Opening Doors to a Better Future through EDUCATION!

July 05, 2012

For Immediate Release

English Contact: Michael Segura

909-653-7368, msegura909@gmail.com

Spanish Contact: Maria Guadalupe Ortiz

909-838-5738, musica_bohemia_y_poeta@hotmail.com

Community Forum in support of quality education for all:

Opening Doors to a Better Future through EDUCATION!

San Bernardino, CA- On Wednesday June 13th, over 200 Inland Congregations United for Change interfaith clergy, parents and students came together with a panel of education and business leaders at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in San Bernardino to bring attention to barriers to college readiness and success. This community forum was part of ICUC’s region-wide effort to bridge the education gap. Over a span of three years, ICUC leaders held hundreds of one to one conversations and dozens of research meetings to learn about what is going on in education. Only 12.1% of people, 25 and over, in San Bernardino have a college degree; only 14% of students graduating high school complete the A-G requirements, necessary to enter a CSU/UC or four-year university.

            “Our research has uncovered four steps that we can take together that will make a difference for families in our communities. These include: A new parent engagement program that engages parents in their communities, schools and churches; A plan to improve academic rigor by making A-G courses a necessary requirement for graduation; Financial literacy and savings programs that help families see college as a realistic goal; and engagement of high school students for college while they are still in school,” stated Maria Guadalupe Ortiz, a member of the ICUC research team.  

            Community members also gave testimony. Cohinda Gomez, a parent from Our Lady of Guadalupe, spoke about her experience, “When I went to pick up graduation tickets, I was told that my son was not going to graduate. This was four hours before graduation.” 

            Student leader Cristina Ruiz and parent leader Carolina Miranda asked the panel to commit to concrete steps to improve educational outcomes around academic, structural, informational and financial barriers families face. SBCUSD chief academic officer Dr. Davalos and SBVC interim president Larry Buckley committed to convene a meeting of education partners to begin to identify short-term policies aimed at improving A-G graduation rates and college and career readiness for students. SBCCD board of trustee member John Longville agreed to create a policy that would accept and enroll SBCUSD high school seniors, before they leave high school, to SBVC. 1st Valley Credit Union Marketing & Business Development Director Sossy Hyatt agreed to work to create a pilot program with elementary and middle schools in the city to provide financial literacy and access to saving accounts for parents. 

            “These are steps in the right direction and we hope that we can continue working together with our education leaders to improve educational outcomes for our youth,” said Rocio Aguayo, a youth leader with ICUC.

ICUC is a diverse, interfaith and grassroots nonpartisan federation of 32 member congregations representing more than 50,000 families across the Inland Empire.  ICUC trains everyday people to be powerful leaders in their community that can be the voice for change for their families.  ICUC is a member of the PICO California & PICO National Networks.  www.icucpico.org.