety of workshops over the two days with admissions specialists, academic faculty, employers, working professionals and other community college and university students pursuing interests in multiple health science disciplines.  The objective of the annual conference is “to introduce and support academic, admission and preparatory opportunities for all students interested in health professions with a focus on those underrepresented in healthcare (with regard to gender, economic, social, educational, linguistic, cultural, racial, and ethnic background).”

All five students are currently enrolled in the new patient navigator program—a partnership between SMCCD and Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI). Through this program, students acquire a breadth of skills to guide medically underserved and linguistically isolated patient populations (many of whom have more healthcare choices due to the Affordable Care Act) through the healthcare delivery system. AACI generously awarded full scholarships for each of these students to attend the 2 day conference—including transportation, meals and hotel stay.

At the conference, students registered for workshops in the discipline areas of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy or public health, whichever most closely matched their educational and career interests. Workshops covered topics from “The Future of Nursing” to “Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Healthcare” to “MCAT: Learn the Facts from the Test” and so much more.

While the workshops provided valuable tips on preparing for advanced education in healthcare, perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the conference was the opportunity to connect with and learn from other students from community colleges, high schools and universities with shared interests. As one student put it, “It was so motivating to see all of the other students like me who wanted to go into nursing. Sometimes I think I’m the only one, but there were so many other students there with the same interests as me and that was really motivating.”

Article by Paul Rueckhaus | Photo by Anna Jung

Our TRiO Student Support Services program hosted its fall semester Kickoff Celebration on September 5, 2014.

TRiO Student Support Services or “SSS” exists to help enhance the persistence and achievement rates of well over 300 of Skyline College’s low-income, disabled, and first-generation students who intend to graduate with an associate degree, and/or transfer into four-year colleges and universities. At the Kickoff Celebration, a cadre of SSS scholars were served a delicious pizza lunch and refreshments. SSS scholars participated in team-building activities and an opportunity drawing courtesy of our colleagues in the Skyline College Bookstore.

As well, at the celebration event, the newest members of our staff were introduced. Our counseling staff provided crucial updates to students and partnering programs in attendance showed their support. The programmatic updates largely centered on special events and services germane to student development including, but not limited to, campus visits to four-year institutions of higher education, mobilizing the community-oriented TRiO Club members and its newly elected governance body, the TRiO Scholarship award, cultural and leadership activities, and mentoring opportunities for academic as well as professional enrichment.

In concert with the host of student leaders who comprise TRiO SSS, we look forward to cultivating spaces of academic opportunity, cultural sharing, civic engagement and professional development as we advance the charge towards social equity and access embodied by Skyline College’s overall vision.

Skyline College TRiO Program is still admitting prospective SSS Scholars into their cohort for 2014-2015 academic year.  To obtain a TRiO SSS application, go to www.skylinecollege.edu/trio or come to the TRiO SSS office located in the Learning Center of Building 5. Complete and submit the application to our office. For more information, call (650) 738-4144.

Article by Arash Daneshzadeh

On October 6 and 7, 2014, Language Arts Dean Mary Gutiérrez and ESOL faculty Leigh Anne Shaw attended the statewide AB 86 Regional Planning Summit.  They were joined by representative members of their local AB 86 consortium, ACCEL:  Tim Doyle, Assistant Director of San Mateo Adult Education and Adult Ed ESL faculty Patricia Brown.  The two-day event took place in Sacramento and was a historic opportunity for representatives from all seventy consortia to meet and work on the development of a framework aligning the curriculum and programs in Adult Basic Education and Community Colleges.

The first day featured representatives from the state legislature responding to panel questions regarding the expectations and hopes of AB 86’s charge.  Then, participants broke into work groups and discussed vision, structure, and funding mechanisms for the two systems.  The second day featured a discussion of organizational change and further work on alignment ideas.  Elements highlighted at the summit included the need for equalized funding and workload between credit and noncredit, dedicated funding for adult education, and the concept of “no wrong door” for students seeking skills improvement.

More information on the work being done on AB 86  in San Mateo County can be found at http://www.accelsmc.org/.

The Career Services Center hosted the Fall Internships & Social Impact Fair this Wednesday, October 15^th with a focus on promoting opportunities to develop professional experience and leadership through community engagement and participation.  The fair was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and reached over 300 students who circulated throughout the morning and afternoon to learn about local opportunities for employment, internships, community service, and volunteering.  Overall the event was both great fun and a great success!

List of Participants:

1. Americorp
2. Habitat for Humanity
3. Meals on Wheels
4. Mad Science
5. Reading Partners
6. San Francisco LGBT Center
7. St. Vincent de Paul of San Mateo
8. Institute for Human and Social Development
9. Peninsula Television, Inc.
10. Boys and Girls Club
11. City of San Bruno – Recreation Division
12. New Door Ventures
13. Jobs for Youth
14. CA Employment Development Department
15. Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto
16. Breathe California
17. Edgewood Drop-In Center
18. Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
19. City of Burlingame
20. Youth Employment Opportunity Program
21. Caminar Mental Health
22. Child Care Coordination Council
23. Sutter Health
24. Starbucks
25. Hilton
26. Office Depot
27. Skyline College – Hospitality and Tourism Management Program
28. Skyline College – SparkPoint Center
29. Skyline College – TriO Program
30. Skyline College – Early Childhood Education Department

To learn more about the opportunities promoted at the fair, please log on to SkylineJobs.com where a combination of jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities are listed on daily basis.

Article by Lezra Chenportillo