Growing Inland Achievement

Category: News

  • Inland Empire #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program launches with over 450 students

    Inland Empire #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program launches with over 450 students

    Inland Empire College Corps Fellows walk across the SBVC campus during the launch event

    Growing Inland Achievement and more than 450 students from eight regional colleges and universities gathered at San Bernardino Valley College on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, to kick off the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program in the Inland Empire. 

    The #CaliforniansForAll College Corps is a college service program led by California Volunteers, Office of the Governor, to create debt-free pathways for low-income students who commit to serving for an academic year. Student participants, called College Corps Fellows, receive up to $10,000 to help pay for college, including a stipend and a scholarship. Fellows will focus on three critical areas facing the state: climate action, K-12 education, and food insecurity.

    Eight campuses from the Inland Empire are participating in the program this year, including:

    1. California State University, San Bernardino
    2. University of California, Riverside
    3. College of the Desert
    4. Moreno Valley College
    5. Norco College
    6. Riverside City College
    7. San Bernardino Valley College
    8. Crafton Hills College

    The #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program helps students pay for college, uniting students of different backgrounds across California with a common purpose.

    GIA serves as the consortium facilitator for the Inland Empire region and will support recruitment, training, planning, evaluation, and events.

    The launch event on Oct. 1 included comments by San Bernardino Community College District Chancellor Diana Rodriguez and California Volunteers Commissioner Jesse Melgar.

    Fellows participated in a leadership workshop and various breakout sessions centered around K-12 education, climate change, and food insecurity to discuss current and future trends. Speakers included City of San Bernardino Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Director, Lydie Gutfeld, California State University, San Bernardino Dean of Education, Dr. Chinaka DomNwachukwu, FIND Food Bank Director of Community Impact, Lorena Marroquin, and CISCO Circular Economy and Sustainability Program Manager, Oppong Hemeng.

    “To see over 450 students from various colleges across the Inland Empire come together, in person, for this was extraordinary,” said Frances Tapper, GIA Coordinator of Institutional Support. “These Fellows are the future of our region, state, and country. Their service will help transform our communities and address critical issues facing the state of California.”

    Each of the eight Inland Empire colleges selected to participate will receive funding from the State of California to support the students. Fellows who reach 450 service hours with one of the program’s community partners will receive $10,000 toward their education.

    “We are thrilled that Growing Inland Achievement has the opportunity to serve as the consortium facilitator for the Inland Empire program,” said Thomas Dickson, GIA’s Director of Institutional Support. “We are the only College Corps regional program with this integrated model of backbone support in the state of California.”

    For more information on the program and participation, please contact Frances Tapper, GIA Coordinator of Institutional Support, at Frances@gia.echofactory.dev.

  • Let’s get our Inland Empire students #FinancialPaid

    Let’s get our Inland Empire students #FinancialPaid

    October 1 marked the start of the financial aid application period for the 2023-2024 school year. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), California Dream Act Application (CADAA), and Chafee Grant for Foster Youth (CHAFEE) are now open for submissions.

    With FAFSA completion being one of the strongest predictors of postsecondary enrollment, it is one of the most critical things we can collectively support to boost Inland Empire student success and economic mobility.

    Inland Empire leaders have urged Inland Empire high schools to reach 90% annual FAFSA completion rates by 2026. The region has made progress—last year, 52% of our Inland Empire high school seniors applied for aid—yet there is still much work to do to achieve our regional 90% completion goal.

    GIA is excited to announce that we recently became the official California Cash for College Regional Coordinating Organization (RCO) for the Inland Empire. Our staff has been busy scheduling workshops at high schools throughout the region to support Inland students with FAFSA, CADAA, and CHAFEE applications. We will also provide several train-the-trainer sessions where partners can become official C4C host organizations.

         GIA employee, Julissa Loza Mendez, at an event promoting Cash for College resources

    We need help from the entire Inland Empire educational network to increase application numbers and get more money into the hands of our students to pursue their college dreams. Here are three ways that you can help right now:

    1. Consider hosting a workshop at your organization. Please contact Julissa Loza Mendez, Coordinator of Network Engagement, at Julissa@gia.echofactory.dev.

    2. Volunteer to help at a C4C workshop. GIA needs several volunteers to assist with upcoming regional C4C events at our local high schools.

    3. Use this social media toolkit from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to help promote financial aid opportunities through your student-facing channels.

    Thank you for your support. #GIATogether #FinancialPaid

  • GIA among six organizations receiving $100M to accelerate institutional transformation and close equity gaps for students

    GIA among six organizations receiving $100M to accelerate institutional transformation and close equity gaps for students

    On Sept. 15, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) would be one of six intermediary organizations in the nation to lead transformation efforts at more than 250 U.S. colleges and universities in the next five years. This collective postsecondary transformation effort is the first of its kind at this scale in American higher education. Approximately $9.5M of the Foundation’s total $100M investment will flow directly to the Inland Empire to support student success efforts at Riverside County and San Bernardino County higher education institutions.

    GIA was selected based on demonstrated strengths in areas central to supporting institutional transformation and resulting in equitable student outcomes for Black, Latinx and Indigenous students and students from low-income backgrounds. “This is wonderful news for Growing Inland Achievement to be recognized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” said Dr. Tomas D. Morales, president of California State University, San Bernardino, and GIA board member. “It affirms the work that GIA and the regional K-16 network are doing to support all students in our region, especially our underrepresented populations.”

    All colleges and universities in the Inland Empire will be invited to participate in the transformation effort. “To succeed in this work, we must meet colleges and universities where they are in their student success journeys and dig deep into root causes contributing to inequities for historically marginalized populations,” says Dr. Carlos Ayala, President & CEO of GIA. “The support from the Gates Foundation is significant and empowers our regional educational network to accelerate and advance student success strategies that align with our shared vision of eliminating race and socioeconomic status as predictors of educational success.”

    In the Inland Empire region, including San Bernardino and Riverside counties, 100% of the 18 public and private, 2-yr, and 4-yr degree-granting institutions are Hispanic­ serving institutions (HSls). Three of the 18 are Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISls). The total postsecondary student population served is 231,023, with a median Pell eligibility of 53%, ranging between 29% and 67%.

    College and university leaders are expressing a desire to transform to become more student-ready institutions. A recent survey found that nearly three-quarters (71%) of institutional presidents say their institutions must fundamentally change their business models or other operations. And they are seeking support to inform and guide that change.

    GIA’s approach will be collaborative and meet institutions where they are in their student success journeys. “We will work with campuses to develop customized supports catered uniquely to each institution,” said Ann Marie Sakrekoff, COO of GIA. “We also hope institutions will take advantage of the opportunity to work in cohorts to share promising practices and learn together.”

    For questions or additional information, please contact:

    Jake Poore

    Director of Communication, GIA

    jake@gia.echofactory.dev

  • GIA Special Announcement on Sept. 14

    GIA Special Announcement on Sept. 14

    One of GIA’s major supporters is making a significant investment in the Inland Empire region.

    This meeting took place on Sept. 14. Watch the meeting recording here – https://youtu.be/vLOb65FfKds

  • $18 million awarded to Inland Empire K-16 Collaborative

    $18 million awarded to Inland Empire K-16 Collaborative

    UC Riverside, the Lead Education Agency for the Inland Empire K-16 Education Collaborative, recently announced that the Inland Empire region will receive $18 million to address equity gaps and improve education-to-career pipelines.

    “The Regional K-16 collaborative program, administered by the Department of General Services, Office of Public School Construction, and Foundation for California Community Colleges, is intended to build on or create collaboration among the University of California system, the California State University system, community colleges, K-12 school districts, and workforce partners so that students have clear career pathways that begin in elementary school,” according to to the UCR announcement. “Once the grant funds are received, a steering committee of regional partners will ensure funds are equitably disbursed across San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including in remote areas.”

    “We want to thank all of the Inland Empire partners who have been working diligently on the application since early this year,” said Dr. Carlos Ayala, President & CEO of Growing Inland Achievement. “This grant aligns directly with our shared vision to increase equitable educational attainment in the region and will accelerate network efforts to improve education-to-career pipelines for our students.”

    GIA maintains a webpage with Inland Empire K-16 Collaborative Grant information and updates, available at: https://gia.echofactory.dev/k-16-education-collaborative/

    For additional information, please contact Ann Marie Sakrekoff at annmarie@gia.echofactory.dev.