More than 400 attended the reunion.
On Saturday, August 11th, Ventura Adult and Continuing Education (VACE) celebrated its 50th Anniversary of providing Lifelong Learning to the community at the main campus on Valentine Road. In the past fifty years, VACE has offered adult education and training in over 150 locations throughout Ventura.
More than 400 attended the reunion, including past and present students, instructors, staff, VUSD administrators and School Board members, and honored guests.
“It is so wonderful to see our entire VACE Family together again,” exclaimed Director/Principal Carolyn Vang-Walker who welcomed the happy crowd. “Today, we are celebrating five decades of history together!”
Highlights of the special event included a chronological retrospective from 1968-2018 featuring numerous awards, archival photo albums, historical facts, course catalogs, and a very entertaining PowerPoint presentation of 2000+ Faces of VACE. Over the years, beloved VACE historian Barbara Dunmire had carefully compiled and archived thousands of artifacts that were on display. Attendees enjoyed reconnecting with former colleagues, teachers celebrated their students’ successes, and alumni reminisced about individuals who had made a positive impact on their lives. They posted favorite VACE memories on a Memory Wall.
Visitors strolled through the innovative 3D printer lab in the AutoCAD classroom, and then explored film projects currently in production at TDC Studios. Students enrolled in the Medical Assistant program were available during the day to conduct free blood pressure readings and health screenings. Attendees also toured through the career technical education (CTE) classrooms. An award-winning school, VACE boasts a 90% job placement rate for its graduates who have completed training and been awarded certification in the following career pathways: 3D Design and Drafting, Business Administration, Computerized Accounting, Front and Back Office Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technician, Computer Network Support and Security, Graphics and Web Design, and Digital Multimedia/Studio Production.
Everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch of barbecued chicken and tri-tip catered by the new StoneFire Grill.
The next event scheduled to commemorate VACE’s 50th Anniversary will be a Fall Open House. If you are interested in learning more about VACE, or would like to schedule a tour, please call (805) 289-1744.
