As September kicks off, this school year promises to be unique. In the next Education Insight episode, we tackle two critical topics affecting California's education landscape.

First, we delve into the California Education Budget decrease, set to withdraw over 20 billion dollars from our schools this year. We examine its potential impact on local education quality and discuss how communities are responding.

Additionally, we shed light on the numerous Cash for College workshops, helping Inland Empire residents secure substantial funds for their education. These workshops, staffed by California Student Aid Commission experts, simplify the federal application process.

Join us for this insightful Education Insight episode as we explore the challenges and opportunities facing education in California. Discover how budget cuts may reshape education and how students can access the financial support they need. Don't miss this timely conversation!

The landscape of education and workforce training is rapidly evolving, with community colleges and universities collaborating to create effective training programs that cater to the needs of businesses and recent graduates. Through these partnerships, specially trained apprentices are being placed in jobs that align with their aspirations and career goals.

Moreover, college graduates and community workforce programs are instrumental in driving the growth of apprenticeships, seeking meaningful career inlets and opportunities that align with their expertise and passions.

Through firsthand accounts and interviews with business owners, we'll uncover how these programs are providing a smoother path to employment for skilled apprentices, empowering them to enhance their skill sets and flourish in their chosen fields even after college.

If you're curious about the dynamic world of apprenticeships and their positive influence on workforce development, join us for an insightful discussion that highlights the transformative power of specialized training programs in shaping the future of our workforce.

In this enlightening episode, we delve into the world of Dual Enrollment, an educational pathway that opens doors to remarkable opportunities for high school students. Join us as we unravel the intricacies of this program, shedding light on its significance, benefits, local initiatives, and future prospects.

Our esteemed guests, Adrienne Pacheco, and Jorge Perez,  bring their extensive expertise and insights to the table. Together, we embark on a journey to understand the multifaceted aspects of Dual Enrollment.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into local and state Dual Enrollment initiatives and mandates. Our guests shed light on the policies and partnerships that have paved the way for the successful implementation of Dual Enrollment programs in our region. We delve into collaborative efforts between high schools and colleges, sharing examples of innovative practices that ensure seamless transitions and maximize student outcomes.

Tune in to this captivating episode as we unravel the transformative power of Dual Enrollment. Whether you are a student, parent, educator, or community member, this episode will empower you with the information and inspiration needed to navigate the world of Dual Enrollment and unlock a brighter future.

In the Inland Empire, our students count on teachers and administrators to help them make it to graduation. But in fact, they, our whole community, are counting on legislators to create good education policies. Policy that makes the road to graduation equitable, affordable, and possible. Are the policies that affect our students working for them or against them? This week three top experts lay it out for us. Dr. Nohemy Ornelas, Vice Chancellor of Educational and Student Support Services for the San Bernardino Community College District. Ann Marie Sakrekoff, the Interim CEO of Growing Inland Achievement, and Dr. Brittnee Quintanar, of Norcco College conducted a study that put her in front of our top education leaders asking what they think about it. Join us for the next Education Insight. 

Last month, a number of people in the Inland Empire were honored for extraordinary achievements in Inland Empire education. This week, we'd like you to meet them. What are the qualities that make you the BEST teacher of 2023 or the best administrator? What does an 8th-grade Fontana kid have to do to win the regional spelling bee and end up headed for the national competition? Plus; a look at the biggest STEM competition in the Inland Empire-where over a thousand science-loving kids converged to give it all they know for the Inland Empire Science Olympiad. All that... and more on the next episode of Education Insight.

Artificial Intelligence has landed in the Inland Empire; allowing high school students to explore Egypt or China in virtual reality. It is helping pre-med students learn surgery with overlay vision that shows them where to make incisions and it's making local logistic hubs more efficient. But two top experts in Inland economics and education are warning that it comes with a price. Instructors at all grade levels worry that chat gpt is actually completing your child's school report, and Amazon is talking about creating "dark warehouses," where all employees are let go, robotic devices take over the heavy lifting and they can save even more by turning off all of the lights. Are we prepared for all of this?

On today's Education Insight, we focus on nothing but A.I. and our region. This story is one where local politicians and educators are working to save the future and our jobs by getting in front of Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Johannes Moenius, from the University of Redlands, is an internationally respected expert on global economics and technology who has focused much of his work and teachings on the Inland Empire. Dr. Christian Shelton; A faculty member in the Computer Science & Engineering department at the University of California Riverside, and Author or co-author of over 65 scholarly works on Artificial Intelligence dating back to 2006. He is the lead contributor and member of R-Lair; a Riverside California lab of scholars all dedicated to research on artificial intelligence. I hope you'll join us for the next Education Insight when we explore: A.I. in the I.E.

Most of us look at school...as a path to get us to a dream we already have. But here in the Inland Empire, it's common for students to be introduced to interesting experiences or careers that they never even thought about. This week we meet a former: custodian, a college journalist, and a little boy who was just trying to make it thru Ms. Lees's 2nd-grade class--and then a moment at school that sent all three of them into totally unexpected directions. In this week's Education Insight-stories of surprise and success from local students. 

Today we bring you a show that has little to do with classroom lessons but everything to do with local student success. In the aftermath of the pandemic, we now have more community college students of all ages, living in cars, arriving hungry, in need of traditional and mental health services, and having serious transportation issues. They are often veterans or those who lost work during the lockdowns. In California, Education leaders and legislators have become increasingly aware of this. So, this year, they helped make federal, state, non-profit, and private money become more readily available to Inland Empire colleges to help these students stay healthy, safe, and learning. These services often referred to as wrap-around support, are now providing struggling community college students with Food, housing, childcare, mental health, financial assistance, and transportation. Today-two top administrators are responsible for establishing programs that get those services to the students who most need them.

This past month the Toward A Shared Vision education summit was held at the Riverside Convention center. It was aimed at bringing education leaders from Inland Southern California together to collaborate and in many cases to put those who come from different colleges and universities or K-12 in the same room to learn how others might be doing the very same job with different results.

So the Education Insight team set up a recording booth at the two-day event and we pulled a number of local and state leaders in to find out what the shared vision really is and what they agree is good in the Inland Empire as well as what they say needs to be done locally in our schools and colleges.

This week we’re talking with two women who have fought relentlessly for their education. Dr. Avisinia Rodriguez spent much of her childhood in the Oasis Trailer Park community. She is currently the Assistant Dean at the Palm Desert Campus of Cal State San Bernardino and is now the recipient of a multi-million dollar grant to help kids like her, find an easier path to success. 

At seventeen, Brianna Moran found high school impossible due to the bullies that made life unbearable. She left without graduating. But a decade later, woke up one morning with a weight, health, and alcohol problem and decided enough was enough. She somehow found a way out of all of these issues and went back to school to reimagine her future. Tune in to listen to these incredible stories on this episode of Education Insight.