The Ventura College Foundation has revised its scholarship application requirements. The changes are designed to remove barriers to applying. The revisions were approved by the foundation board and are effective immediately.

“We reviewed our scholarship program outcome data, researched best practices for scholarship providers along the lines of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and conducted a student forum to receive feedback from students who had previously gone through the scholarship application process. We heard from many that the old requirements presented unrealistic barriers that prevented them from applying,” says Amy Cherot, chair of the foundation’s Scholarships & Grants Committee. “We’re always looking for ways to better serve Ventura College students and to improve diversity and equity in our scholarship application process.”

One of the significant changes to the scholarship application requirements is that instead of requiring applicants to have completed 12 Ventura College credits by the end of the fall semester in which they are applying, they will have had to complete at least six credits. Credits earned in previous semesters at the college count toward the minimum unit requirement.

“The scholarship program was never intended to only support full-time students,” says Anne Paul King, foundation executive director. “Many students attend part-time while working full-time. This change opens the door to many outstanding students who can’t afford to take on a full course load.”

Instead of requiring applicants to secure two letters of recommendation to apply and be eligible for scholarships, the foundation will instead require one. Students can still submit two. The foundation will review both and select the strongest recommendation letter when evaluating the application.

Previously, the foundation required dual enrollment students (those who are enrolled in high school and Ventura College classes simultaneously) to attend Ventura College upon high school graduation. This old policy prevented dual enrollment students who had completed all their general college education requirements while in high school from receiving foundation scholarships if they were ready to transfer to a four-year university directly from high school. Now, dual enrollment students can apply for the foundation scholarship program regardless of whether they are continuing their education at Ventura College or immediately transferring to a four-year university.

“Many of our scholarships provide funds for students moving on to four-year universities,” says King. “Students who have completed all their Ventura College transfer courses while in high school are now eligible for these types of scholarships.”

Scholarship applications are being accepted through January 21, 2022. For more information, go to https://venturacollegefoundation.org/scholarships. Virtual workshops on scholarship requirements and how to apply are taking place throughout November and December.

After being on hold due to COVID, Ventura Education Partnership and the Ventura Unified School District Community enthusiastically embraced the return of $1,000 Innovation Grants for VUSD educators. Through a competitive application process, VEP selected 49 projects totaling $46,000 to fund. These innovative projects provide hands on opportunities that deepen student engagement and learning. 

Beth Harris, Principal, Poinsettia Elementary said of the grants program, “Grants allow staff to dream… In this dreaming there is new energy breathed into the classroom. That energy is palpable and can be felt by students. There is a captivating magic in a passionate educator, excited about an idea they dreamed up… It’s great for the student and, equally important, so good for the staff. In these most trying times in education, this kind of joyful energy is invaluable!” 

The program is funded by generous support from local businesses and caring community members who value investments in educators and students as essential for our future. Aera Energy’s gift of $10,000 was specifically meaningful in a year when many teachers turned to the joy of reading as a way to create connections with and between students that was reduced during distance learning.

Madhu Bajaj, Vice President of VEPGrants said, “Aera has supported reading grants over the last few years. Ongoing funding like this creates meaningful change and significant impact, in this case stimulating a renewed passion for teaching through relevant, forward thinking reading based activities.” 

Recognizing the unusual times we are living in, Rotary Club of Ventura’s Julius Guis Memorial Rotary Foundation supported community building projects with $5,000. These 5 grants use the arts and garden-based education to bring students together where they can collaborate, share ideas, strengthening communication and team building while immersing themselves in scientific study, math, and environmental education. 

Community Memorial Health System’s gift of $5,000 supported 5 grants in the areas of math, science and health careers. These projects build essential skills that give students a strong foundation for future careers in the health industry. Students will engage in scientific inquiry, and research while working together in problem solving and more. 

Petra McCullough, Assistant Principal of Anacapa Middle School shared why she is passionate about VEPGrants, “When a teacher is struggling to reach their students, VEP is there to help. When a new teacher is looking to set themselves apart, VEP is there to help. When you are looking to invest in an equitable program, VEP is there to help.”   

This help is only possible with the community’s involvement. “We are very grateful for our community supporters whose generous donations make these innovative projects possible for Ventura Unified School District students” said Co-Presidents Debbie Golden and Kathy Asher.

To learn more and For a complete list of grant recipients and more information on VEPGrants, visit venturaeducationpartnership.org/VEPGrants or contact [email protected] (805) 754-9861.

Ventura County Library and First 5 Ventura County are proud to continue partnering on offering Parent and Child Together (PACT) classes for local families. In this free 12-week program, families with infants or toddlers are invited to learn new skills together, play fun activities, and share the love of reading. PACT Class is for children up to three years of age.

“Parents are their child’s first and most important teacher. Every child comes into this world ready to learn. It’s never too early to talk, read, and sing to your child,” says Petra Puls, Executive Director of First 5 Ventura County.

Nancy Schram, Ventura County Library Director says, “By collaborating with First 5 Ventura County and other organizations that serve children from birth to age 3 and their parents, our Ventura County Libraries can make an even bigger difference in early childhood brain development. This program means our libraries will play a key role in providing equitable opportunities for all children to experience language through books and other interactions and provide support for parents who may have few or no other places they can go for help.”

According to one parent in PACT Class, “I feel as though I have better tools in understanding what my child needs and anticipating the wants. It’s also been helpful to hear other parents’ experiences too.”

After class, another parent said, “I feel better connected with my child and we have more fun ways to read together.”

In PACT Class, parents receive a free toolkit with developmental screenings for their child, age-appropriate toys supporting early childhood development, and books exploring social and emotional competence. Librarians also partner with families to address individual needs and strengthen community connections.

Online registration is open now for the fall session of classes, which begins in November. Parents register using this link: bit.ly/VCLPact. The class is limited to six families per location and registration is on a first come, first served basis. If the class is full, a waiting list will be created, and interested families will be notified of any openings.

The fall session of classes will be held weekly at:

Westview Community Room

Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura, 1187 Riverside Street, Ventura

Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.Starting Thursday, November 4

The full class schedule may be found on the library’s online calendar of events: https://vencolibrary.org/calendar.

This class is offered in partnership with First 5 Ventura County. It is supported in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library. It is free and open to the public.

On October 15, 7:05pm, at Victoria Ave. and Moon Dr. emergency units responded to a vehicle roll over with trapped victim. Fire and EMS units were able to assist the driver from the vehicle without the use of rescue extrication tools. The 77-year-old woman suffered minor injuries to her right arm and was transported to Ventura County Medical Center for further treatment.

Livingston’s Grief & Bereavement Program is offering a new support group, Reinvesting In Life After Loss. This new group will be focusing on restorative activities, seeking meaning and purpose, identifying changes to self, and receiving support in making life good again. The new support groups starts on November 9th and it will be held via Zoom the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 6-7:30 pm. For more information or to register, please call 805-389-6870.

Additional Support Groups conducted through Zoom at this time: General Bereavement Support Group Mondays 3:00 to 4:30 pm and Tuesdays 10:30am to 12:00 pm. Good Grief Club 1st and 3rd Tuesdays 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Young Teen Grief Support Group 2nd and 4th Tuesdays 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Young Widow and Widowers Support Group Tuesdays 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Widow and Widower’s Support Group Wednesdays 1:00 to 2:30 pm. General Bereavement Support Group Wednesdays 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Survivors of a Suicide Loss 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Bereaved Mom’s Support Group: 2nd Thursday of every month 6-7:30 pm. Adult Loss of Parent Support Group: 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month 6:00 to 7:30 pm. General Bereavement Support Group Thursdays 6:00 to 7:30 pm. For more information on the Grief and Bereavement Program, visit LMVNA.org.

Ventura resident Ashley Bautista (shown with her mom Ana), the Public Information Officer for the County of Ventura, has been recognized by the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce with the 40 Under 40 Award for her work in Covid-19 Communication. She’s been the voice behind www.vcrecovers.org and County Covid messaging. “I have spent the last 20 months in the COVID trenches with Ashley. She is dedicated, prepared, extremely intelligent, and passionate. Our county has been blessed by her involvement,” said Public Health Officer Doctor Robert Levin.

Ashley can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 805-654-2640. She’s happy to answer your COVID-19 questions any time.

by Carol Leish MA

“On September 8, 2021” according to Mary Haffner, an advocate for people with mental illness, “NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Advocacy Group held a countywide Town Hall to address the needs of people with mental illness.”

During the Town Hall, it was discussed that: “Because of the gaps in services to people with mental illness, the Ventura County Behavioral Health Advisory Board recently passed a unanimous motion requesting that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approve an independent assessment regarding the continuum of care for people with severe mental illness. Through this comprehensive assessment, it will become possible to reduce the number of people who continue to cycle through successive hospitalizations, incarcerations, and homelessness. Other counties in California have conducted similar assessments and the California State Auditor has recommended that all counties do so, too.”

The NAMI Town Hall also focused on the fact that, ‘The gaps in Ventura County are significant, from crisis care to long-term care. As for crisis care, Ventura County has no psychiatric facility that can directly admit psychiatric emergencies. Someone in crisis with a psychiatric emergency must first wait in a general hospital emergency room. However, other California counties have facilities that allow them to pass hospital emergency rooms so that they can receive prompt treatment. In addition, Ventura County has only 8 chairs for crisis stabilization. For a county of 846,000, this is woefully deficient. As for long-term care, Ventura County has only one 43-bed locked facility, which is currently staffed for 36 patients (July, 14, 2021 ‘Ventura Breeze’: ‘Expansion of Hillmont Psychiatric Unit alleviates waits for patients in crisis.’). There are few Board and Cares, and not enough supportive housing to support long-term rehabilitation and care. As a result, people who need a higher level of care may end up at a sober living home with inadequate supports, thus setting them up for relapse and getting caught up in the cycle again.”

“Ventura County appears to have the second highest percentage of inmates classified as ‘open mental health cases,’ according to a review of the latest numbers from the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC),” according to the NAMI Town Hall. “With no needed intercept model diversion program, and a dire lack of crisis care, and very few options for long-term treatment and housing, people with severe mental illness cycle into either jail or homelessness.”

Haffner believes that, “We don’t do more to help those with severe mental health issues because I believe that discrimination and stigma play a big role in our society’s failure to provide adequate treatment. We have normalized the jailing of people with mental illness and we have too many people who don’t want any treatment facilities in their communities. This is why leadership is so important. We need leaders who understand the illness and who are willing to educate the public and work towards solutions.”

The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury is a panel of 19 local citizen volunteers established to investigate complaints about government mismanagement, verify that public funds are properly accounted for and legally spent, and investigate the policies, practices and processes of county or city departments. Civil Grand Jury investigations can be generated from public complaints.

Complaint forms in English or Spanish may be downloaded from the Grand Jury website http://grandjury.countyofventura.org and submitted by fax to (805) 658-4523, or you can also mail your written complaint to:

Ventura County Grand Jury, 800 S. Victoria Ave. L#3751,Ventura, CA 93009

For more information about the Grand Jury and how it works for you https://ventura.org/grand-jury/

The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood and platelet shortage and must collect 10,000 additional blood products each week over the next month for the blood supply to recover and meet hospital and patient needs. Donors of all blood types – especially type O – and platelet donors are urged to make an appointment to give now and, in the weeks, ahead to overcome this current shortage.

Blood donor turnout has reached the lowest levels of the year as many delayed giving amid a return to the workplace and in-person learning, as well as a recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the country due to the delta variant. As cases spiked in August, blood donor participation decreased about 10%, but blood product distributions to hospitals have remained strong, significantly outpacing blood donations in recent weeks.

The national Red Cross blood inventory is the lowest it’s been at this time of year since 2015, with less than a day’s supply of certain blood types in recent weeks. The supply of types O positive and O negative blood, the most needed blood types by hospitals, dropped to less than a half-day supply at times over the last month − well below the ideal five-day supply.

Don’t wait. People across the country depend on the generosity of blood donors. Make an appointment to give blood or platelets as soon as possible by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

All those who come to donate in October will receive a link by email to claim a free Zaxby’s® Signature Sandwich reward or get a $5 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice.

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including face masks for donors and staff, regardless of vaccination status – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive.

10/7/2021: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Ventura County Credit Union, 2575 Vista Del Mar Drive, #100

10/12/2021: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Ventura Center for Spiritual Living, 101 S Laurel St

Donors can also save up to 15 minutes at the blood drive by completing a RapidPass®. With RapidPass®, donors complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of donation, from a mobile device or computer. To complete a RapidPass®, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.