Blog November 04, 2020
Welcome to Interact’s very first installment of #cccommunity3, kicking it off with Hispanic Heritage Month! We’ll be showcasing the best of the best in uplifting community college good news. Keep your finger on the pulse of higher ed. And, lift your spirits with a quick bite of good vibes.
#cccommunity3 is like the little sister of our oh-so-useful Top 10 Stories of the Month columns, which focus on cutting-edge news stories in education. Here, it’s a little more laid back. We’ll concentrate on good news coverage with a personal touch. You’ll find positive, up-close-and-personal stories to boost your community college pride.
This month, we’ll share the best three posts to hit social media during Hispanic Heritage Month. You’ll also find some humor, music, and headlines on the side. Ready for your dose of vitamin CC? Let’s dive into the good community college feels!
This month, Long Beach City College was the first community college in California to receive the Seal of Excelencia award from Excelencia in Education. The award honors the college’s dedication and success in improving the educational outcomes for Latinx students.
Excelencia in Education is a policy research institution in Washington, D.C., that launched in 2004. 2020 marks the second year of awarding these distinctions. And this time around, Long Beach was the only community college among the award winners.
According to the award description, “LBCC (Long Beach City College) is the 4th largest community college of the 115 California community colleges serving 26,000 students. Of these… 56% are Latinx, and over 55% are first-generation college-goers. In the last 10 years, Long Beach has experienced a major shift in demographics that has seen more Latino students. It intentionally and overtly serves Latino students by setting an expectation of equity as a priority.”
The college has implemented cultural curriculum audits to increase Latinx student success. For example, it has redesigned course content and classroom experiences through a Latinx lens. Long Beach also ensures its College Promise program, a partnership between LBCC, CSU Long Beach, and Long Beach Unified School District. The program helps Latinx and other students transfer seamlessly.
Previous proud recipients of the 2019 Seal of Excelencia include Austin Community College, El Paso Community College, and South Texas College.
We wish LBCC a hearty felicidades on this well-earned award!
The funniest post of the month goes to Bucks County Community College’s mascot, Brutus. Talk about giving Cookie Monster a run for his chocolate chip treats!
This month, we also celebrate Santiago Canyon College student and single father, Marc Cintron. Proudly of Puerto Rican descent, Cintron is becoming a journeyman carpenter and completing his associate degree in Carpentry-Acoustical Tile, Drywall/Lather, Drywall Finisher, and Plastering.
“I’m a dad first,” says Cintron in a recent OC FutureBuilt article. “Thinking of them is what kept me going and motivated. I knew it was going to be hard work, but I also knew if I wanted to be able to provide for them, this was a way that I could work while getting the training I needed to be more successful in the future.”
The Southwest Carpenter’s Training Fund apprenticeship program at SCC gives students journey worker status in California. It also satisfies the requirements for Certificate of Achievements and the major requirements for an associate degree. It allows apprentices to receive a college degree at minimal cost. And, it opens the door to pay raises and benefits packages.
SCC offers 10 career-ready apprenticeship programs in various trades where students can “learn to earn.” Learn more at the FutureBuilt story.
The KCKCC Funk Band keeps spirits high with live stream concerts!
Joe Louis Hernandez celebrates returning home to his alma mater Mt. San Antonio College as the new Coordinator of the Rising Scholars Program. (It was formerly the Incarcerated and System Impacted Student Program).
This month, Hernandez also received the CA-39 Hispanic Heritage Month Leader Award, announced by Representative Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. The award honors nine recipients across a range of industries.
At the award ceremony, a quote from Hernandez’ nominator was shared:
“Joe Louis is my mentor from Mt. San Antonio College. He has not only made an impact on my life but many other first-generation, low-income, and formerly incarcerated students by sharing his story, creating spaces where we can learn/grow, both in higher education and our personal lives… With that being said, he always gave us, the students, his all.”
Here at Interact, we honor everyday heroes like Hernandez. Thank you for sharing your experience, courage, and strength with community college students!
Our next VP @KamalaHarris just gave a s/o to #communitycolleges, and I whooped! #BidenHarris2020 #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/Iq4WOKP1pd
— Amandalorian (@akgreezer) October 8, 2020
Not endorsing a candidate, just celebrating community colleges making the national dialogue!
That’s all for this month! If you’re looking for more, check out Top 10 Stories of the Month: October 2020 Edition. That’s where you’ll find the most important community college news for last month.
Do you have a personal best you’d like to share? Send your good news to reachout@interactcom.com for a chance to be featured in our next #cccommunity3!
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