Growing Inland Achievement

Toward a Shared Vision 2023 – Schedule

October 25, 2023

Welcome Breakfast

Welcome to day one of Toward a Shared Vision. Remarks from Dr. Diana Rodriguez, GIA Board Member and Chancellor of San Bernardino Community College District.

 

Student Voice Panel

A panel of local college students and recent graduates share candid feedback on their Inland Empire educational experiences.

Featuring:

Lacey Kendall,
Broadcast Consultant/Faculty, Cal State University, San Bernardino (facilitator),
Jasminne Ancira,
Riverside City College
Diego Cruz,
Crafton Hills College
Tykisha Edwards,
Crafton Hills College
Nathan Estrada,
Cal State University, San Bernardino
Carlos Sueldo,
Cal State University, San Bernardino
Reyna Valenciano,
Chaffey College

Break

Panel on Supporting Student Success

A panel of experts discusses how to provide equitable support and foster belonging for historically marginalized student populations.

Featuring:
Dr. Louie F. Rodriguez
Vice Provost Dean of Undergraduate Education, University of California, Riverside (facilitator)
Sheridan McNeil Oyate Ohowicada Win (Respects the People Woman)
Director of Tribal Partnerships, North Dakota State University/ND EPSCoR
Matt Cuozzo
Chief of Staff, Excelencia in Education
Dr. Deon Johnson
Institute for Capacity Building Knowledge Management Program Manager, UNCF (United Negro College Fund)

Lunch and Keynote

Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of many books. His equity, education, and cultural work has put him on a path of service around the nation and the world. https://antontreuer.com/.

Break

Concurrent Workshops

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Ivan Pena, Mariana Macamay, Jimmy Grabow, & Trinette Barrie

Join us for an engaging workshop that delves into the transformative impact of a Community College Completion Team model. Discover how our innovative approach, combining completion coaches, counseling faculty, and classified support staff, has significantly boosted student success and completion rates. Gain insights into the challenges faced and practices employed to launch this model, equipping you to implement similar models in your institutions and empower students on their journey to completion and beyond.

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Ivan Pena, Mariana Macamay, Jimmy Grabow, & Trinette Barrie

Join us for an engaging workshop that delves into the transformative impact of a Community College Completion Team model. Discover how our innovative approach, combining completion coaches, counseling faculty, and classified support staff, has significantly boosted student success and completion rates. Gain insights into the challenges faced and practices employed to launch this model, equipping you to implement similar models in your institutions and empower students on their journey to completion and beyond.

Location: Room RC-F
Presenters: Laurencia Walker, Senior Director, CLP, Sherry Shojaei, Director, CLP, Dr. Adrienne Grayson, Associate Dean of Educational Partnerships, RCC

In this session, a team convened by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office will offer an overview of dual enrollment with a focus on equity. Hear about equity-focused dual enrollment firsthand from Riverside City College and their participation in a community of practice. This session is for participants new to dual enrollment or who want examples of what equitable dual enrollment may look like.

Location: Room RC-C
Presenters: Robert Levi & Mary Levi

With the growing California Indian educational concerns – Ethnic Studies graduation requirement, more emphasis on California Indian History (AB 1703), bullying, dropout rate, MMIP and other issues will be addressed. Current attempts to bring light to California Indian culture and language will be addressed. Presenters have a combined 71 years of classroom experience, along with 25 years of union work, they are of Cahuilla/Dine and Hopi/Miwok ancestry. Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Bird Songs CD will be given to participants. 

Location: Room RC-D
Presenters: Jon Waldrep & Victoria Viksne

An overview of new state financial aid programs, program updates, new legislation, CA Dream Act Application change, Cal Grant reform and more

Location: Room MR 7/8
Presenters: Marie Martin, Kevin Vaughn, Kamia Gardner, & Claudia Olvera

Over the last two years, UCR University Extension has implemented a successful degree completion program aimed at reengaging UC stop outs and California residents with some college and no degree attainment. Session presenters from the University of California, Riverside Extension Degree Completion Program will share successful strategies used to reengage students who left campus without a degree. Presenters will share program progress and successes to inform the audience on best practices for stop-out reengagement. A significant focus will be on the benefits and impact of providing holistic, wrap around support services and case management for reentry students. The session will also include a discussion on strategies for overcoming institutional barriers through data collection, reporting, and qualitative storytelling.

Location: Room RC-E
Presenters: Dr. Tom Dickson

Burnout had been overlooked by postsecondary work culture for decades, focusing on a model of ‘work until the job is done’ or leveraging care for students to force long hours and inequitable work environments. K-12 and Postsecondary employees rank among the highest levels of burnout of any occupation, yet we focus very little on addressing it. Since the pandemic, burnout has been a major focus due to turnover of personnel. Many campuses are employing self-care models, when environmental factors impact burnout more. This session will explore some self-care, but will also explore how to address environmental change to better reduce burnout.

Location: Room RC-B
Presenters: Randall Olson

While GIA’s Equity Continuum provides a framework for discussing equity, unless we reframe how we discuss and measure student achievement and readiness, it will be almost impossible for Inland Empire students to reach the same levels as students elsewhere. This interactive session will cover the difference between true equity and pseudo equity, how the highest-performing schools and districts discuss and measure achievement, the importance of families and how schools alone cannot provide truly equitable outcomes. Finally, participants will leave the session with discussion topics and practical steps on how to make the impossible, possible.

Location: Room MR 9/10

Break

Concurrent Workshops

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Kurt Manio & Kevon Lee

The story of Foster Youth is often told in the pages of a court report, but rarely is it told by the youth themselves. Where there is a story of trauma, there is also a story of resilience. What if we empowered Foster Youth to own their story? What if we turned their story into something that can have a positive impact, instead of being a source of pain and shame?
Join our workshop to learn how we use storytelling to prepare foster youth for the college admissions process. We all have a story to tell, and for Foster Youth, it doesn’t always have to be the story that is told in court reports. We help Foster Youth bring their story to life, and they leave with an outline and draft for what can be used as a Personal Statement, as well as Personal Inquiry Questions for scholarships.
Participants will take part in the storytelling process. Then, they will hear from a Former Foster Youth, Kevon Lee, who uses his story to have a positive impact on the community, especially its At-Promise Youth.

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Kurt Manio & Kevon Lee

The story of Foster Youth is often told in the pages of a court report, but rarely is it told by the youth themselves. Where there is a story of trauma, there is also a story of resilience. What if we empowered Foster Youth to own their story? What if we turned their story into something that can have a positive impact, instead of being a source of pain and shame?
Join our workshop to learn how we use storytelling to prepare foster youth for the college admissions process. We all have a story to tell, and for Foster Youth, it doesn’t always have to be the story that is told in court reports. We help Foster Youth bring their story to life, and they leave with an outline and draft for what can be used as a Personal Statement, as well as Personal Inquiry Questions for scholarships.
Participants will take part in the storytelling process. Then, they will hear from a Former Foster Youth, Kevon Lee, who uses his story to have a positive impact on the community, especially its At-Promise Youth.

Location: Room RC-F
Presenters: Laurencia Walker, Senior Director, CLP, Sherry Shojaei, Director, CLP, Dr. Adrienne Grayson, Associate Dean of Educational Partnerships, RCC

In this session, a team convened by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office will guide college and high school practitioners and administrators through strategies to increase equitable dual enrollment opportunities and outcomes for all high school students starting in the 9th grade. Dual enrollment implementation teams will benefit from attending this workshop together, but solo attendees are also welcome.

Location: Room RC-C
Presenters: Dr. Rhea McIver Gibbs, DeQuan January, Josh Fuerte, Joshua Shuford, Edgar Sanchez, and Jacobo Lopez

This workshop will highlight the Rialto Unified School District’s efforts to recruit and retain men of color to teach in the K-12 setting through a partnership with California State University, San Bernardino known as Project Impact.  You will hear from the men enrolled in the program and their decision to make an impact on the lives of students in the classroom as minority male teachers.

Location: Room RC-D
Presenters: Alex Ruiz, Alicia Hernandez

The Inland Empire Regional K-16 Education Collaborative was created to streamline equitable pathways from high school to postsecondary education and into the workforce for the most marginalized and under-served students in the Inland Empire region. Collaborative proposals from Inland Empire K-12 schools/districts, community colleges, and public 4-year universities are now being accepted. In this session, we will review the request for proposal requirements and timeline, scoring rubric, frequently asked questions and more information for regional partners interested in applying for funding.  Eligible proposals may qualify for up to $1 million in funding.

 Please note that this session covers the same information as the technical assistance webinar hosted on October 19.  For more information go to www.iek16collaborative.org

 

Location: Room MR 7/8
Presenters:Dr Drew Koch & Ann Marie Sakrekoff

Join us for a fireside chat to discuss the impact of national efforts to our region. GIA and the Gardner Institute will discuss various projects happening on the national and regional level, such as curriculum and Transfer GPS efforts.

Location: Room RC-E
Presenters: Dr. Yvonne Olivares & Dr. Sorrel Stielstra

What is the Perceived Value of Higher Education in the Inland Empire? Results from a Mixed Methods Study of Young and Returning Adult Potential College Students and Parents.

Location: Room RC-B
Presenters: Keith Mataya & Krystle Joseph

Through Big Brothers Big Sister’s Workplace Mentoring Program, community college students have the unique opportunity to gain valuable workplace readiness skills through personalized and professionally supported mentorships. Students are matched with employees of local corporations, based on career aspirations and individual interests. In line with the research on what young adults need for long-term career success, BBBS mentoring focuses on providing personalized, hands-on support in the workplace. Our program highlights and emphasizes essential competencies, with a focus on leadership development, communication skills, socio-emotional growth and developing social capital – a unique complement to the career support system offered by local community colleges, and enhancing the long term success of our students and future workforce. This program is in partnership with funding from the College Futures Foundation.

Break

Reception

Enjoy light appetizers and drinks while networking. Featuring a live performance by UCR Senryu Taiko Club.

October 26, 2023

Hosted at the Riverside Convention Center

Breakfast

Welcome & Conversation

Welcome to day two of Toward a Shared Vision. Remarks from GIA Board Chair, Dr. Kim Wilcox, Chancellor, UC Riverside.

Break

Concurrent Workshops

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Kurt Manio & Kevon Lee

The story of Foster Youth is often told in the pages of a court report, but rarely is it told by the youth themselves. Where there is a story of trauma, there is also a story of resilience. What if we empowered Foster Youth to own their story? What if we turned their story into something that can have a positive impact, instead of being a source of pain and shame?
Join our workshop to learn how we use storytelling to prepare foster youth for the college admissions process. We all have a story to tell, and for Foster Youth, it doesn’t always have to be the story that is told in court reports. We help Foster Youth bring their story to life, and they leave with an outline and draft for what can be used as a Personal Statement, as well as Personal Inquiry Questions for scholarships.
Participants will take part in the storytelling process. Then, they will hear from a Former Foster Youth, Kevon Lee, who uses his story to have a positive impact on the community, especially its At-Promise Youth.

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Mariana Macamay. Jessica Verazas, Karla Contreras, Rachel Ligtenberg, Scott Cooper, Jimmy Grabow

Join a panel of experts in the region to have discuss promising practices for transfer success. Learn from 2 year partners how to make the journey better and support the needs of the students and institutions.

Location: Room RC-F
Presenters: Shehzad Bhojani & Natalie Weaver

Learn about how IEConnect is creating a singular system to expand access to pre-apprenticeships for high school students and collaborating with the LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network to connect students to registered apprenticeships within the community college system in the Inland Empire. This presentation will highlight the program structure, services, and resources provided by IEConnect and LAUNCH to expand access to earn and learn opportunities in the Inland Empire.

Location: Room RC-C
Presenters:Matthew Gunkel and Mike Kennedy

(Written by AI) In this keynote presentation, Matthew Gunkel, UCR CIO will explore the profound impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Higher Education, highlighting how AI is revolutionizing and impacting teaching, learning, and administrative processes. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the transformative potential of AI in shaping the future of academia and the implications for students, educators, and institutions.

Location: Room RC-D
Presenters: Kimberly Inuman Liaz, M.S & Julissa Loza Mendez

Cash for College is a statewide financial aid literacy program led by the CA Student Aid Commission, also known as CSAC. The Program offers virtual and in-person workshops assisting students in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), CA Dream Act Application (CADAA), and Chafee Grant for Foster Youth Application. Cash for College is a large-scale endeavor. Therefore, CSAC works closely and contracts with Regional Coordinating Organizations (RCOs) and California Student Opportunity and Access Programs (Cal-SOAPs), to host in-person and virtual webinars. Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) is the RCO that assists students in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. This session will share local Inland Empire and statewide accomplishments/best practices, insights and learned lessons from the 2022-23 financial aid cycle, and additional tools/resources community can get engaged with.

Location: Room MR 7/8
Presenters: Tammy Garcia Chiang, Angel Rodriguez, Alejandro Ramos

We invite you to explore an innovative partnership that can significantly enhance your impact. The Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino, in collaboration with the San Bernardino Community College District, has established the Ventanilla de Educación Educativa, or the Educational Opportunities Help Desk. This initiative goes beyond the Consulate’s regular services like passport processing, delving deeper to promote educational attainment for Spanish-speaking families navigating the complexities of the education systems in both the United States and Mexico. In this workshop, you will gain valuable insights, strategies, and tools to reach immigrant families. Join us to empower your community and become a stronger advocate for educational success.

Location: Room RC-E
Presenters: John Tamrat & Sara O’Hearn

Understanding and comparing college costs can be a daunting task for students, often leading them to unmanageable debt or avoiding college altogether. In this session, we will explore how the DecidED financial aid comparison tool can empower advisors to help students break down and realistically assess their options. We will walk through example scenarios and how to foster an engaging discussion on college affordability with your students to support them making an informed enrollment decision. In addition, we will share how to generate informative reports on student progress and trends across your organization within DecidED.

Location: Room RC-B
Presenters: Michael Wangler, Brandelyn Neal, Robin Witt & Sara Khair

Chaffey College has implemented a math pathways model that is AB 1705 compliant and provides all students direct access to gateway transfer-level math courses that align with their educational and career goals. Important components include the development of concurrent support curriculum, implementation of guided-pathways placement, student-centered classroom redesign, and support of faculty through Communities of Practice, embedded classroom support, and other targeted professional development activities. This session will highlight the coordinated efforts of faculty, administrators, and classified professionals to see this through to completion, and provide guidance for colleges interested in implementing a math pathways model at their local campus.

Break

Concurrent Workshops

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Kurt Manio & Kevon Lee

The story of Foster Youth is often told in the pages of a court report, but rarely is it told by the youth themselves. Where there is a story of trauma, there is also a story of resilience. What if we empowered Foster Youth to own their story? What if we turned their story into something that can have a positive impact, instead of being a source of pain and shame?
Join our workshop to learn how we use storytelling to prepare foster youth for the college admissions process. We all have a story to tell, and for Foster Youth, it doesn’t always have to be the story that is told in court reports. We help Foster Youth bring their story to life, and they leave with an outline and draft for what can be used as a Personal Statement, as well as Personal Inquiry Questions for scholarships.
Participants will take part in the storytelling process. Then, they will hear from a Former Foster Youth, Kevon Lee, who uses his story to have a positive impact on the community, especially its At-Promise Youth.

Location: Room RC-A
Presenters: Wayne Fletcher, Grace Brown & Steve Neilsen

As the pipeline for traditional incoming university students shrinks, a mid-sized private faith-based, Hispanic-serving university in Southern California is doubling down on student success efforts to mitigate the potential of a shrinking population.
Following a major restructure within the university, resources were redeployed, facilitating an internally disruptive shift from a traditional professional academic advising model into a student coaching model. This transition was launched in a three-week window prior to opening new student registration for the Fall 2022 semester.
The university is focused on three primary outcomes, consistent with its institutional mission:
1. Increasing yield in newly enrolled students that arrive on campus and persist through census.
2. Increasing the percentage of new students persisting from fall to fall.
3. Increasing graduation rates for all students.
Launching the student success coaching model in April 2022, this presentation discusses challenges faced in implementing the model, while blending advising units from the traditional campus-based division with the advising unit from the online division. It also discusses strategies employed to facilitate an emergent structure and process as well as the importance of identifying key performance indicators and leading indicators which serve as barometers to the effectiveness of the new initiatives.

Location: Room RC-F
Presenters: Deidra Puentes, Jalisa Randle, Michael Richards, Kim Terry

San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Workforce SBCSS team enhances career readiness through innovative games and on-line resources for students and educators in the IE region. Come learn about how the team has created resources to support workforce development. Participants will be provided a look into the resources which include mobile games, virtual “At Home Work-based Learning” activities, and workforce development lessons to drive student success and regional transformation.

Location: Room RC-C
Presenters: Damien O’Farrell

In this session we will explore the cognitive approach to understanding generational poverty’s impact on individuals as well as steps that individuals and institutions can take to support social mobility out of generational poverty cycles by fostering the environments and relationships those making the journey can benefit from.

Location: Room RC-D
Presenters: Madeline Villanueva

Educators are critical to helping undocumented students realize their full potential and succeed in higher education. Undocumented student enrollment in California colleges & universities –as well as award rates for the CA Dream Act — have dropped precipitously over the past few years. This is true even after the implementation of AB 469 and the “All In 4 Financial Aid campaign.“ Learn more about some of the research, challenges, and statewide solutions that have been developed by Immigrants Rising, CSAC, and educators from the CCC, CSU & UC.
Join the statewide movement to champion equity for undocumented students! In this workshop, you will be exposed to valuable resources and tools that help undocumented students make decisions based on their potential, not perceived challenges. We will also discuss promising practices that increase individual and institutional support at your school or organization.

Location: Room MR 7/8
Presenters: Kai Drekmeier, Alicia Gee

Four million Californians ages 25 – 54 have a high school diploma and some college, but never completed an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. At the same time, employers struggle to fill thousands of well paying, skilled and professional positions requiring degrees and credentials. Several non-profit organizations have teamed up to establish California Reconnect, a program that supports colleges in their efforts to help students return and complete. In this session, California Reconnect will share details about the program, as well as our first year successes and its potential impact on the Inland Empire.

Location: Room RC-B
Presenters: Michael Wangler, Brandelyn Neal, Robin Witt & Sara Khair

This session is designed to provide team time for collaboration, coordination, and planning for colleges interested in implementing a math pathways model at their local campus. The Chaffey College team will be on hand to help colleges envision what’s possible, while also providing guidance on the nuts & bolts of coordinating and successfully implementing a student-centered math pathways model that is both AB 1705 compliant, and locally designed and driven to meet the unique needs of each college.

Location: Room RC-E
Presenters: Brandon Smith, Sally McGill & Melissa Iyengar

The Gardner Institute is collaborating with institutions in the Inland Empire with a goal to improve outcomes for students enrolled in gateway courses. The multi-year project, titled Courses and Curricula in Urban Ecosystems, invites institutions to delve into evidence-based processes to analyze curricular complexity and redesign gateway courses.
As a participating institution in the project, over the last year, faculty and from California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) have engaged in a self-study process resulting in a set of recommendations for improving outcomes in gateway courses at the university
This session will offer participants an overview of the process and tools, key learning, discoveries from participants, and include a discussion of some of the interventions being tested in Biology and Math courses to improve outcomes at California State San Bernardino.

Lunch and Keynote

Dr. Victor Rios is MacArthur Foundation Chair and Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his Ph.D. at the University of California Berkeley in 2005. Professor Rios has worked with local school districts to develop programs for students who have been left behind in their education. https://drvictorrios.com/.

Break

Toward a Shared Vision Awards

Celebrate with us as we shine a spotlight on individuals and groups in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties doing exceptional work to support Inland Empire educational and economic success.

 

(909) 256-0011

info@gia.echofactory.dev