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SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino Public Library (SBPL) has joined in supporting a new countywide early literacy program called Footsteps2Brilliance which is part of the San Bernardino Countywide Vision2Read literacy campaign, a collective impact initiative involving multiple agencies working collaboratively to increase literacy rates among children and families in the county.

The library has posted a link to the program on its library website at www.sbpl.org. Parents interested in signing up for the app for their children can go to www.myf2b.com/register/sanbernardinocounty.

“On behalf of our Library Board of Trustees, we’re very pleased in promoting this wonderful effort to promote early childhood education and early literacy in our city” said SBPL Library Director Ed Erjavek.

The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, County Preschool Services, Children’s Fund and First 5 San Bernardino are partnering to deliver the new literacy program.

Footsteps2Brilliance is an innovative early learning mobile technology platform that provides free access to early literacy activities to all families with children, birth through Pre-K, who reside in San Bernardino County. The program provides a comprehensive curriculum of more than 1,000 English and Spanish books, songs and games that are fun for children and address the vocabulary gap, according to the following press release from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

“Literacy is a priority in our county. Early literacy skills lay the foundation for a child’s success from cradle to career,” County Superintendent Ted Alejandre said. “Children who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers.”

In January 2017, a cohort of 1,500 students in county preschool programs were selected to use Footsteps2Brilliance and measure their literacy growth. To date, participating preschoolers have read 22,240 books and more than 5.1 million words. As part of the launch, Alejandre and program partners are encouraging all families with birth through pre-K children in the county to join a challenge to read an additional 3 million words by Sept. 1, 2017.

“Footsteps2Brilliance enables us to cross the divide between children who have a seat in a preschool and those who do not,” said Diana Alexander, director of Preschool Services for the county. “We get to provide all birth through pre-K children with an amazing literacy software program that will bring several modes of learning right into their home. This is an exciting time for San Bernardino County!”

Among the benefits of Footsteps2Brilliance is that the platform’s educational resources can be accessed from any smartphone, tablet or computer with or without an Internet connection. Research shows that more than 80 percent of parents own smartphones or mobile devices.

“Through the Footsteps2Brilliance platform, families, schools and the community have access to high-quality educational tools to accelerate vocabulary and literacy skills using the devices they already own,” noted Karen Scott, executive director of First 5 San Bernardino.

According to Stacy Iverson – president and CEO of Children’s Fund – every dollar spent on quality early childhood interventions produces a $14-$17 return.

“No single strategy offers a greater return on investment than providing children with the tools they need to read proficiently by third grade,” she said.

Research shows the greatest disparity of knowledge among children is the vocabulary gap – the number of words a child knows from birth through third grade. Children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words before the age of four than their more affluent peers. This is compounded by the fact that 61 percent of low-income children have no books in their homes.

Approximately 20 percent of families in San Bernardino County live in poverty and 34 percent speak Spanish in the home (according to census data). Based on data from the California Department of Education, nearly 19 percent of school-aged students are classified as English Learners and more than 72 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The San Bernardino County literacy partnership is unique and will serve as a blueprint around the nation to achieve early literacy success in dual language communities on a countywide basis.

“We are honored to partner with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to give all children equal access to high-quality bilingual English and Spanish literacy instruction. Already, we have seen this unique countywide collaboration bring the community together with a strong commitment and a plan to support all early learners. We believe this will be a powerful model for other districts across the nation to follow,” said Ilene Rosenthal, CEO of Footsteps2Brilliance.

LOS ANGELES, CA- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California (RMHCSC), in partnership with Southern California McDonald’s operators, is helping 85 of the Southland’s brightest and most deserving high school seniors make their college dreams a reality this fall by awarding more than $233,000 in scholarships. Since 1990, RMHCSC has helped pave the way toward higher education for more than 3,400 exceptional Southern California students, providing more than $5.7 million in funds to help ease the financial burden of college tuition, fees and educational expenses. Selected from a pool of more than 1,400 applicants, the 2016-17 RMHCSC Scholarship Program recipients were recently recognized at a celebratory luncheon that took place at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Poornima Vijayashanker, engineer and founder of education company Femgineer, delivered the keynote address and Univision network’s Fernanda Kelly served as master of ceremonies.

“This year’s group of young scholars has truly inspired us with their extraordinary accomplishments and commitment to their community,” said Vince Bryson, CEO, RMHCSC. “We’re excited to see them achieve their educational dreams and are confident that their successes will motivate the next generation.”

Every year, RMHCSC supports outstanding college-bound students across Southern California through four competitive RMHC scholarships: RMHC/Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources, RMHC/African American Future Achievers, RMHC/Asian Pacific American Students Increasing Achievement, and RMHC/Scholars. Award recipients are selected through a rigorous application process based on a number of criteria including academic achievement, community involvement, leadership skills, letters of recommendation and financial need.

Funding is made possible through the fundraising efforts of more than 120 local McDonald’s operators in Southern California, McDonald’s corporate staff and the global and Southern California chapters of RMHC. Additionally, the McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California (MOASC) pays for all administrative costs for managing the scholarship program.

Interested students can begin the 2018-19 application process in October 2017. For more information, please visit www.rmhcsc.org/scholarships.

By Marla A. Matime

On Sunday, June 4, Mochacademy, hosted their first ever awards ceremony and fashion show at the Mt. Rubidoux SDA church in Riverside, where girls from grades 6th to 10th took the stage to showcase their gifts and talents through song, sewing, painting and other exciting and engaging activities that they had the opportunity to learn throughout the first year of the programs conception.  

I had the privilege of talking with Toni Collins-Percivale, whose two daughters were mentees in the first ever program.  I asked her how did she hear about Mochacademy and she lovingly expressed that she heard about it through co-founder Marjean (MJ) Sterling.  Her main reason for allowing her daughters to partake in the program was because she shared and understood the same philosophy as MJ, in that it takes a village to raise our children. 

Since the beginning of this recent school year, Toni noticed that because of Mochacademy her daughters began to take pride in their grooming habits, their promptness to engagement, and the willingness to speak positively over their selves without pressure from their mother.  A few things that Toni would like to see more of for Mochacademy in the future would be the continuation of mentorship and self-awareness and additional funding, fundraisers to help assist with more cultural and engaging events to expose the girls to more positive things going on in our world today. 

I also had the opportunity to speak with a first-time visitor who was invited by a presenter throughout the year by the name of Sharmaine Campbell.  She brought her daughter to the event to check it out and is considering signing her up for the program to help her break out of her shell of shyness.  She believes that a program like Mocacademy is much needed in our community.

I had the honor of asking Shayla Moore and Marjean (MJ) Sterling, founders of Mochacademy, a few questions, for them to share the thought process behind starting the organization and what they could take away from their first full year.

If I remember correctly, conversations regarding starting this program began in April of last year.  What was the initial thought process of why you wanted to put this program together?

MJ- I’d have to say that conversations about starting this program actually ended in April of 2016. It was at that time that we realized that we could either talk about it or be about it, and we chose the latter. From that night on, we no longer talked about starting this program, we started it and all conversations shifted focus to what we would do within our program. We knew what we wanted to accomplish, and from there we birthed our “why”, after that it was only a matter of “how”.

Shayla – I believe it is necessary to pour into the woman of our future. It is important to provide positive images for our young community and let them know they can become anything they put their mind to. With so many negative images of African American woman we want to remind them that they are a child a God, heirs to the kingdom and should not settle for anything less.

Also, the decision was made to start the program last April but we have been speaking about this for years. We finally said we need to do it and ever since things have come together. This is how we knew it was meant to be.

What did the first year teach you about mentorship?

MJ – My first year with Mochacademy taught me that in order to be successful, I must be open-minded. Sometimes the “perfect” plan or idea still needs a few tweaks and adjustments from a second or third source. And just like all things in life I had to expect the unexpected! If we hadn’t been able to take things in stride, we would have felt defeated from the very beginning. Nothing went exactly as planned, but everything always worked out every single time.

Shayla – There is no guideline to follow. You must follow your heart and take the time to build bonds. Once a bond is made is when you can start to leave lasting impressions. These girls have made me a better person while I want to make an impression on them they have changed my life for the better as well. Mentoring is enriching to the mentor as well the mentee.

Did this first year end up looking how you envisioned?

MJ – Our vision was a sketch, and first year filled in the colors. The sketch was beautiful, admirable, and ambitious; but it paled in comparison to what was unveiled as we started adding the colors. The colors were the individual girls, their personalities, the bonds that were created, the lessons they learned, the conversations that were held, the songs that were made up on long trips, the smiles, the laughter, and even a few tears. Our first year exceeded our vision.

Shayla – No, it exceeded every expectation we had. God has truly blessed us with amazing people that made our dream a reality.

Have you done anything like this in past time?  Any mentorship programs or volunteer programs geared towards a similar purpose?

MJ – I’ve never been involved in or seen a program like ours, but in my youth I was a part of a mentoring program and I always knew that it was imperative that as I came into my own, I paid it forward and poured into the next generation.

Shayla – No, not formally. I have had mentors growing up that have made lasting impressions and I think it is necessary to do it for others.

What are you MOST proud of?

MJ – I’m most proud of the mentors. These ladies have given of themselves wanting nothing in return. Time is precious, and once you give it away there’s no getting it back. These ladies have been selfless with their time, skills, and resources. I’m most proud of the fact that they’re in my life and I can call them Friend. If I had to leave the program today, I know the girls would still be in excellent hands.

Shayla – That I have made an everlasting impression on eight amazing young ladies. I pray that I can continue to lead them to Christ and to a successful future.

For more information, please be sure to contact Mocacademy at Mochacademy.com, Mochacademy@gmail.com, or (951)777-9246.

You can also, find them on social media Facebook: Mochacademy Mentoring Program Instagram: Mochacademy

The meeting times will be held from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every third Sunday, beginning in September 2017 through May 2018

We accept applicants 6th grade to 10^th grade the program goes up to 12^th grade and are currently accepting mentor applications. Mentees should take advantage of the early bird registration as space is limited.  If you are currently unable to give of your time, but would like to know the areas in which we need donations, please contact them.

RIALTO, CA- The Time for Change Foundation in partnership with Senator Connie M. Leyva, Assembly member Eloise Gómez Reyes and Mayor Deborah Robertson of Rialto will host the Justice in July Jamboree (JJ-Jam) event at Rialto City Hall. The event’s purpose is to increase civic engagement by having the local community raise their issues and craft solutions in partnership with local and state officials. Additionally, tangible resources will be available on site along with music, dancing and free food.

State legislators and local elected officials need to understand the severity of the issues that plague our communities. Our families are unable to access affordable housing, adequate transportation and employment opportunities. To prioritize investment in our community, Justice in July Jamboree will bring community and statewide elected officials together to identify specific community issues, craft solutions and ascertain public funding resources necessary to address the issues. “The Justice Jamboree brings voices of change together with decision makers while using the power of the “voter” as a catalyst for change,” says Vanessa Perez, Assoc. Director of Time for Change Foundation.

We are so excited that Governor Jerry Brown has received a special invitation from our state legislators to attend our local event and further raise the awareness about the local needs for statewide resources.

Other local organizations collaborating in this effort include: Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, COPE, United Nations of Consciousness, California Partnership, Center for Employment Opportunities, Option House, and ACLU – So Cal.

Residents can expect to access Voter Registration, Felony Removal, Rental and Utility Assistance, Free dental checkups, face painting, dance contest, fire trucks, and free food on this day.

The event will be held on Saturday, July 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rialto City Hall located at 150 S. Palm Avenue in Rialto.

LOMA LINDA, CA- Kappa Sigma Fraternity, located on the Cal State San Bernardino Campus, recently donated over $7,600 and toys to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) through “penny wars,” a competition amongst the sororities on campus to support Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow.

Six members from the fraternity stopped by LLUCH Tuesday, June 6 and presented a check and a variety of toys to Children’s Hospital staff and patients, Justin Correa, 9, of Bloomington and Tiffany Borrego, 9, of Lake Elsinore. 

“Our campus became involved in competing to see who could raise the most coins, and it was powerful to see everyone’s involvement,” said Danny Razo, philanthropy chair of Kappa Sigma. “Many of us have had personal experiences and family members who have been treated here.”

Giovanni Barreto and the fraternity’s executive committee shared their personal connections with the children’s hospital through siblings who were born and treated at LLUCH. They wanted staff and patients to know that their fraternity plans to make this an ongoing project.

“We have no plans on stopping now, we’re just getting started,” Barreto said.

Helen Staples-Evans, chief nursing officer of LLUCH, emphasized the difference the fraternity is making in building the new hospital tower as part of Vision 2020.

“You have raised money for children whose faces you’ve never seen, and they’ll go to kids who you will never meet,” Staples-Evans said to the fraternity, “but you make a difference, and for that we are very grateful.”

Joanna DeLeon, director of the LLUCH foundation said she felt inspired by the fraternity. “This is an amazing testament to how a community can work together to improve the lives of our smallest patients.” 

FONTANA, CA-Throughout her 22 years as a dance teacher at A.B. Miller High School, Nicole Robinson has inspired her students to develop a passion for dance while providing them with guidance, encouragement and individual confidence to challenge themselves at each level of their education. 

While at A.B. Miller, Robinson introduced the Conservatory of Dance for students who have little training in the performing arts. Its popularity prompted Robinson to develop a Districtwide dance and arts education curriculum, called the Dance Collaborative, that promotes life skills, collaboration, and positive self-expression through the arts. 

It is because of her students – past and present – who say she has helped transform their lives and inspire educational excellence at Fontana Unified that Robinson has been named a Carlston Family Foundation 2017 Teacher of the Year, a recognition that comes with a $20,000 grant. 

“From my conversations with Nicole’s former students, it was exceptionally clear that her instructional skills and techniques, as well as her personal guidance, significantly contributed to both their academic and personal success,” Carlston Family Foundation CEO Tim Allen said. “They commented on the incredible passion and energy she has for teaching dance. The day I spent in her classroom, I confirmed what they experienced and much more.”

Each year, the Carlston Family Foundation honors five California teachers for their exceptional work in the classroom. The nominations are submitted by former students, who touted Robinson’s effectiveness, creativity and ability to educate and improve the education of her students at A.B. Miller High and throughout the District.

“As a teacher, my priority is to put students first and ensure they have a rich experience. I want to open the door to opportunity for all students to explore dance and the arts, to find a platform for their creativity, and encourage them to incorporate this knowledge throughout the school day and in their daily lives,” Robinson said. “I want to thank the foundation for recognizing the potential for dance to transform lives.”

Robinson will be honored at the 15th Annual CFF Awards Ceremony on Nov. 11 in Mill Valley. The award will be presented by the former A.B. Miller student who nominated her and whose identity will be kept secret until the ceremony.

“Nicole is graciously demanding, loyal, patient, willing, confident, humorous, rigorous, and tremendously knowledgeable in her subject matter,” the former student said. “She has this special gift where she is able to sense when something is not right with her students and is always willing to go the extra mile in order to unravel the barrier that is not allowing her students to academically and artistically advance.”

Robinson will receive a monetary award of $20,000 – $15,000 for her personal use and $5,000 as a grant for A.B. Miller High. Robinson will also join the Foundation’s Board of Advisors. Allen will make a formal presentation of the award to the FUSD Board of Education on December 13.

“Nicole Robinson is a natural leader whose commitment and dedication to her students is rivaled only by the innovation and inspiration she brings to the District,” FUSD Superintendent Randal S. Bassett said. “We are greatly appreciative of Nicole’s unique ability to connect with each student, from new kindergarteners to departing seniors and utilize dance and art to enrich their lives. She is truly deserving of this prestigious recognition.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Last week, Bank of America awarded Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) a grant in the amount $7,500 to help advance pathways to economic mobility. The funding will support the CAPSBC Food Bank operation, the largest provider of emergency food in San Bernardino County.

CAPSBC CEO Patricia L. Nickols-Butler stated, “There are over 400,000 people living in poverty in San Bernardino County and struggling to meet their basic needs. Food is a necessity and no one should have to worry if they will have enough food to eat. Our Food Bank ensures individuals in need are connected to available resources. Bank of America supports CAPSBC’s Food Bank not only with monetary grants, but they also have a corporate philosophy of giving back to the community through frequent employee volunteer participation at our Food Bank.

“We are honored to partner with Bank of America in alleviating poverty and building thriving communities.” “Fighting food insecurity is a critical stepping stone on the pathway to economic stability,” said Al Arguello, Inland Empire market president, Bank of America. “We are proud to partner with the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County to ensure that our neighbors don’t have to make the difficult choice between paying their bills and putting food on the table.”

The CAPSBC Food Bank program has been operating since 1984. Millions of pounds of food are provided each year at no charge to 175 non-profit organizations to serve the basic needs of San Bernardino County’s low-income community. The Food Bank has provided over 160 million pounds of food since its inception. Programs include:

• USDA Commodities: Commodities are provided through a network of 120 nonprofits for emergency food distribution to eligible individuals and households.
• Salvage Food: The Food Bank collects food and distributes these products to the low-income communities through a network of 80 nonprofit partners.
• Congregate Feeding: A network of community nonprofits that provides nearly 75,000 hot meals each month through soup kitchens.
• Senior Choice Nutrition Program: Fresh produce and additional healthy product is provided to eligible seniors at no-cost to the recipient in a market-style layout at a senior center or low-income senior housing facility.
• Food Policy Advisory Council serving San Bernardino County: A collaborative of San Bernardino County agencies and individuals seeking to improve the food system, healthy food options and advocate for supportive policies.

In 2016, the Food Bank received 11,534,084 pounds of food that was valued at $19,232,871. The Food Bank program assisted 379,663 households with USDA/Salvaged Foods. It supplemented 399,839 pounds of USDA and 736,431 pounds Salvaged Foods to Soup Kitchens/Congregate Feeding Agencies which totals 1,136,298 pounds. This allowed the Soup Kitchens to serve 748,203 meals.

Anyone interesting donating to the CAPSBC Food Bank, may make a check payable to CAPSBC and mail to 696 S. Tippecanoe Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92408, or a secure donation can be made on our website at: www.capsbc.org/donate If you would like to volunteer, please e-mail: msalcido@capsbc.org or fill out a volunteer form at www.capsbc.org/volunteer

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- ‘Saving Our Sons’ is the theme for this year’s annual Juneteenth celebration presented by Willing Winn Associates and Mission (WWAM) Inc. After two successful events in previous years, WWAM was called to go even bigger for 2017! This year’s celebration will be kicking off at San Bernardino Valley College in The Greek Theatre on Saturday, June 24 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. To coincide with the theme and location, the afternoon will consist of a lineup that the community cannot miss. Come get educated, enlightened, and of course be entertained.

“They have matters that need to be fixed that they don’t know how to fix themselves,” Dr. Deborah Winn, Founder of WWAM Inc., stated on why she chose this year’s theme.

The issues that our Black men and women, are going through have been plaguing the community for years and when things seem to get better, something else occurs that brings us back. From the shootings to the way we are raising our children, it is as if we are becoming numb to what love is.

“When we love ourselves, we won’t take our lives or anyone else’s lives,” Winn said. “We need to start being responsible and standing in harmony. With effort, we have the remedy; it starts at home.”

This issue along with others, as well as a history of what Juneteenth is will all be introduced and explained throughout the afternoon. The lineup of speakers who will be presenting them include: Dr. Margaret Hill, Professor James Smith, Mr. Thomas “TJ” Loftin, Oliver Petty, and Sharon Smith-Knight. Pastor Dr. Joshua Beckley, of Ecclesia Christian Church, will be opening the event up in prayer. Comedian Lamont Bonman a.k.a. Rev. Monty B. will be the Master of Ceremonies.

The day will be filled with not just education and enlightenment, but there will also be plenty of entertainment. There will be performances by JReal da Realest, Wyel Legend, Lex Lane, DJ Worldclass, Ciotti and Jenice Michelle, Cthree, Royal Believer, Adoration, and more.

In addition to the speakers and entertainment, the community will be able to visit several vendor booths which will include clothing, jewelry, food, children’s activities, voter registration, expungement services, and much more.  This is a FREE event. Free hot dogs and snacks will be served for children 13 and under. There will also be a special grocery giveaway to the first 350 families. Each family MUST have ID.

This event couldn’t have been made possible without the help of the following sponsors: Phoenicia, I.S.A.H. (It Starts At Home), Los Angeles Lakers, WWAM Inc., Community Action Partnership, KOHL’S, S.O.S. (Saving Our Sons), Mary Stewart’s Southern Soul Food, Southern California Edison, Target, Wal-Mart, San Bernardino Unified School District, San Manual Band of Mission Indians, and San Bernardino Valley College.

For more information please call (909) 889-9509 or visit www.wwaminc.org. The college is located at 701 S. Mt Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- As part of the San Bernardino Public Library’s summer events, the Feldheym Library will be hosting a party hat workshop presented by Emmy Lam.  This free workshop is open to ages 10 and up. It will take place on Tuesday, June 13 at 3:00 PM in the Children’s Room at the Feldheym Central Library at 555 W. 6th Street in San Bernardino.

Students will learn to use recycled paper to make creative and unique paper party hats. It is a fun and inventive way to transform unused and unwanted paper into lovely works of art.

Participants in the library’s summer reading game will get credit for coming to the program. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library. For more information call (909) 381-8235, visit www.sbpl.org  or www.facebook.com/SBPLfriends.

LOS ANGELS, CA-To mark National Dump the Pump Day Thursday, June 15, Metrolink is offering free round-trip tickets good for that day to those who pledge on Facebook in advance to park their cars and ride Metrolink trains.

Metrolink is Southern California’s regional rail system that serves Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and northern San Diego counties and a favorite of long distance commuters tired of driving in worsening traffic. But Metrolink also directly serves many major tourist destinations from beaches in San Clemente and Oceanside to historic Mission San Juan Capistrano. There are also convenient connections to Disneyland and many other venues.

With summer in full swing, Metrolink also is the best travel bargain for tourists, their hosts, or families enjoying staycations, especially on weekends. On Saturday or Sunday, Metrolink offers unlimited rides for just $10.

“There’s no better way to get to work or play throughout the Southland and avoid the stress of driving in the world’s worst traffic than riding a Metrolink train,” said Metrolink CEO Art Leahy. “Once you experience the safety and comfort of train travel on Dump the Pump Day, we’ll likely see you again.”

“There’s no better way to get to work or play throughout the Southland and avoid the stress of driving in the world’s worst traffic than riding a Metrolink train,” said Metrolink CEO Art Leahy. “Once you experience the safety and comfort of train travel on Dump the Pump Day, we’ll likely see you again.”

Pledge to ride on Metrolink’s Facebook post on June 7-9 and get a ticket for a free round-trip ride on Dump the Pump Day. To see full details, click here.

Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the 2017 National Dump the Pump Day is a day that encourages people to ride public transportation and to take them where they need to go instead of driving a car saving money, stress and helping the environment.

According to the April APTA Transit Savings Report, individuals in a two-person household can save an average of about $10,000 annually by downsizing to one car.