Category Archives: Youth

Ventura College Women’s Basketball honors “Favorite Teachers”

“This honor is particularly special, because the instructors were selected by the students,” said Larry Kennedy, Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Board Trustee Stephen Blum and Chancellor Bernard Luskin joined Ventura College President Greg Gillespie to present the 2016 Favorite Teachers Awards on Saturday, January 16, with a ceremony at Ventura College. This is the 11th year the sophomore class of the women’s basketball team has chosen to honor their favorite teachers with an essay that expresses their gratitude and appreciation in their own way. Including the 2016 honorees, a total of 62 instructors have been honored since the program was created by Head Coach Ned Mircetic.

Blum, Luskin, and Gillespie greeted the instructors and players at center court to present the awards and take pictures after the women’s basketball game with Allan Hancock College. Ventura College Dean and Athletic Director Will Cowen, president, Western State Conference, also participated in the presentation.

“This is an outstanding program and a testament to the integrity of our faculty at Ventura College,” said Luskin.

The following teachers were selected for the 2016 Favorite Teachers:

Gary Amar, Speech – selected by Brooke Zamora
Ken Drake, Business – selected by Tatum Maciel
Liz Kraus, English – selected by Lexy Hinojosa
Ty Gardner, Anatomy – selected by Felicia Magana
Niki Milani, Psychology – selected Amani White
Lauri Moore, Sociology – selected by Shiloh Smith
Farzeen Nasri, Economics – selected by Makenna Murray
Ted Press, Criminal Justice – selected by Marissa Hurtado
Joey Ramirez, Health – selected by Aubri Smith
Brent Wilson, Music – selected by Erin Ross

For more information, please visit www.vcccd.edu.

19th Annual Poinsettia Awards Luncheon for youth of the year

At the 19^th Annual Poinsettia Awards Luncheon, presented by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce and held in December the Male Student Of The Year was Justin Lucio who attends Ventura High School. Justin challenges himself by taking a rigorous amount of classwork every semester, earning high marks while also taking classes at the community college level. The Female Student Of The Year was Fidelity Ballmer who attends Foothill High School. Among her many accomplishments she is the Editor-in-Chief of the nationally recognized Foothill Dragon Press. She holds a 4.6 grade point average while taking all advanced placement and honors classes.

Dear students, parents, teachers, and musicians

Students may perform with the Ventura Jazz Orchestra.

By Dean Adams Lead Trombonist Director

It is time for our second annual Mentor/Protégé program with the Ventura Jazz Orchestra.

The Mentor/Protégé Programs purpose is to incorporate students into a professional working and to perform with the Ventura Jazz Orchestra at the Poinsettia Pavilion Ballroom.The idea is to give the protégé real world experience by playing in a professional band with their own mentor.

Students must be Ventura or Santa Barbara county residents, high school age, and play their instrument at an intermediate level or higher.

Call 646-8594 Please leave message with return phone number and best time to call so that we can conduct a phone interview.

Rehearsals are held at the Poinsettia Pavilion on March 10, 17, 24 with dress rehearsal March 31st (All Thursdays, 7-9:30 pm)

Performance will be the Ventura Jazz Orchestra Spring Swing Big Band Dance/Concert on Friday, April 8.

For more information about the band, visit our website: http://www.theventurajazzorchestra.com.

YMCA serves all ages and needs

youth ymca — Youth & Government delegates Nashid Pasricha and Kyle Clark from the Ventura YMCA at a Training & Elections Conference earlier this school year.

The Channel Islands YMCA Youth & Government delegation joined more than 3,500 youth from across the state in Fresno this weekend for a Training & Elections conference held Jan. 16-18 at the Fresno Convention Center. Twenty-two teens with the Ventura Family YMCA were part of the team.

The Youth & Government program offered at YMCAs — including the Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Stuart C. Gildred, and Ventura branches of the Channel Islands YMCA — gives students a chance to learn about California’s legislative and judicial processes by writing bills, preparing briefs, and governmental role-play.

The Ventura Youth & Government delegates are ninth through twelfth graders who attend Foothill Technology and Ventura High School. In California, the experience culminates with Model Legislature & Court in Sacramento in February. To support this program or to learn about how to participate, please contact Sherry Gutsch at 642.2131 ext. 16, or visitciymca.org/ventura.

Throughout Ventura County there are challenges of homelessness, obesity, and people from all ages and backgrounds who are struggling to reach their full potential. For 128 years, the Ventura Family YMCA has been stepping in to address these community struggles through the help of volunteers, collaborators, and generous donors.

Ventura Family YMCA Member Virginia Chavez overcomes her fear of swimming at the age of 75 at the YMCA. Virginia Chavez has been battling oesteo-arthritis for over 20-years, so at the urging of her husband, she became a member of the Ventura Y. After one-year of consistently working out at the Y and attending classes, her mobility began to improve, including her mental health.

“The Y saved my life because I’m so old that I felt as if I had nothing else to learn. So, I gave up on life “ Virgina Chavez recalls.

At the age of 75, Virginia did not even consider learning how to swim when becoming a Y member. Like many people within the community, she came for the gym membership, not realizing that the Y offers more than just programs, but altruistic benefits that differ from a regular gym.

So she made a private swimming lesson reservation with the Ventura Y’s swim instructor Cathy Bryant. Cathy’s kindness and compassion gave Virginia the courage to enter the swimming pool.

“I am no longer terrified of the water or of swimming because of Cathy, and now I love to swim. And I love my life,” Virginia Chavez.

Join us for Day 2 of the STEAM + ASPIRE3 event at Foothill Technology High School Sat. Jan. 30th

Join us for Day 2 of the STEAM + ASPIRE3 event this Saturday, January 30th from 1:30-3:00 at Foothill Technology High School in Spirito Hall.

Ventura Unified Middle School students from Ancapa, Balboa, Cabrillo, DeAnza (DATA) and Sunset have teamed up with mentors from Foothill Technology High School to design a website and video where students use STEAM to solve some of the biggest social and community challenges we face today. We look forward to being inspired by our students’ vision of a brighter future and encourage you to attend during their public presentations.

For directions to Foothill Technology High School: http://foothilltechnology.org/about-us/contact-us-location-map/

For more information about each of the participating schools: http://www.venturausd.org/Schools.aspx

To learn more about Aspire3:

http://w ww.aspire3.com

Ventura College Foundation to award scholarships

Students who receive financial support from VCF tend to have higher completion rates.

With its scholarship application deadline on Jan. 24, the Ventura College Foundation (VCF) is welcoming a final flood of applications from Ventura College students who have completed at least 12 units. Foundation officials expect to award more than $400,000 to some 280 students this Spring, for an average award of $2,000 per student.

“Nearly all of these scholarships are awarded based on the donors’ wishes, in honor of or in memory of a loved one. It’s a living legacy, to have an impact on a student and that student’s family,” said Norbert Tan, executive director of the Ventura College Foundation.

Nearly half of scholarship applicants will receive some funds. Most awards are based on a combination of need and achievement with criteria designated by the donors, such as students’ area of study.

Students who receive financial support from the Ventura College Foundation tend to have higher completion rates than students who don’t, according to foundation statistics. Many scholarship recipients graduate to enter a career that allows them to support a family, and many students graduate from Ventura College to pursue a four-year degree.

“Many students come to us wanting to get a college education but have to overcome the hurdle of cost. The Foundation helps with student success, enabling scholarship recipients to focus on their studies to achieve their career goals,” said Tan.

For more information on scholarships or to download an application, visit www.venturacollege.edu. Students with questions should contact the foundation at 289-6491 or email [email protected].

Ventura Chamber of Commerce Student of the Year Awards

youth of the year — Photo by Kenny Barker

Ventura Key Club Sock Drive for homeless

Photo by Ranferi Perea

Ventura Key Club is a dedicated and passionate community service club at Ventura High School. Club members have been working for several weeks on collecting socks for their latest service project -a Sock Drive to donate socks to the homeless in Ventura to help them stay warm during the winter. Group members were able to collect 90 pairs of socks. The socks were donated to Community Action in Ventura, which is an organization that helps the homeless. Thanks to Key Club members, a little warmth was given to the less fortunate this holiday season.

Town Hall Meeting for Our County, Our Kids

As a foster parent, families can become a link in a lifelong chain. Loving homes can provide the unconditional healing, support and guidance that can help a child and siblings thrive and grow as every child needs. With over 1,000 youth still in need in Ventura County, foster youth from birth to teens especially need a loving parent who will support them as if they were their own.

On Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9-11 a.m., Foster VC Kids, a division of Ventura County Children and Family Services, will host a Town Hall Meeting in which aspiring families can learn more about what it takes and how amazing it is to become a home for VC foster children.

“Our own youth are inspiring us on the radio, at panels and especially at this very special Town Hall meeting, in which we will hear from those involved in foster care who will address and hopefully inspire the need for more quality homes as resources for our youth,” says Elizabeth Thasiah of Foster VC Kids.

Joining the event and showing their support will be Supervisor Steve Bennett – a huge advocate supporting foster care. “One of the great drawbacks to this process has been the lack of awareness and information available to educate potential parents on why they should consider this inspirational avocation – helping children in need,” explained Bennett. “This is your chance to find out how meaningful it is to open your life to a child and family.”

Other outreach includes the VC Fire Department, police/sheriff and health care industries, faith communities and current foster families. In addition, Foster VC Kids is inviting local FFA’s (foster family agencies), Casa Pacifica and experts of foster care to answer any questions. It’s an event for all, and Foster VC Kids is encouraging the county to spread the word to bring awareness to this important event.

Help Foster VC Kids in our mission to find more Homes with Heart.

Join us for an Informative Town Hall Meeting. Bringing together local citizens, community leaders, educators and County employees to talk about innovative ways to uplift our local youth.

Ventura County Human Service Agency

855 Partridge Drive, Ventura

New West Symphony Harmony Project provides music instruction

Music students performed at Bell Arts and Sheridan Way School.

Students from the New West Symphony Harmony Project of Ventura County recently presented two concerts in Ventura.

On Dec. 10 they performed at Sheridan Way School, to a standing room only crowd. One-hundred students performed.

The second concert was on Dec. 12 at the Bell Arts Factory and featured 40 middle school students, mostly from De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts.

The New West Symphony Harmony Project provides after-school music instruction to 140 underserved third through eighth grade children in West Ventura. Due to great interest, there is a waiting list.

Funded largely through individual donations and community and foundation grants, the program was founded in 2011 by Ventura arts philanthropists Sandra and Jordan Laby.

New students entering the program begin in a Musicianship Class where they learn fundamental music skills with the use of recorders, recycled percussion instruments, and singing. All students in the Musicianship Class learn to read music, improvise, and perform. After satisfying the beginning class requirements students transition to orchestral instruments. They learn band, string ensemble, Son Jarocho ensemble, chamber groups, and Jazz/Improvisation.

To learn more about the New West Symphony, and the Harmony Project of Ventura County, visit newwestsymphony.org.

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