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- Written by: Lake County Chamber of Commerce
They are also now meeting with interested business and community leaders who would like to volunteer to mentor our youth.
Created out of a desire to help guide young adults of Lake County through and beyond the effects of the 2020 pandemic and into a career focused and citizenship engaged mindset, the Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors spearheaded a one-of-a-kind mentorship program.
The Youth Mentorship Program is a practical, skill building program designed to assist young adults with tools and resources to help them secure jobs, learn to be career minded and become goal setters early on.
The Youth Mentorship program is open to young adults ages 18 to 24. The mentees are mentored by Lake County business leaders, carefully curated to provide training to build skills and confidence.
The program is delivered in collaboration with both Mendocino Community College and Woodland Community College faculty.
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce is proud of a highly successful first run in 2021, led by leadership coach Gretchen Mills, where participants attended weekly virtual classes led by academic faculty and local subject matter experts, met one on one with mentors to learn valuable job skills, and received collectible feedback.
The program is designed to better prepare our youngest citizens to be strong members of our workforce, meeting a great need that many in our business community face.
To accomplish this, the chamber is seeking supportive community and business leaders to volunteer to train and guide young people in the seven-week program.
As a result of the 2021 pilot program, six mentees successfully completed the training earning much more than a certificate of completion and a graduation ceremony, the mentees exited the program with the knowledge that they have the skill and ability to achieve career goals and are valuable citizens in the community.
“We are happy to share the success of one mentee who secured full-time employment shortly after graduation, and another who began an entrepreneurial endeavor selling clothing and crafts at farmer’s markets and festivals,” the chamber said in a statement.
Graduates of the Youth Mentorship Program are also often invited to other opportunities to connect with community leaders.
For example, all 2021 graduates of the Youth Mentorship Program received scholarships from the Lake County Chamber of Commerce to the Lake Leadership Forum held in June.
To apply to become a mentor or a mentee for this exciting program, please visit http://tinyurl.com/lakementorship.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 2. Please reach out with any questions to
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- Written by: Lake County Air Quality Management District
Replacement with cleaner equipment helps reduce emissions of harmful diesel exhaust and greenhouse gases, and improves local air quality.
The statewide Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions, or FARMER, program received $212 million in fiscal year 2021-22.
Approximately $8.5 million is specifically designated for 17 air districts that each contribute less than 1 percent of total statewide emissions from agricultural equipment.
The application period for the “shared funding pool” starts Monday, August 1, and runs through August 31, 2022. FARMER funding is administered by California air districts, and farmers apply by submitting an application to the Lake County Air Quality Management District, or LCAQMD.
To be eligible, vehicles and equipment must be engaged in agricultural operations. Eligible project categories include:
• On-road heavy-duty agricultrual trucks;
• Off-road vehicles, such as tractors;
• Stationary and portable engine sources, such as agricultural pumps;
• Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV), or small tractors, (eligible for replacement with electric UTV); and
• Infrastructure engaged in, or supporting, agricultural operations.
Since the FARMER Program first launched in 2018, projects implemented statewide will reduce 1,120 tons of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), 18,700 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 169,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases.
Application forms and program details are available at http://www.capcoa.org/farmer-program.
Application forms must be submitted to the LCAQMD office at 2617 S. Main St., Lakeport, CA 95453, or submit by email at
Applications must be received at the LCAQMD office no later than Aug. 31, 2022, in order to be considered for funding.
Do not wait for the last minute, submit your application as soon as possible.
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- Written by: Mediacom
Included in the federal infrastructure bill, the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, provides a monthly credit of $30 to eligible participants.
The ACP credit can be applied to any residential service Mediacom offers.
In an effort to maximize the ACP benefit for qualifying households, Mediacom made a commitment to the Biden Administration to provide 100 Mbps download speeds to low-income Americans for just $30 per month.
By matching this $30 high-speed internet plan called Mediacom Connect-2-Complete Plus (C2C+) with the monthly $30 ACP credit, eligible customers can receive their broadband service from Mediacom for free.
“Reliable internet is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have,” said Mediacom Senior Operations Director Shawn Swatosh. “Without affordable access, people are cut-off from a digital world that increasingly relies on the internet to learn, work, search for jobs and receive health care.”
The Federal Communications Commission awards the monthly ACP credit to families with income at 200% of the federal poverty guideline or lower, and to those who qualify for other forms of government assistance.
The broadband credit is limited to one per household. Customers who choose Mediacom’s C2C+ service receive lease-free modems and free installations.
Swatosh explained that Mediacom is working to expand enrollment and is asking local human service and non-profit organizations to also share information about the free and low-cost broadband options.
“We want everyone within reach of Mediacom’s broadband network to have access to high-speed internet,” Swatosh said. “With this program, we can help more people stay connected to loved ones and the resources that contribute to their well-being.”
The ACP benefit is available to both new and existing Mediacom customers who qualify. Households interested in participating in the ACP must confirm eligibility to enroll in the program. Information can be found online at www.mediacomcable.com/acp or by calling 855-330-6918 (toll-free).
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- Written by: Lake County Chamber of Commerce
In the midst of a pandemic, a workforce shortage, and “the great resignation,” the Lake County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors declared 2021 the Year of Youth.
After feedback from local business owners, they knew that there needed to be a program to support our young adults to help them not only to secure jobs early in their careers, but to also retain them as their skills grow. This benefits not only the young adults, but our entire economy as well!
The youth mentorship program was born from that. The target participants in this program are young adults from the ages of 18 to 24.
The program is designed to better prepare our youngest citizens to be strong members of our workforce, meeting a great need that many business owners and leaders in our community face.
The youth mentorship program is an eight-week experience to provide training and skills, particularly the soft skills, to our local young adults as they prepare to enter the workforce.
It is an academically structured program, through a partnership with Mendocino Community College and Woodland Community College faculty, combined with boots-on-the-ground, real-time guidance provided by local business leaders that serve as one-on-one mentors.
Six participants graduated from the program in 2021, and through a special partnership with Hope Rising and All Children Thrive California, the chamber expects to see 25 to 30 graduates in 2022.
The chair of the 2022 youth mentorship program will begin immediately to lead the various components of the program – the framework for success is already built. The program is currently planned to begin the week of Sept. 19 and conclude the week of Nov. 7.
They are seeking an individual with leadership skills, passion for connecting small business and youth in Lake County, a basic understanding of structured learning (academia) and project management skills.
The chair will be supported by the chamber’s chief executive officer, staff and board of directors.
The initial time commitment is five to 10 hours per week, and will lessen as subcommittees are developed.
Anyone wishing to express their interest in serving our community in this role should send a cover letter and resume to