Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
The fifth annual Community Gathering for Excellence will bring together about 1,000 people representing diverse agencies to use collective impact principals to develop a plan that will help today’s youth and young adults compete in tomorrow’s job market.
The gathering, held at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, will set a course of action for how local government, higher education, and community partners can help local youth succeed beyond high school. Key partners include the University of California, Riverside; California State University, San Bernardino; Loma Linda University; San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools; San Bernardino Valley College; San Bernardino County; and the City of San Bernardino.
These organizations are already working together to lay the groundwork for a skilled regional workforce that will bring about a thriving and adaptable economy. During the gathering, keynote speaker Jim Clifton, CEO of Gallup <http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx> , will address the coming jobs war. Clifton believes that with the increasingly global economy, when today’s students are ready to enter the workforce, they will be competing against people from across the country and the world for the best jobs. As technology improves, work and collaboration are less and less restricted by physical location, especially in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, which offer high-paying jobs. That means obtaining a good job will be less about where you live and more about what you know.
SBCUSD and its partners believe the best way to prepare students is to increase the graduation rate and the college preparation rate, as well as make sure all students are on a pathway towards a viable career <http://ca-sanbernardinoschools.civicplus.com/index.aspx?NID=639> . An example of this is the Academy of Manufacturing and Product Development at Indian Springs High School where students apply the math, technology, and business skills they learn in class to design and create products using industry-approved software, including CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machining devices. Salaries in the high-tech manufacturing industry are competitive with salaries in many fields that require a four-year degree.
San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden launched the Gathering for Excellence in 2012 as a way to engage parents, employees, and community members in meaningful dialogue about local educational reforms. Among the ways education and instruction has evolved in SBCUSD since then has been a focus on Linked Learning, which provides opportunities for students to explore careers from manufacturing to medical that are integrated with their academic lessons.
“We are stronger when working in unison rather than in isolation,” Marsden said. “The power of collaboration allows us to have a greater impact that will benefit members of our community for generation to come.
“Developing a shared vision means we have a greater collective impact that leverages the best that each of our partners has to offer. When we engage in mutually reinforcing activities, our entire community reaps the benefits,” Marsden added.
Spots at the Community Gathering for Excellence are still available for members of the community who want to contribute their ideas. Attendance is free, but you must register by October 31 at http://bit.ly/2bq526s. Doors open at 8 a.m. on November 10 for a continental breakfast. The program is from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“The SBCUSD Gathering of Excellence has focused in on the fact that education is the path to success for our youth,” said San Bernardino Mayor R. Carey Davis. “The partnerships forged in developing this program have benefitted our students by creating a network of support for our students.”
If you plan to attend and require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the SBCUSD Affirmative Action Office at (909) 381-1122 or mike.medina@sbcusd.com at least 10 business days before the Community Gathering for Excellence.
Spanish interpretation will be provided during the event. Daycare will not be provided.
