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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Garamendi's bipartisan bill would also increase transparency so that parents are informed when students are served foreign-produced foods paid for by taxpayers.
Original cosponsors: Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE01), Tim Ryan (D-OH13), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA01), Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA24), Don Young (R-AK), Derek Kilmer (D-WA06)
Garamendi’s legislation was introduced the same day President Biden issued an executive order to support Buy American policies by directing federal agencies to buy goods and services that are American-made to the extent possible. Garamendi has championed Buy American and Make It In America policies with his Democratic colleagues throughout his entire tenure in Congress.
“Even in Northern Californian and Central Valley farming communities, some school districts use taxpayer dollars to buy imported foods. Some of those imported foods have been recalled due to safety concerns when they could have been sourced locally in California,” said Garamendi. “That’s why my American Food for American Schools Act would ensure that our schoolchildren are served nutritious, American-grown foods that are produced under the strictest safety standards in the world.
“This legislation also supports the Biden Administration’s strong actions to advance Buy American policies that will support our middle class and generate a much-needed economic stimulus for our country. I thank President Biden for the executive action he’s taking today, and I will continue to support his efforts through my work in Congress,” Garamendi concluded.
The bipartisan American Food for American Schools Act strengthens the “Buy American” provisions in current federal law requiring school districts to purchase domestically sourced products for in-school meals. Under the bill, school districts would be required to obtain a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase foreign-sourced food products funded by the National School Lunch Program.
Any such USDA waivers would only be granted if the domestically produced food was cost-prohibitive or simply unavailable.
Congressman Garamendi’s bill would also require that school districts notify parents of all foreign-sourced foods served to students, by posting any such waivers obtained from the USDA on the school’s website. This would increase public transparency and provide American farmers an opportunity to seek out school districts that need affordable domestically grown foods.
The full text of the American Food for American Schools Act is available here.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
“The California Community Colleges has been at the forefront of meeting seemingly insurmountable challenges being faced during this deadly pandemic, and we are proud to honor these deserving recipients of the Exemplary Program Award for not letting anything get in the way of serving their students,” said Board of Governors President Pamela Haynes.
Sponsored by the Chancellor's Office and the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the Exemplary Program Award was established by the Board of Governors in 1991 to recognize outstanding community college programs. The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges selects annual themes, with the theme for the 2020-21 awards being “Equitable Practices in a Virtual Educational Environment.”
Sierra College’s Undocumented Student (Undocu) Center was recognized for continuing to provide an inclusive and safe educational environment for undocumented students and students of mixed-status families on a virtual platform. UndocuAlly trainings, public charge policy workshops, peer educator scholarships, guest presentations, and the Undocu Student Guide Training collaboration with student services departments were among the highlights.
Santa Barbara City College’s wellness center (The WELL) seamlessly transitioned its in-person program to a virtual platform, resulting in approximately 6,000 students finding resources and services on its website from January to October of 2020. The WELL offers holistic health and wellness workshops, skills building, group counseling and related services and has had an interactive virtual presence since January, 2019. The experience proved critical during a transition that ensured students had equitable access to health and wellness education through remote learning.
Ventura College’s Faculty Academy Program encourages faculty from different disciplines to discuss pedagogy, promote student engagement in a culturally inclusive manner and address equity gaps. While the transition provided an opportunity to continue a student’s educational journey, it also introduced a host of equity and access concerns, misperceptions around students’ technology abilities and unique challenges for some student populations. The Faculty Academy allowed participants to engage with these issues and experiment with ways to better serve students online.
Honorable mentions went to College of the Canyons for its noncredit program, which has expanded equitable educational opportunities in an online environment in part by training 65 faculty to teach in a remote fashion over the past two years; and to Oxnard College’s Public Safety Department for having one of few college Fire Academy programs able to immediately transition to a hybrid format during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually every student in the spring 2020 cohort successfully pass the course and state certification testing.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; degree and certificate pathways; and basic skills education in English and math. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision for Success, a strategic plan designed to improve student success outcomes, increase transfer rates and eliminate achievement gaps. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Vanessa Hughes of Clearlake Oaks, Calif., joined more than 1,000 students across all CMU campuses who met the requirements for placement, including a grade point average of 3.50 or higher for the semester.
Since its founding in 1854, CMU has evolved into a university that confers master's, bachelor's and associate's degrees through programming on its main campus in Fayette, Mo., and through extension sites and online.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
This is the first program developed under the partnership established between Mendocino College, Woodland Community College and SSU.
The program, with a concentration in management, seeks to create a more accessible transfer pathway for students to SSU.
Classes will be offered online, at the Lake Center of Mendocino College and the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College.
The program is designed for adult learners who need schedule flexibility, often due to work or family obligations.
Additionally, students in this program are eligible for financial aid.
SSU’s School of Extended and International Education and the School of Business and Economics will offer the final 60 units required to complete the bachelor degree, including all business courses and other requirements for graduation (120 total units).
Degrees will be conferred by SSU, and are professionally accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Additional information about this program and dates of upcoming information sessions are available on the program website at www.sonoma.education/lake .
Interested students may also contact their Mendocino/Woodland Community College counselor or SSU Program coordinator and advisor, Nina Mendia, at