The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is now accepting submissions for an essay contest designed to honor local military veterans. The winning high school student will receive a $500 college scholarship, courtesy of SAFE Credit Union. Every year, SCOE honors the many contributions of local veterans who left high school to serve in the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War through the Operation Recognition program. Qualifying veterans, who received an honorable discharge, may contact SCOE to receive their high school diplomas. Diplomas are also presented to Japanese American citizens who were forced to leave high school due to WW II internment. Th

Administrators at John F. Kennedy High School organized a mega fieldtrip this week: They brought every freshman student – all 500 – on a college campus tour. The JFK ninth graders visited Sacramento City College on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. While college visits are not uncommon for Sacramento City Unified School District high school students, this is the first time a large campus has ensured that every member of a class gets to see a college in action before graduation. “We want every student to know that they can go to college if they choose,” said JFK Principal Chad Sweitzer. “No matter what academic achievement level or income level you’re at, there are opportunities open to you

Sacramento County Historical Society's 2012 awards dinner and fundraiser is themed "A Night at the Zanzibar," featuring dinner by the Dante Club, a talk by historians Keith Burns and Clarence Caesar about the Zanzibar Club, one of the most legendary of Sacramento's long-lost West End jazz nightclubs of the 1940s, and a live performance by the Harley White Jr. Orchestra performing big-band jazz from the era of the Zanzibar. SCHS will also present its annual awards for publication, education and historic preservation. Hear the Harley White Jr. Orchestra here: http://www.reverbnation.com/harleywhitejrorchestra Members of Sacramento County Historical Society and event sponsor the Sacramento

The Crocker Art Museum has teamed up with California State University, Sacramento to promote and host University Night, or U-Nite. The event is being held to celebrate the connection of campus and community, as well as to recognize the College of Arts and Letters. It is a Sacramento State Faculty Arts Showcase, where full-time faculty members from the College of Arts and Letters will be coming together to perform, showcase and celebrate. U-Nite will be hosted at the Crocker Art Museum on Thursday, April 12 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in collaboration with the museum’s “Thursdays ‘til 9” exhibition. U-Nite is a public event reaching out to students, faculty and staff, alumni, administrators and

Monday evening, Equality California (EQCA) hosted their 2012 Equality Awards reception at the California Dental Association’s banquet room, just a block away from the State Capitol in Sacramento. San Francisco based, EQCA is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocacy organization in California. They have partnered with legislators and advocates to sponsor more than 80 pro-equality bills providing the LGBT community with the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Each year, the organization bestows three awards to persons who most exemplify the work EQCA does by improving the lives of LGBT Californians, creating a strong California, a

On Friday morning, March 2, 2012, after a meeting with leadership of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community concerning gay rights issues, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson joined a growing list of over 175 other mayors and municipal leaders, including West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon who signed early in the campaign, representing 32 states across the country, standing up publicly for marriage equality. “Mayors for the Freedom to Marry” are a broad-based and nonpartisan group of mayors who believe “all people should be able to share in the love and commitment of marriage”. Though it took a while for Mayor Johnson to agree to sign the statement, in the end the mayo

On Thursday, March 8, St. Anna’s Greek Orthodox Church will host a special forum discussion that will feature Rev. Joseph Mumita of Kenya, East Africa. He will discuss efforts to help feed and enrich the lives of some of Kenya’s poorest children and how people can become involved. “It’s not often that we host someone from East Africa who is so involved in helping God’s poorest children,” said Father Christopher Flesoras. “We are very pleased to be hosting Rev. Joseph and look forward to hearing about what is going on in Kenya.” Projects Rev. Joseph will discuss include: Daily lunch feeding of more than 400 school children who would otherwise only get one meal a day. Efforts to support

“O24u! O24u!” chanted the students in the room. Their voices filled the cafeteria and they even had matching poses to match each syllable. It was as if the kids of Del Paso Heights Elementary School were at cheerleading practice, and they were – cheering for cleaner air and a better environment. Yesterday afternoon, Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails (BCSET) launched its O24u program at the school. Led by Argelia Leon, BCSET’s Policy Manager and head of the O24u program, the students were introduced to program. O24u is an after-school environmental education program that is being implemented in elementary schools within Sacramento, specifically those located in low-income ne

Accountability in schools and parents’ right to choose were the two solutions to Sacramento’s low education achievement that Howard L. Fuller, founder of the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), former superintendent, educator and education reformer, focused on during his discussion with more than 100 Sacramento community members at the Stand Up Monthly Meeting on Monday. “How can we tell how our schools are doing when their performance is labeled by a three-digit code nobody understands?” Fuller asked at the opening of his speech, referring to the state’s Academic Performance Index. “We need to give schools grades just like we do our students.” Fuller extended his discussion f

Salvation Army of Sacramento received more than 300 donated books from the students of Merryhill School of South Natomas today. The donation supports The Army’s Early Care and Education Program in Oak Park. “We wanted our students to have the opportunity to develop service leadership skills,” said Lezli Warburton, Merryhill principal. “It’s important for our children to understand their connection to the community and how they can give back.” Merryhill, a private school for pre-kindergarten through third grade, hosted the book drive for the last month. Parents and students were encouraged to donate books of various topics, including: alphabet, animals, colors, health and nutrition, music

The Powerhouse Science Center in Sacramento announced that Keller Group Office Environments has joined the campaign to build the premier science learning center serving Northern California. As a founding partner, Keller Group Office Environments joins other regional leaders and organizations in a cooperative effort to support the development of this vital new community asset. Located on the scenic banks of the Sacramento River, the Powerhouse Science Center will function as a model for 21st century experiential STEM education (science, math, technology, engineering, space) and environmental stewardship. The design will be an exemplary “green” building that serves as an environmental teac

Sally Phonthachack wants to some day run her own nonprofit organization and be a mentor to young people. The daughter of Laotian parents who immigrated to the United States when she was an infant, Phonthachack is currently working toward her master’s degree and helping a Sacramento nonprofit organization, believing these two endeavors will help provide a springboard toward her goal. This month Phonthachack began working full time in a fellowship position with Valley Vision while she continues to pursue her master’s in business administration at Drexel University’s Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento. In her new position, Phonthachack will assist senior Valley Vision staff in craftin

In the Mayor’s “State of the City” address he focused on two important and interconnected areas: jobs and education. The Mayor also spoke about making the impossible possible, a message that resonates with many citizens today. With unemployment at record highs (8.5% in the U.S., 11.3% in California and 11.1% in Sacramento) and prevalent low academic performance in the U.S. (compared internationally) and in California (compared to other states), the impossibility of the “American dream” is all too real for far too many people today. Still, all hope is not lost. There is a sense of urgency sweeping the nation and jobs and education are two very hot topics swirling in the media. There is a fe

DAVIS, Calif. — It has now been two months since the infamous pepper-spraying incident that made UC Davis an international house-hold name occurred. Even after Thanksgiving weekend, only the remnants of the incident remained. Although a bounty of tents could still be found on the quad, a mere handful of protestors could be found in them. Then the Monday morning after Thanksgiving break arrived. Once again, one by one, news vans crept back onto campus as if waiting for blood to be shed. The vans have now let the campus in peace. Almost all protestors and non-protestors alike felt strongly that the pepper spraying incident was nothing but unacceptable. “The extraordinary reaction of the pep

   When did you get the "writing" bug? That insatiable bug that you must write something, anything to tell and inform the world.  Was it when you wrote for your College paper? Maybe, it started in High school when you were in the Yearbook Club or writing for the the school newspaper. Whenever it was, it gave you the momentum to continue to write your stories or articles today.     This just may be true for a handful of students that are in the Journalism Club at Isador Cohen Elementary School. Yes,  I said elementary.  They are students ranging from third through sixth grades and they write the stories for the school newsletter. The Club is in its second year at Cohen and has seen an incr

Thousands of same-sex couples in Sacramento and throughout California are eagerly waiting on a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that will ether uphold, or not, the California Supreme Court’s decision that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. This issue has already been dealt with in several other states with some accepting marriage equality but for California it has proven to be a highly emotional and complicated one for same-sex couples that are hoping to soon have the same rights as other legally married couples. The decision is expected any day now. “Question One,” a newly released documentary on Maine’s 2009 referendum battle over same-sex marriage, will

The Powerhouse Science Center and Aerojet today announced a $1.5 million gift from Aerojet, that will launch the new science complex’s cutting-edge simulated NASA space mission program, to be named the Aerojet Challenger Learning Center. The current heavily-used 17-year-old Challenger Learning Center is in full operation at the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center, which will relocate and become the Powerhouse Science Center when the new facility opens in 2014. Recently honored as one of the nation’s most successful Challenger Centers, Sacramento’s Challenger adventure inspires future astronauts with suspension-of-disbelief scenarios and problems, challenging students to apply the math

Drexel University, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit university recognized as a national leader in academic innovation, will hold three more December information sessions for enrollment at the Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento. The center, which opened at One Capitol Mall in January 2009, is already known as one of Northern California’s most high-tech conference and educational facilities. In its state-of-the-art classrooms, Drexel – a top-ranked national comprehensive research university – will offer six master’s and one doctoral degree program in 2012 that are designed for working professionals. All seven programs are focused on the heart of Sacramento’s growth and economic develo

The Sacramento City Unified School District board is considering a potential campus “swap” for two central city schools – a move that has stirred up a storm of criticism from parents, students and education advocates in the city. The proposed swap would move the West Campus High School program from its current 58th Street location to the old Sacramento High School facility and replace it with the Sacramento Charter High School program, which is currently at the old Sac High campus. Proponents of the swap say the move will allow the popular West Campus program to expand and will create an opportunity to establish a non-college preparatory high school program for students in central city n

As Earth welcomed its 7 billionth child Nov. 1, international concern for diminishing world resources and mounting pollution are on the rise. This concern not only stems from the number of people on the planet, but how those people consume and dispose of their resources. However, depending upon how the international community prepares for that challenge, it could serve as an opportunity for positive change. The Sacramento City College’s Student Associated Council has recognized the international concern for its impact on the planet by creating a new position to help facilitate the campus’ desire to reduce its waste by welcoming plant biology major Michael Viscuso to the newly created posi