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- Written by: Editor
The program offers 14 categories of scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 each with varying eligibility requirements.
Categories include agriculture, art, academic excellence, business, culinary/hospitality/event management, education, international relations, trade school, viticulture and enology.
Applicants may apply for one scholarship category of their choice per year and will be evaluated based on academics, community service, quality of essay and recommendation.
Top scholarship winners in select categories may be invited to compete for the $5,000 Ironstone Concours Foundation Scholarship.
Scholarships are not renewable; however, students may reapply each year as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
The Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Program is a collaboration between the Friends of the California State Fair, the California Exposition & State Fair, the California State Fair Agricultural Advisory Council, the Ironstone Concours Foundation, Blue Diamond Growers and Western Fairs Association.
International Scholarship and Tuition Services Inc., an independent scholarship management company, hosts the online application process and disburses awards for the program.
The deadline to apply is March 2, 2018.
Learn more at www.CAStateFair.org/scholarship.
For questions about the Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Program, please email
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- Written by: Nicholas Phipps
“Martin is really showing initiative,” Siegel said. “He is getting graduated and moving on, he has his mind set on a goal and he’s going to achieve it.”
Principal Heather Koehler reported that he was one of two great examples of success pointed out to us by Woodland Community College.
On Nov. 3, Carlé gold level students of the first grade period (students who achieved more credit than a regular pace) were given the pleasure of taking a day off school in order to visit Paradise Skate Roller Rink in Lakeport, chaperoned by teacher Lance Christensen and Principal Heather Koehler.
During this trip to Paradise Skate Rink students skated in the roller rink, played arcade games and in addition to these activities the students were served pizza to eat for lunch.
After this adventure I questioned some students about their experience during the gold level trip.
Gold level student Marissa Doolin responded, “We had a lot of fun. We played skating tag which I thought was particularly fun. Even though everyone fell we all still had a ton of fun. I'm glad we got to go and if the opportunity came to go on another trip I would.”
“We all fell a lot, most of us fell at least 10 time but Lance (the teacher, we speak with the staff using first names) skated like a pro. The arcade games were a lot of fun,” said student Gilbert Lopez.
Finally the aforementioned Lance was asked about how he felt the trip went and he responded, “I had fun skating, the students spent about half the time skating and half the rest of the time eating pizza and playing games. All in all the student seemed to have fun and I only fell once.”
On Nov. 14 the gold level students for the second grading period were given a break from their academics as a reward for achieving above expected standards.
Students visited Scandia Amusement park in Santa Rosa and were chaperoned by teacher Lexi Fredricks and Principal Koehler.
Students were free to play any arcade games they would like, bumper boats, mini golf, and some small rides. I asked some students and staff how they felt.
“We spent a lot of the time on the bumper boats spraying each other. We also had a ton of fun playing mini golf and a bunch of arcade games,” said Taylor Churchill.
Shaina Yaquinto added, “All of us really enjoyed ourselves spraying each other in the bumper boats, the mini golf was also really fun.”
“People seemed to enjoy the arcade most. People spend a majority of the time there, I also enjoyed the arcade,” said Michael Naber.
Finally, teacher Lexi Fredricks added, “The drop zone ride was a blast, and everyone seemed to enjoy the arcade games; then we finished with mini golf which was also a lot of fun.”
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves which is the goal of gold level trips, congratulations to everyone who got to attend the trip.
Nicholas Phipps is a student at Carlé Continuation High School.
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All three options, presented to the Board of Governors, are designed to assist older adults and so-called “stranded workers,” who need sub-associate degree credentials or short bursts of additional training to move ahead in today’s economy.
Dubbed Flex Learning Options for Workers, or FLOW, the project strongly aligns with the California Community Colleges system’s Vision for Success goal of better serving older adults who need non-traditional approaches to improve their skillsets.
The options developed do not compete for students already being served by community colleges, and all options build on the work of the system’s existing Online Education Initiative.
The proposals, along with the input from people who spoke in favor and in opposition to the approaches, will be provided to the governor for consideration.
“The Californians we seek to reach cannot stop working to get the education they need to get ahead, and many of them juggle multiple jobs to feed their families,” said state Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “As much as we would like to, we cannot will them onto our campuses. We need to rethink traditional delivery models and pedagogies and meet this population where and when they are ready to gain skills and credentials.”
Oakley and the working group tasked with responding to Brown’s request in May identified the target population as the 2.5 million Californians who have had some college but no degree or certificate as a core group. Language can be a barrier for this group, as 48 percent from Spanish-speaking households.
"With shifting student needs, the FLOW initiative provides community colleges with a direct way to deliver services to a critical population of students that have been unable to benefit from higher education,” said Cerritos College President Dr. Jose Fierro, who served as co-chair of the group that developed the three options. “We are hopeful that the proposed online models will finally give more Californians another pathway to education."
All options would use a flexible schedule rather than a traditional one, and students would access content through a subscription model, taking as many, or few, courses as they like. Support would be technology enabled with human contact. Online education would be coupled with hands on or work-based training in many cases.
“The approaches envisioned in FLOW leverage the high quality educational and student support services offered by the California Community Colleges and have the potential to create powerful collaborations with industry partners to help address the problem of economic stratification in our state,” said James P. Mayer, president and CEO of California Forward, a bipartisan public interest effort to bolster democracy and improve the performance of government in California.
Under the approaches presented to the Board of Governors:
Option No. 1 would use an existing campus to create a statewide delivery system with campus faculty and campus instructional designers creating content. College employer partnerships would be used and new ones developed statewide.
Option No. 2 would use an existing community college district to host a consortium of colleges that opt-in to collaborate on FLOW, with faculty coming from the participating colleges. The host district would employ or contract with instructional designers as well as develop employer relationships.
Under option No. 3, a new community college district would be formed and operate under the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, which would hire leadership for the competency-based program. Selected faculty would work with the new district’s instructional designers, and customize student services.
After the comment period ends, a full report containing all of the options will be presented to Gov. Brown for consideration and additional direction.
To read a full description of the options or to make a comment by the Nov. 22 deadline, please visit the FLOW Web site at www.doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu/ForCollegeLeadership/FlexLearningOptionsforWorkers.aspx.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 114 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.
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The Board of Governors Energy and Sustainability Awards were established in 2012 to recognize leadership in implementing goals set forth in Proposition 39, also known as the California Clean Energy Jobs Act, to improve energy efficiency and expand clean energy generation in schools.
“California community colleges are leaders in conservation and sustainability, with smart energy solutions that enhance learning environments, save taxpayers money, create jobs and make our system a responsible steward of public and natural resources.” said California Community Colleges Board of Governors President Cecilia V. Estolano.
Awards are granted in the following categories:
o Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Proposition 39 Projects
o Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Faculty/Student Initiatives
o Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Sustainability Champion.
Award winners in the category of Proposition 39 projects are chosen based upon a point system comparing cost savings, energy savings and jobs created by Proposition 39 energy projects. The Faculty/Student Initiatives Award recognizes faculty and/or students who are making a difference in developing sustainability initiatives for their college. The Sustainability Champion is chosen by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office based upon an individual’s contributions in energy savings and sustainability.
The following colleges and college districts were honored for Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Proposition 39 Projects:
Best Overall District - Large:
Winner: Coast Community College District, Orange Coast College – Interior Lighting Retrofit
Orange Coast College replaced more than 12,500 fluorescent and incandescent fixtures with energy efficient fluorescent and LED fixtures during an interior lighting retrofit in several campus buildings. The total project cost was $887,000 and included approximately $722,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $150,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $15,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 628,000 kilowatt hours, resulting in energy cost savings of $81,000 annually. Additionally, construction of this project created more than 2,500 hours of journeyman employment.
Honorable Mention: Rancho Santiago Community College District, Santa Ana College – Campus-wide Interior Lighting Retrofit
Santa Ana College replaced more than 4,800 linear fluorescent fixtures with LED retrofit kits. The total project cost was $893,000 and included approximately $706,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $125,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $62,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 614,000 kilowatt hours, resulting in energy cost savings of $80,000 annually. Additionally, construction of this project created more than 2,400 hours of journeyman employment.
Best Overall District – Medium:
Winner: Palomar Community College District, Palomar College – Retrofit Exterior Lighting with LEDs
Palomar College installed more efficient LED lighting during an exterior lighting retrofit project at both its San Marcos and Escondido sites. The total project cost was $1.4 million and included approximately $516,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $29,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $850,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 463,000 kilowatt hours, resulting in energy cost savings of $74,000 annually. The construction for this project generated 857 journeyman hours and 582 hours of apprentice employment.
Honorable Mention: Yosemite Community College District, Modesto Junior College – Interior and Exterior Lighting Retrofit on East Campus
Yosemite Community College District completed an extensive interior and exterior lighting upgrade project at its Modesto Junior College East Campus. The total project cost was $706,000 and included approximately $690,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $17,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $49,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 477,000 kilowatt hours, resulting in energy cost savings of $62,000 annually. In addition, this project’s construction generated approximately 1,500 hours of journeyman employment.
Best Overall District – Small:
Winner: Solano Community College District, Solano Community College – Variable Air Volume Conversion
Solano Community College converted 20 air-handling units at various buildings from constant airflow systems to more efficient variable airflow systems. In addition, an additional eight air handlers were enhanced with improved efficient controls. The improved operation of these air-handling units allows for reduced airflow throughout the year while maintaining pre-existing comfort levels. The total project cost was $1.5 million and included approximately $457,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $252,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $809,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 2,048,000 kilowatt hours and 90,000 therms of natural gas resulting in energy cost savings of $191,000 annually.
The construction of this project generated more than 9,500 hours of journeyman and 3,800 hours of apprentice employment.
Honorable Mention: Victor Valley Community College District, Victor Valley College – Constant to Variable Air Volume Air Handler Upgrade
Victor Valley College completed an air-handler upgrade project at multiple buildings to improve efficiency. The total project cost was $268,000 and included approximately $239,000 of Proposition 39 funds and $29,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates. The project is estimated to save 120,000 kilowatt hours, resulting in energy cost savings of $15,000 annually. Additionally, construction of this project created more than 750 hours of journeyman employment.
Retrofit Project Winner:
Butte-Glenn Community College District, Butte College – Skyway Center – EMS Upgrade
Butte College implemented a campus-wide energy management system upgrade project to achieve optimum operating efficiency. The total project cost was $421,000 and included approximately $383,000 of Proposition 39 funds and $38,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates. The project is estimated to save 130,000 kilowatt-hours and 6,530 therms, resulting in energy cost savings of $111,000 annually. The construction for this project generated more than 2,900 hours of journeyman employment.
Honorable Mention: San Joaquin Delta Community College District, San Joaquin Delta College – Exterior Lighting Retrofit
San Joaquin Delta College replaced more than 1,000 exterior lighting fixtures at campus parking lots, pathways, and building exterior walls with high-efficiency LED fixtures. The total project cost was $850,000 and included approximately $550,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $135,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $165,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 570,000 kilowatt-hours, resulting in energy cost savings of $45,000 annually. The construction of this project generated 950 hours of journeyman and 950 hours of apprentice employment.
Commissioning Project Winner:
Cerritos Community College District, Cerritos College – RCx at Math/Science Building
Cerritos College implemented a retro-commissioning (RCx) project at the Science Building on its main campus. The project involved installing more reliable controls and implementing better control sequences on the air handlers making them more energy efficient. The total project cost was $577,000 and included approximately $350,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $46,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $181,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 62,000 kilowatt hours and 6,900 therms resulting in energy cost savings of $25,000 annually. The construction of this project generated more than 160 hours of journeyman and 41 hours of apprentice employment.
Honorable Mention: Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles Harbor College – Central Plant RCx
Los Angeles Harbor College completed an RCx project at the central plant serving their campus. The project involved upgrading central plant controls and optimizing chiller control to better account for variability in campus energy needs. The total project cost was $316,000 and included approximately $204,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $26,000 of LADWP rebates, and $86,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 326,000 kilowatt hours, resulting in energy cost savings of $42,000 annually. The construction for this project generated 807 hours of journeyman and 168 hours of apprentice employment.
Renewable Energy Winner:
Cabrillo Community College District, Cabrillo College – Solar Thermal Pool Heater
The Cabrillo Community College District completed a solar thermal pool heater project at its Cabrillo College campus, which involved installing new controls and monitoring systems, a new solar pump station, heat exchanger and storage tank, and 56 new roof mounted solar thermal panels. The total project cost was $227,000 and included approximately $137,000 of Proposition 39 funds, $37,000 of Investor Owned Utility rebates, and $52,000 of district funds. The project is estimated to save 7,466 therms, resulting in energy cost savings of $3,700 annually. The construction for this project generated 1,045 hours of journeyman employment.
In addition, Dr. Mark Padilla, a professor of physics at Chaffey College, was honored with a Faculty/Student Initiative Award. Padilla plays an integral role behind the Physics in the Central Plant initiative, which integrates energy efficiency equipment and operations directly into student learning through the physics curriculum. The curriculum includes student tours of the central plant and increases student, faculty, staff and community knowledge and interest in energy efficiency and sustainability, energy efficient equipment and operations of campus facilities.
Joe Fullerton, the Energy and Sustainability Manager at San Mateo County Community College District, was selected as the California Community Colleges Sustainability Champion for setting an aggressive pace in sustainability at the district since his arrival more than three years ago. He started his tenure by completing sustainability plans at all three district campuses, and he worked with a local nonprofit to in securing $3.5 million in grant funding from the California Energy Commission to support a solar and energy storage project. Fullerton also is working to implement a new Facility Management System to help the district save energy and water while improving maintenance and operations for staff efficiency.