Enlarge Photo

Crowd pleasers like the flaming Gummi Bears, the banana piano and the self-carving pumpkin will return for the 2017 CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Science Carnival along with dozens of brand new exhibits including a laser harp and a 3-D scanner that will allow you to be scanned and converted into an action figure.

Kids pre-K through 8th grade, their families, and kids-at-heart are invited attend the free Science Carnival on Saturday Nov. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at a new location this year: Rio Vista Middle School at 3050 Thames River Drive in Oxnard.

Kids and families can explore more than 110 hands-on projects, many of them loud, colorful or that special kind of “gross” that kids love, like Magnetic Goo, Ooblek, Slime, Flubber, and Liquid Nitrogen Dippin’ Dots.

“Who doesn’t love the slimy, yucky stuff?” said Professor of Chemistry Phil Hampton, Ph.D., who organizes the Science Carnival. “It’s fun. It occasionally explodes and catches on fire and burns with bright colors. Science can be yucky, slimy, gooey, colorful, explosive or musical.”

Hampton and a handful of CSUCI student volunteers put on the first Science Carnival nine years ago, drawing a couple hundred visitors. Since then, the Carnival has grown, involving over 300 volunteers and drawing crowds of more than 2,200.

Partnerships have sprung up with the Oxnard Union High School District Academies, for example, whose academy students and instructors help with the event.

Hampton says the whole idea of the carnival is to show kids that science is anything but dry or boring or confined to a text book.

“The idea is to engage kids and parents in a night of hands-on science and increase their wonder and joy at science, or more broadly, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, & math),” Hampton said.

Some of the new features this year include more activities for the youngest kids, such as robotic bees that can be programmed to go through a maze, a water xylophone, magic sand that repels water, a balloon inflated with baking soda and vinegar, and an engineering project in which kids learn how to build a catapult out of a cork, spoon and rubber band.

Many of these activities were created in partnership with CSUCI’s Early Childhood Education Program.

Teachers and educators who teach at the early childhood, elementary, or middle school level or paraprofessionals working in after-school programs are invited to a special preview presentation just before the Science Carnival, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Called STEM Experiences for Educators and Leaders or SEEL. The program enables teachers to examine many of the Science Carnival activities before the crowds come in, and learn how to implement similar projects in their own classrooms. Participants can collect QR codes of the activities that lead to the Science Carnival Activities website at http://scactivities.cikeys.com/activities-list/.

To sign up for SEEL, visit the VC STEM website at www.VCSTEM.org and click on the registration button. Teachers can start the day at the Gold Coast Science Network conference at Oxnard College and finish the day at SEEL.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSUCI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CSUCI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.

The California Gold Coast chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is offering two scholarships to recognize outstanding individual college students who are committed to studying communication or public relations in the Tri-Counties area. The group will award two $500 scholarships in early 2018.

“We believe that academic endeavors are essential for individuals to reach their full potential. For that reason, our chapter is encouraging students to attend a four-year institution and reach higher educational achievement,” said PRSA California Gold Coast Chapter President and Scholarship Committee Chair Nancy Mayerson.

The chapter raised funds for the scholarships through program meeting fees and sponsorships, and hopes to grow the scholarship fund as the chapter grows.

“We believe that the heart of a successful PR career is service to one’s community, so we’re seeking students who have both high academic achievement and a solid commitment to community service. So many worthy organizations rely on public relations and community outreach to fulfill their mission, and we want to see our young professionals helping to make a difference,” Mayerson said.

Applications are being accepted through November 30th. Winners will be announced in February 2018. To be eligible for the scholarships, students must:
• Be a student currently enrolled in a four-year institution of higher education accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) located in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo or Ventura county.
• Have a 3.0 GPA minimum.
• Have a declared major in public relations or communication.
• Be in good academic standing with his or her educational institution.

More information and an application is available online at www.prsagoldcoast.org, on the menu bar. For more information contact Nancy Mayerson, scholarship committee chair, at nancy@mayersonmarketing.com or 805-373-1100, ext. 4.

PRSA is a nonprofit organization chartered in 1947 and the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals with more than 21,000 public relations and communications professionals across the United States. The California Gold Coast Chapter was founded in 2014 and serves Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. For more information, visit www.prsagoldcoast.org.

World-renowned science magician Jason Latimer will give one of his hallmark “Science of the Impossible” presentations during the second annual STEM-tastic! awards ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 17 in Oxnard.

Sponsored by the Ventura County STEM Network, STEM-tastic will take place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center at 4000 S. Rose Ave. in Oxnard.

Schools, businesses, non-profits, military weapon centers, and other Ventura County organizations with STEM (science technology engineering math) programs will be recognized at the STEM-tastic! celebration.

“There are so many amazing STEM programs in our county,” said VC STEM Director Phil Hampton, Ph.D., a Chemistry Professor and Interim Director of Educational Partnerships at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI). “This event really gives us a chance to shine a light on these programs and say ‘Hey, you can do this too!’”

Latimer, who is the third American in history to receive magic’s highest honor, the “Grand Prix World Champion of Magic,” combines science with hands-on interactive experiments designed to pique a child’s interest in physics, chemistry, psychology, mathematics and other sciences.

Designed to inspire wonder and curiosity, Latimer’s show involves such illusions as levitation, invisibility, mind control, shaping water, bending light and many other “super powers.”

VC STEM is a leadership hub for area companies, universities, government agencies, parks, schools, museums and other local organizations working to enhance STEM education for students around Ventura County.

The highlight of the STEMtastic! event will be the awards ceremony. Individuals who have been key champions of high-quality STEM learning will receive STEM Champion awards. STEM Radicals awards will also be given to individuals who have had a broad impact and sustained effort at enhancing STEM education in Ventura County.

The coveted awards of the evening will be the Golden Gear Awards, which will go this year to a total of twelve educational settings that have exhibited high-quality STEM programming including elementary school, middle school, early childhood, and informal education/ after school programs.

Ever since its launch in 2014, the network led by CSUCI has been expanding and earning national recognition.

In 2015, VC STEM was one of 27 networks to be named a “STEM Ecosystem,” which means a mix of schools, nonprofits, businesses, and higher education in the community are committed to encouraging high-quality STEM education.

And just this month, Hampton and Regan Bynder, Program Resource Director for Child Development, Inc. in Oxnard, were selected as two of 22 fellows in the inaugural class of LEAD STEM, a new national leadership development program designed to arm individuals with high level skills to help shape the future of STEM education in the U.S.

LEAD STEM fellows will invest the next nine months in extensive training and education in such things as fundraising, policy change, sustainability, relationship-building and leadership.

VC STEM was made possible by $275,000 in grant funding awarded between 2014 and 2017 by the Amgen Foundation, the charitable arm of the Thousand Oaks biotechnology company.

To register for STEMtastic! or to get information about the VC STEM network, visit http://www.vcstem.org/.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSUCI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CSUCI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.

The Financial Aid Offices at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura Colleges will each host workshops to help students and parents complete the 2018/2019 FAFSA and the California Dream Act applications. Workshops will be held simultaneously on each prospective college campus Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, 9am to 2pm. Moorpark College (7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, CA); Oxnard College (4000 South Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA); and Ventura College (4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA) will have financial aid advisors available to assist applicants in applying for money for college. Financial Aid Workshops are also planned at the Ventura College Santa Paula campus (957 Faulkner Road, 106, Santa Paula, CA), Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, 9am to 12pm. The events are free and open to the public.

Financial aid is one of several ways that students may afford college. It is important to apply early to determine your eligibility and receive the maximum amount allowable. High school students, current VCCCD students and their parents should plan to attend one of the Cash for College financial aid workshops at Moorpark, Oxnard or Ventura College. “Working in collaboration, financial aid specialists from each college are looking forward to helping students achieve their educational goals,” stated Ventura College Financial Aid Officer Alma Rodriguez. “Students and parents may attend workshops at any of the three colleges and apply for available funds regardless of which school they plan to attend,” said Rodriguez.

Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura College offer more than two hundred degree and certificate programs and have Transfer Guarantee Agreements with the California State Universities (CSU), the Universities of California (UC) and other private/non-profit institutions. In 2016, the colleges awarded more than 7,000 Associate Degrees and Certificates to students who completed various programs of study.

Students and parents who attend the financial aid workshops should bring the following documents and be prepared to complete their application(s):
• Student/Parent Tax information for 2016
• Social Security Numbers (if any) for Student/Parents
• Other income information for Student/Parents
ON THE DAY: Check in at these locations
• Moorpark College – Fountain Hall Atrium
• Oxnard College – Welcome Center
• Ventura College – Learning Resource Center

Everyone is welcome. Pre-registration is encouraged. For more information, please visit www.vcccd.edu/Cash4College or contact the Financial Aid Office at Moorpark College 805.378.1462; Oxnard College 805.986.5828; or Ventura College 805.289.6369.

The Ventura County Community College District is a member of the 114-campus California Community College system, and serves more than 31,000 students annually. The District’s three colleges- Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura- offer programs in general education for degrees and certificates, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, career technical education, and provide opportunities to engage in co-curricular campus activities. For more information, please visit www.vcccd.edu or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/venturacountyccd.

Beginning Oct. 1, all 23 California State University (CSU) campuses, including CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will be accepting applications for fall 2018.

This is the first time all prospective students will apply online at the CSU’s new application portal: Cal State Apply. Transfer students used it earlier this year, but this is the first time it is open for all incoming freshman, transfer, graduate and international students wishing to attend a Cal State University, including CSUCI.

The new, streamlined, user-friendly portal is open during the two-month priority application period, which closes on Nov. 30, 2017.

“Cal State Apply has been designed to improve and simplify the process for the more than 850,000 applications that are submitted online to a CSU campus every year,” said Eric Forbes, CSU's assistant vice chancellor for Student Academic Affairs/Student Academic Support. “Students are encouraged to research and apply to more than one campus, especially if applying to impacted campuses, to increase their likelihood of admission and to apply early during the priority application period.”

“CSUCI continues to be a non-impacted campus, so all students who meet the minimum CSU eligibility requirements will qualify for admissions,” said Ginger Reyes, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of Admissions & Records.

Every year, CSUCI has a record number of students apply for the fall term. This year, CSUCI will receive freshmen applications for its brand new bachelor of science degree in Mechatronics Engineering.

“Our campus is strategically located on the so-called ‘101 Tech Corridor,’ sharing the neighborhood with companies such as Amgen, Haas, Teledyne Technologies, HRL Laboratories and many others, not to mention Naval Base Ventura County’s Point Mugu and Port Hueneme bases,” said Professor and Chair of the Computer Science program, Michael Soltys, Ph.D. “There is a great need and demand for engineers in the community and local industries.”

In addition to allowing one submission to serve the application needs of multiple CSU campuses, Cal State Apply also:
• incorporates the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) application, eliminating the need to file a separate EOP application;
• automatically calculates the overall GPA for first-time freshman applicants; and
• shares ACT and SAT test scores with all CSU campuses to which an applicant applies.

Students who apply during the priority application period will receive admission decisions beginning in February, Reyes said.

For more information regarding CSUCI’s admission process, visit www.csuci.edu/admissions.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSUCI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CSUCI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.

A national higher education statistics company called CollegeStats.org has named CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) one of the top 10 safest campuses in the nation.

The website gathered its data by looking at the crime rates of the top 100 most attended schools in the U.S. CollegeStats.org ranked CSUCI the ninth safest campus in the nation.

“We have an amazing public safety staff,” said CSUCI’s Acting Chief of Police Michael Morris. “I think the cause for this outcome is the fact that everyone on this campus —faculty, staff and students —understand that campus safety is a shared responsibility.”

Morris pointed out that everybody on campus works to keep the environment safe, comfortable and crime-free, but the department is also proud of the extra steps the officers take on a regular basis.

“We do make sure that our officers maintain high visibility at all times with a combination of patrols in marked police cars and as well as foot patrols,” Morris said.

The CSUCI Police Department also creates a sense of community among officers and the campus they protect with regular events that allow the police to interact with students, staff and faculty.

“Coffee with the Cops,” for example, is a popular event co-sponsored by the Police Department and Associated Students Inc. in which members of the campus drop by for a free cup of coffee, snacks and an informal chat.

CollegeStats.org also analyzed survey data from more than 179,000 students to find out whether students felt safe overall.

According to the CollegeStats.org website, almost 29 percent of students said they didn’t feel like that had anything to worry about at school — other than project deadlines and final exams, of course.

Collegestats.org is a nonprofit website that publishes statistics that accredited schools must provide by law. Collegestats.org collects the information and makes it easier to organize so students can make decisions based on a school’s merit, rather than marketing.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSUCI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CSUCI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.

The Ventura County Community College District will host an open house Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017, 4-6 p.m., to welcome the community to its new District Administrative Center (DAC), located at 761 East Daily Drive, Suite 200, Camarillo, CA, 93010. The public is invited to join VCCCD Chancellor Greg Gillespie, Board Chair Bernardo Perez, Vice Chair Arturo Hernández, Trustees Stephen Blum, Larry Kennedy and Dianne McKay and special guests, along with VCCCD students, faculty and staff, to celebrate the successful move and transition into the new home of the DAC.

Network and learn about programs and future goals planned to serve the community and students more effectively. The following program will include a tour of the 38,893 square feet facility, special acknowledgements, activities and information presented by the colleges, foundations, human resources and economic workforce development. Refreshments will also be served.

• Welcome – Board Chair Bernardo Perez
• Acknowledgements -- Board members, elected officials and special guests
• Brief remarks – Board member(s)
• Brief remarks – Chancellor Greg Gillespie
• Special Recognitions – Vice Chancellor Business Services, David El Fattal
• Ribbon Cutting, Tours and Refreshments

“We are excited to be centrally located in Ventura County,” stated Chancellor Gillespie. “Our doors are always open and we look forward to engaging with employers, organizations, residents, and students to provide quality education that meets the specific needs of each stakeholder,” added Gillespie.

“We are proud of the hard work that many District employees put into making this dream a reality and plan to recognize their accomplishments,” stated Chair Perez. “The community is encouraged to participate in this celebration and to take advantage of the District resources now more easily accessible to them right here in Camarillo,” said Perez.

The Ventura County Community College District is a member of the 114-campus California Community College system, and serves more than 31,000 students annually. The District’s three colleges- Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura- offer programs in general education for degrees and certificates, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, career technical education, and provide opportunities to engage in co-curricular campus activities. For more information, please visit www.vcccd.edu.

Ventura College and the California Transition Assistance Program (CalTap), Veterans Services Division, CalVet, will present the Ventura County Student Veteran Expo, Friday, September 15, 2017, 9 a.m., at Ventura College (4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA, Applied Science Center, Lecture Hall ASC-150). Sponsored by the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) and the California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI), Veterans Affairs Program, the expo is free and open to student veterans throughout the Ventura County Community College District (Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura Colleges) and CSUCI; students are encouraged to register online at the Ventura County Student Veteran Expo website located at https://goo.gl/Fg8q3U.

The expo is designed to connect student veterans with services and benefits. Representatives from CalVet, College of the Canyons Small Business Development Center, Support Services Veterans Families (SSVF) Salvation Army, United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA), Ventura County Veterans Services Office (VCVSO), Ventura County Veterans Foundation (VCVF), Vocational Rehabilitation and Education (VRE) Chapter 31, and Work for Warriors are scheduled to attend and present valuable information to help student veterans.

“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with CalTap, CalVet, and CSUCI to present this resource expo for our student veterans,” stated Ventura College President David Keebler. “At Ventura College, we take a holistic approach to providing support services to all students. The resources that will be shared during the Ventura County Student Veteran Expo align with our mission to transform students’ lives and develop human potential,” said Keebler.

“This is a great opportunity for student veterans at each of the three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District and CSUCI to meet key representatives from organizations that are committed to serving the special needs of veterans,” stated Ventura College Veterans Program Advisor Bruce McFadden. “I thank CalTap Training Coordinator Leo Oblima, who has worked diligently to help ensure this expo will be a success,” said McFadden.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided to attendees. Parking is free in the east parking lot of the campus during the expo. For more information, please contact Bruce McFadden at 805-289-6060 or bmcfadden@vcccd.edu or visit https://goo.gl/Fg8q3U.

Ventura College, an accredited two-year institution of higher education, has been a part of the beautiful seaside community of Ventura, California, since 1925. It is conveniently located approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara. The 112-acre campus, set in the rolling hills of Ventura, has an enrollment of 14,500 students. Ventura College offers Associate of Arts and Associate of Sciences Degrees in 33 majors, and Certificates of Completion and Proficiency Awards in 61 areas of study. Ventura College also has Transfer Guarantee Agreements with CSUCI, CSUN, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. Class schedules are posted at www.venturacollege.edu. For more information, contact the Ventura College Welcome Center at 805.289.6420.

Ventura College Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Orman, Patty Wendt and Leslie Herrera to its board of directors.

“We are excited to have Mike, Patty and Leslie join our board,” said Anne King, Ventura College Foundation executive director. “Each brings impressive leadership skills in diverse disciplines, which will be valuable assets to our organization.”

Orman embarked on a career in banking following his graduation from the University of Southern California. In 1983, he transitioned to community banking where decisions are made by people live in the community and understand the local needs of the businesses and families they serve. A resident of Ventura County since 2004, Orman is currently EVP and COO of Ojai Community Bank, and will become Market President upon completion of the bank’s acquisition by Bank of the Sierra.

Wendt is a counselor at the Ventura College’s Educational Assistance Center where she has worked since 1996. She is an advocate for determining appropriate support services and community resources for students with disabilities, and developed and teaches the class, “Strategies for Success in College and Life.” She will serve on the board as a faculty representative.

Herrera, a student at Ventura College, is the 2017/18 President of the Associated Students of Ventura College. She brings an expertise in communications to the foundation board, where she will serve as student representative.

The Ventura College Foundation’s board of directors is led by Rob van Nieuwburg, chair; Ruth Hemming, vice-chair; Nicole Kreutz, treasurer; Mike Montoya, secretary; David Keebler, Ventura College president; and Anne King, executive director.

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace, an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Anne King at (805) 289-6461 or aking@vcccd.edu. Or visit www.venturacollege.edu/foundation.

Ventura County Office of Education

Triton Academy, a school that serves students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from throughout Ventura County, is in search of a new place to call home. For the past ten years, Triton Academy has operated at a campus in Camarillo leased from the Pleasant Valley School District (PVSD). PVSD has shared that, due to expected growth in enrollment, it anticipates needing the site for its own students for the 2018-19 school year. The district has asked Triton Academy to vacate the facility at 700 Temple Avenue at the end of the 2017-18 school year.
Triton Academy is operated by the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) and provides a highly-regarded educational program for students with ASD. By using a comprehensive, trans-disciplinary planning and service delivery process, Triton Academy’s programs specifically addresses the language, communication, behavioral, sensory, and social needs that are often associated with ASD. The school serves students in third through twelfth grades and currently has an enrollment of 81 students who come from thirteen different school districts in Ventura County.

VCOE is actively exploring several options to locate a new home for Triton Academy. These include finding an unused or underused facility in another school district, using existing VCOE facilities or creating a temporary campus with relocatable buildings on a vacant site. Since Triton Academy’s students come from all parts of the county, the goal is to find a centrally located site.

VCOE has reached out to the superintendents of the county’s 20 school districts to request their assistance in identifying potential new locations for the school. “We are confident we will find a new home for Triton Academy in time for the 2018-19 school year,” said Stan Mantooth, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “We do not anticipate any interruption in the vital services Triton Academy provides to its students and their families.”

Triton Academy was developed in response to the increased need to support students with ASD. It has been recognized as a model school throughout the state due to its highly specialized programming and research-based methodologies. Triton Academy’s programs—supported by the collaboration between parents, students, teachers, specialists, paraprofessionals, and administrators—leads to successful student outcomes and safe learning environments.

VCOE has set up a webpage to keep parents, employees and the community up-to-date about efforts to find a new location for Triton Academy. The webpage can be reached at vcoe.org/triton-move.

About the Ventura County Office of Education
The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.