The Equity Training Series (ETS) is an eight week professional development experience that features thought experts and cutting edge scholars in educational equity who work directly with a cohort of 25-30 Skyline College staff, faculty and administrators. This is a spring semester experience designed to equip participants with skills, strategies and tools in the areas of educational equity and cultural fluency.

Date	Topic	Presenter
January 18, 2019	Equity in Education	Dean Lasana O. Hotep
February 8, 2019	Critical Pedagogy	Dr. Michael Benitez Jr.
February 22, 2019	Undocumented Student Support	Dr. Genevieve Negron Gonzales
March 9, 2019	White Fragility in the Academy	Dr. Robin DiAngelo
April 12, 2019	Equity in STEM Education	Dr. Jeremiah Sims
April 26, 2019	Pin@y Student Success	Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales
May 2, 2019	Disability in Higher Education	Isabel Dees
May 10, 2019	ETS Recognition Ceremony	ETS 2019 Cohort

 

Participant Outcomes                                                                                                                  

The goal of ETS is for all participants to incorporate concepts and theories from ETS either into current initiatives or projects on campus, development a new project, or into various office culture/work spaces.

Participant Experience                                                                                                               

All of these workshops are hosted on Friday afternoons from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. The first hour and a half will be the talk/workshop by the designated presenter. The second half of the session is the group discussion and planning on how to apply the new information to their work. The final session will consist of presentations sharing the planned application of the practices discussed during the training. For more information about ETS and to hear from previous participants, visit the Equity Training Series Website.

Application                                                                                                                                      

If you are interested in participating, submit an electronic application by November 17, 2018. All participants will be notified if they have been accepted into the program before winter recess. Contact Katrina Pantig at pantigk@smccd..edu if you have any questions.

Article by Katrina Pantig

The Science in Action Seminar Series met on November 7, 2018 at 4:30 pm.  Our guest speaker was Ryan Lineham, Ph.D. a Candidate in Physics at Stanford University. Lineham does his research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, and is in an international team of over 200 people.

20 Skyline College Students, as well as his mother, from all disciplines listened to Lineham talk about his career in science as well as what he does his research on. Lineham did credit his mom with getting him to like physics.

Justin Lee, a biotechnology manufacturing student, said he was blown away by the talk and felt he was too shy to ask questions. The Science in Action Seminar Series is meant to be a venue where students can learn about what their next steps in education would look like as well as to talk to some very smart people about their research. No questions are out of bounds.

The Skyline College students kept Lineham for over a half hour after the talk, asking him questions about how to get into graduate school, how to pick a research lab and many others. Lineham’s main topic for the day was “to get a richer understanding of the invisible.” These include cosmic rays, muons and other particles.

Specifically, Lineham is looking for dark matter. When asked why study these particles, Lineham stated that he wanted to increase our knowledge of the universe and that when electrons were discovered they had no use, and now we would not go anyplace without our devices that use electrons.

Article and Photo by Nick Kapp

On October 27, 2018, the ESL Registration Day event welcomed 26 new ESL (English as a Second Language) students, one of them being Jaswinder Chauhan, to Skyline College! Seven years ago, she moved to the United States from Punjab, India. After studying ESL at an adult school, she is ready to take the next step towards her educational goals. She is eager to improve her English skills for college and pursue a degree in cosmetology. For many immigrants like her, taking the next step to attend an American college and navigating through the enrollment process can feel daunting. The ESL Registration Day team played a huge role in helping her access Skyline College. They warmly welcomed and supported her and the other new students in completing the major enrollment steps. Beyond the event, new students like Jaswinder will continue to receive follow-up from the English Language Institute (ELI) to  ensure ongoing support.

Thank you to the representatives from SparkPoint, the Dream Center, Financial Aid and EOPS who were available to answer the new students’ questions about campus resources.

Thank you to Minerva Velasquez and Adriana Johnson for assisting with the student ID numbers; Goldie Lee and Jacky Ip for efficiently running the ESOL placement tests; ESOL Counselor Virginia Rosales for a very helpful orientation; Jairo Barreto for the IT Support. Also, many thanks to the ESOL student volunteers, ELI student assistants and Leigh Anne Shaw, Stacy Nojima and Erinn Struss for their hard work.

Article and Photo by Mylene Foo, Program Services Coordinator at the English Language Institute

The Human Library, a project that began in Denmark in 2000, is an international movement designed to challenge one to find commonality with a person from another background. By striving to actively quell stereotyping and division, the movement encourages dialogue and fosters understanding with a goal of affecting social change.

On October 30, 2018, the Skyline College Learning Commons hosted a soft launch of its own Human Library at Skyline College Library. This successful and interactive event gave members of the Skyline College community the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations as they learn from one another.

During the event, six diverse human books sat ready to be “loaned out” to “readers” just as libraries loan out physical books to their patrons. Instead of the book leaving the library, each “reader” sat with a “human book” in a comfortable and intimate setting, asking questions to learn the human book’s story.

One reader enjoyed an informative conversation with the human book, Immigrant or American?, and shared, “I learned that we are all from somewhere else, but ended up here [United States] somehow.” Another reader reiterated how the same book “reinforced the idea that America is a country of mixed cultures.” For the book, Hay Dios Mio … What am I Doing in College?, a reader was grateful how  “… [the human book] was a very relatable person…Her struggles were similar to mine and I definitely felt inspired.” This event was so popular that staff moderators had waiting lists and found themselves in the tough position of needing to end conversations to allow other readers to participate. One of the readers was inspired to be a human book for our next scheduled event.

The six books who shared their stories also benefited from the connections that were fostered. The book, Perseverance and Dedication Can Take You Places, reflected on her experience saying, “Not only am I able to share my story, but [I] also learn about my reader’s story.”

The Learning Commons will keep the Human Library momentum going! If you missed October’s event, please join us November 29. 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Library at Building 6. If you are interested in participating as a human book in future events, please fill out our Human Library Participation Interest Form. Additional sessions will be scheduled through Spring 2019.

Let’s continue this new tradition in finding commonality!

Article by Sherri Wyatt & Jessica Silver-Sharp | Photo by Zaw Min Khant

On October 17, 2018, the International Student Program (ISP) and Myanmar Cultural Club (MCC) hosted its first Burmese Festival of Lights, Tha-din-gyut, at Skyline College. The festival brightened up the college with various dance performances, beautiful Burmese traditional attire, and cultural foods. Approximately 50 students, staff, faculty and community members attended the event.

Tha-din-gyut, one of 12 festivals celebrated in the country, showcases the beautiful and unique traditions and cultures of Myanmar. The festival is to pay homage to the elderly, relatives, teachers and parents, and to ask forgiveness for the wrongdoings of the year.

During the Tha-din-gyut event, the MCC students performed two traditional dances: oil lamp dance (See-Mee-Kwat) and an ethnic group dance. The audience also had a chance to test their knowledge on Burmese culture by actively participating in a series of quizzes presented by the MCC students. At the end of the event, attendees were treated to Burmese traditional rice cake, “Sa-Nwin-Ma-Kin.” They also enjoyed taking pictures with their friends in a photo booth themed with the Tha-din-gyut festival.

The Myanmar Cultural Club holds meetings every first and third Friday of the month from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in Building 4’s Multicultural Center. Anyone who is interested in learning more about Burmese culture is welcome to join the club!

ISP will continue to conduct events and workshops to improve the services offered to its students and the entire Skyline College community. If you are interested in learning more about future ISP programs and events, contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu.

Article by Soe Thura Hlaing |Photos by Nyi Wai Yan Tun

The Internship Job Shadow Program (IJSP) would like to introduce Senior Intern, Marcello Menjivar. Marcello is a business administration major with an expressed interest in natural resource management and sustainability. Marcello is also an active member of the LASO club at Skyline College. Marcello has been a part of the IJSP at the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center (BAEC) since the summer of 2018 and has returned, as a student assistant, for the fall semester. As a student intern, Marcello has participated in a number of campus and community events and has gotten to learn more about the inner-workings of Skyline College and the BAEC. Through the IJSP, Marcello has learned the value of building and expanding his network and has had the opportunity to explore different career paths, while developing his skills.

When asked why he chose to attend Skyline College, Marcello said, “It was local…with both of my parents originally being born in El Salvador, I wanted to attend an institution with similar views on ethnic equality as mine”.

Marcello also has some advice for his fellow students and said, “The main thing you will get out of this program is the network you will build and bring along with you when it is over. My student internship came along with challenges and forced me to be able to adapt.”

We are excited to have Marcello on the team!

For more information on the Internship Job Shadow Program, please contact baec@smccd.edu.

Article by Pcyeta Stroud, Terri Wade and Marcello Menjivar | Photo by: Sam Panganiban

Pollination achieved! Staff, faculty and administrators put on their busy bee hats by giving feedback on accreditation drafts across the four standards. They worked in small teams to sweeten the nectar, adopting the perspective of the accreditation visiting team to determine whether Skyline College meets the standard and what can be done to strengthen the draft, including ensuring it accurately captures Skyline College’s efforts. With the forum taking place on All Hollow’s Eve, it was appropriately capped off by a costume contest, with the winners scoring a gift card to the Skyline College’s World Cup Coffee & Tea.

The third and last forum for this year will be on Wednesday, February 6. 2019. Mark your calendars and be prepared to engage!

Article by Karen E. Wong

Starting November 1, 2018 until December 17, 2018, the Skyline College Library is joining forces with many Peninsula libraries and student clubs to collect food for those in need. In exchange for their generosity, participating libraries will clear certain library fines or fees. All food collected will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. To learn more about Food for Fines donation drive, visit the Skyline College Library or smcl.org/foods-for-fines, or call us at 650-738-4311.

Article by Sherri Wyatt

On Friday, October 5, 2018, Skyline College’s ASTEP Learning Community hosted the Future Over Everything Conference. Presented by Get Far Magazine and sponsored by the Skyline College Center for Career & Workforce Development, the Future Over Everything Conference focused on connecting 150 African-American high school and college students with entrepreneurs, professionals, and educators through engaging workshops and exciting panels. Throughout the day, participants had the opportunity to explore fields that will shape the future of this world.

This year’s inspiring keynote address was delivered by Iddris Sandu, a Post Modern Innovative Futurist. Sandu shared his journey as a tech maven who began his career at the age of 13, working for powerhouses such as Google, Instagram, and Snapchat, and collaborating with Nipsey Hussle to create Marathon Clothing Store, a smart store that allows customers to gain exclusive access to Nipsey Hussle’s music while exploring the physical store. Sandu is currently focusing on projects that merge architecture, design, and technology. He encouraged students to take the future into their own hands and use technology to solve problems.

Following the exciting keynote address, students then broke off into a variety of workshops.  Students in high school explored some of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) programs led by our amazing faculty members:

• Maryam Khan and Marco Wehrfritz conducted a workshop that introduced students to coding in the Fab Lab.
• Patrice Robinson provided a space for students to engage in creative expression through painting and art.
• Nick Kapp created a hands-on experience in which students learned about the science of the beauty industry by making their own antiperspirant!
• Safiyyah Forbes guided students through the magic of chemistry and made fake blood, changed the color of milk, and even watched toothpaste explode! (it was safe, we promise!)

Students also attended engaging workshops and panels led by industry professionals:

• Devin Lars, Achieve the Goal spoke about his journey as an entrepreneur and led students through how to start their own business.
• Ashley Williams, Associate Director of EDvance at SFSU; Joseph Adams (’16), SFSU Ethnic Studies graduate student and SMCCCD FDIP Intern; and Walter Manuofetoa (’18), UC Santa Cruz – Critical Race and Ethnic Studies undergraduate student, shared their perspectives on how to prepare for life after college, and their experiences transferring from community college to a 4-year university, and from undergraduate to graduate school.
• Harold Lowe, INROADS; and Zaid Ghori, Director of Special International Programs, Skyline College, shared information about internships both locally and abroad.
• Marcus Savage, Year Up, provided attendees with information about the Year Up Internship Program and amazing opportunities that they have here in San Mateo County.

Iddris Sandu joined Rachel Bonds (Google), Devin Lars (Achieve the Goal), Xiomara Rosa-Telda (Unoeth), and Richard Vaughn (Macys.com), for a lunch panel moderated by Get Far Magazine’s Ameer Walton. The focus of the panel was on young black professionals navigating their careers in both tech and entrepreneurship. The panelists encouraged students to be true to themselves when entering the corporate world. They also shared some of the hardships of being an entrepreneur and taking risks, as well as the joy and satisfaction that entrepreneurship brings.  All of the panelists provided great tips on networking, goal setting, and staying motivated even in the face of challenges.

Many thanks to everyone who made this day come to life!

Thank you to Andrea Vizenor, Claudia Paz, and Elizabeth Tablan from Career and Workforce Development. Thank you to Ameer Walton for bringing this wonderful event to Skyline College and serving as the MC for the day. Thank you to all of the ASTEP faculty, staff and students that supported the day: Danielle Powell, Brittney Sneed, Kwame Thomas, Delisle Warden, Bianca Rowden-Quince, Melissa Aliu, Safiyyah Forbes, Chanel Daniels, Gael Juarez, Victoria Gomez-Alfaro, April Bracy, Marcello Menjivar, and John Aguas. Many thanks to the Outreach and Counseling teams that helped ensure that the day ran smoothly: Grace Beltran, Lauren Ford, Eric Imahara, Rex Chow, Angelica Alvarez, and Cara Loo.  hank you to Kevin Chak and the Bookstore for donating prizes for participants.  Thank you to MCPR, Josh Harris, Roger Marcelo, Bryant Evans, Vinny Samujh, and the entire facilities team for ensuring that Skyline College was a welcoming environment for all of our guests!

Article by Lauren Ford

The Science and Research Club has an event on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at AT&T Park from 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. for the Bay Area Science Festival. They have been performing this event continuously for three years with the help of our club advisor, Dr. Nick Kapp. The festival event is organized and led by UCSF and collaborated with STEM organizations across the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the semester Fall 2018, the club members will be conducting a workshop experiment: “Isolation of DNA from your Everyday Food”. They will observe which enzymes are more effective at the extraction of DNA from the selection of produce such as bananas, broccoli, pears, kiwis, and tomatoes.

The participation of this event is free of charge and it is a perfect opportunity to interact with the community. Please come join and see the festival in action. Click on the link for more information: http://www.bayareasciencefestival.org/

Article by Yvette Dothy Anne Lacsamana | Photo by Nick Kapp