Narr: Coming up on Inside
California Education, a new partnership in Los Angeles
is providing much needed housing
to community college students who have experienced
homelessness. Tour a former hostel that's
been transformed into student housing with access to dining,
therapy and counseling. Sam: Our youth are coming to us
with so much complex trauma. And so our staff is helping them to unpack that,
to cope with it. Narr: Plus, discover
how an organization called Umoja is supporting African-Ameri
can
students and beyond at dozens of community colleges
across California. Malik:
I walked into the center, was greeted
by a couple of Umoja workers there, and I was like,
I just love the vibe in the center. Narr: Meet students
from Contra Costa College who are taking part
in the NASA Aerospace Scholars Program. See how the space agency creates
missions to prepare students for careers in science, technology,
engineering and math, and explore California's
new College Corps program. It provides a
way
for thousands of college students to pay for college by performing community
service work. Josh: So this program
is really focused on dealing with the student debt
crisis by providing debt free pathways for those who are willing to earn it
by serving their community. Narr: It's all coming up
next on Inside California
Education Annc: Funding for Inside
California Education is made possible by Annc 2: The California lottery
has been reliably raising additional money for public
education for d
ecades. More than $41 billion since voters
created the lottery in 1984. Speaker: And that's the reason
why California lottery exists. It's why we do what we do
and work so hard to do it. Annc 2:
Thank you, California. Our schools
appreciate your support. Annc 3: Imagine a credit union
where school employees are treated
like the heroes you are. At schools
first, Federal Credit Union, everything we do starts
with helping school employees and their families live better
today and plan for tomorrow.
Learn more at
SchoolsFirstFCU.org Annc 4: The Stuart Foundation. Improving Life Outcomes for
Young People Through Education ScholarShare529 California's
state sponsored tax advantaged 529 College Savings
plan designed to help pay for
the cost of higher education. Additional funding for inside
California education is made possible by these organizations
supporting public education. ♪♪♪ Narr: In the heart of
Los Angeles, amidst the towering skyscrapers
and the lights of Hollywood. Sits another bri
ght spot on a
hill called Dunamis House. This is home to more than 50
students in the Los Angeles Community College District,
and it is where they are preparing
for a successful future. Xavier: Journalism.
So I go to school and I'm studying journalism
to -- I want to become a TV
sports broadcaster and also do something
with real estate. Faith: So I want
to do something to kind of motivate foster youth as well,
like a youth advocate. Narr: These students have a lot
in common besides big dreams. B
efore
moving into Dunamis House, a renovated architectural gem
with walls, intentionally painted with flowers
and inspirational quotes, each of these students
experienced homelessness. Sam: You know, we have an
incredible team of people who are passionate about the intersection
of what it means to struggle with housing and food and...
and get through college. Narr: Sam Prater is the founder
of L.A. Room and Board. It's part of a multimillion
dollar pilot program through the Los Angeles
Community
College District to support students
experiencing homelessness. Sam runs three large homes
for students, including Dunamis house,
with 24 hour live-in staff providing a continuum of care
and access to health and social services, as well as
guidance and direction. Make no mistake, Dunamis
House is not a shelter. It is a sanctuary
made up of resilient students in pursuit of their college
degree. Sam: Our youth are coming to us
with so much complex trauma and so our staff is helping them
to unpack
that, to cope with it, to turn trauma into -- and turn, pain into
purpose and... and the like. And so that's...
that's the real work. Narr: Sam knows what
he's talking about. He is one of 14 kids
whose mother died suddenly
when he was only 11 years old. Sam dropped out of high school
at 16 and experienced homelessness.
At 23, Sam was ready for change. He earned his GED at his local
community college in Detroit and then turned his energy towards
getting a college degree. Sam:
That is when my lif
e changed. And I like, I swear by it,
like college changed me, and the experiences that I had
there opened my eyes to the world. And so now I'm passionate
about sorta like... make sure that everyone else
can see and unlock the power and the potential and the
promise of higher education. Dr. Rodriguez: I understand
fully the students -- I am the students that we serve. So when there's an opportunity
to put in supports, policies, resources that will help
to serve the unhoused. In this particular c
ase,
it's deeply personal. Narr: Dr. Francisco
Rodriguez is chancellor of L.A. CCD, the largest community
college district in the state of California,
with more than 200,000 students
across nine college campuses. More than half of the students
are housing insecure, something Dr. Rodriguez is
fighting hard to change. Dr. Rodriguez: I know that in
one generation, education can have transformational impact
on a student, on their family, and on the neighborhoods
that they come from. This idea that e
ducation
is the greatest accelerant towards
social and economic mobility, that education
should be accessible, affordable and available to all persons
who walk through our door irrespective of citizenship
status, age, ethnicity, zip code, color of skin,
who they love. They should be welcomed
and embraced when they come through our
doors. So I just have this unflappable belief that education is the solution. Narr: And back at Dunamis House,
named for the family that stepped in to help Sam's
famil
y when his mother passed away, excitement is everywhere. Right now, Sam's
first 23 students under L.A. room and board just graduated. The current students living here
are ready to serve others and themselves
by paying it forward. Xavier: Just keep going
and don't look back. There's nothing back there. Only look forward
because there's more to come. Faith: The bad things
don't last forever, like, it does get better, and like just keep... keep
that positive mindset because what you believe
will ha
ppen. Sam: What I know
is that that all of us have the capacity
to make deep impact. What I know in my soul is that,
like, the positivity that you sow,
the good that you sow in people there is a bountiful and
positive harvest. Period. And that I know in my soul. Narr: Experts say California's
housing crisis is impacting higher education. One in five students
at California community colleges report experiencing homelessness at some point
during the academic year, according to a recent memo. At fo
ur year universities, the cost of housing
often exceeds tuition. At a CSU, 53% of the total
cost of attending college went to housing, while 28% went
to tuition and fees. UC students
spend an average of 45% on housing and 39% on tuition
and fees ♪♪♪ Dominique: Umoja is of a community of students
and scholars who believe in transformative education
for African American students and other students, primarily
in the California
community college system. But also, we identify
as a global organization
, and we are partnerships in the
state of Washington and beyond. Narr: Dominique serves
as the chief communications and external affairs
officer of Umoja located on community college campuses
throughout California. Umoja members say that
being a part of this program gives students a sense of
belonging, addresses educational barriers and helps students
reach their full potential. They say their goal
is to educate the whole student body, mind and spirit. Dominque: We live in a world where essentia
lly
every system is set up to fail our students and not just our students
just to fail as people. I think that the way
that our academic system is set up, we have gone many years
without being seen and so many people
have struggled, whether they're getting AA degree or a four year
degree or PHD or EDD, they've struggled and they've worked very hard
in systems where they have not been seen
at all. Laurin: Umoja changed my college
experience, because at times when I may have had
a professor that w
eighed on me mentally, Umoja gave me a place
where I could vent that out and refocus my attention on what
the ultimate goal was. And so if I go into a program
that has no reflection of my own life experiences, how am I ever
going to be able to see myself as someone that has
value and can successfully be whoever that is? Dominique:
So on the average campus, where there is
an Umoja program Umoja is the hub
for African-American and other students. In addition to that, we have a coordinator
that's t
here on that campus
that serves them, that provides them
with tutoring, mentoring and other resources, connecting them to resources
that are there on that campus. There are also faculty members that specifically
teach our Umoja students
in a variety of disciplines. Malik: I walked into
the center, was greeted by a couple of Umoja workers
there, and I was like, I just love the vibe
in the center. They had study
rooms in the back. I think just seeing, uh, excellence around and being
in that enviro
nment, it kind of changed my perspective
and brought the best out of me. Narr: Umoja says it not only impacts students
from the African diaspora, but it aims to foster a community environment
for all students. Laurin: So Umoja does not
just impact or care about African-American students. I remember telling people --
when they was like, “Can I be in Umoja
I'm not... I'm not black?” you know,
because that's how they said it. And I was like, “we don't care
if you're black, or not, you're can be
any
race you want to. We care that you care about us
as a people and a culture.” Like, that's the goal.
It■s not about displacing ourselves from others. Dominique:
So my philosophy is that all of us
in some way or form come from the motherland,
have been influenced by Africa. We we have a shared culture
here in the United States and where people are invited
to better understand what black culture
is, what African culture is. And we're not an organization
that discriminates because a lot of times pe
ople
outside of our organization see how we build community
and they want to... they want more of that. They want to know how is it that they're transforming
the way that students think about education
in the classroom, but also engaging them
culturally? Speaker: We have to organize- Laurin: I would tell them that
Umoja can really give you
a chance to understand not only who you are,
but why you are. Dominique: Parents,
and those who have influence over young people. The thing that I would say
i
s that when you are thinking about your child's
educational future, do not underestimate the power
of a community college. Do not underestimate
the power of that.... knowing that that student will walk into a campus
where somebody cares for them, especially if there
is a Umoja program there. Narr: Still ahead on Inside
California Education. A new California program
aims to reduce student loan debt by providing college students
with volunteer opportunities. It's called College Corps, and it pays
students
for their community service. But first, discover how NASA
is partnering with community colleges like this one in Contra
Costa County to inspire students
to pursue STEM careers. ♪♪♪ Sergio: It's been
a really good experience that I'm still learning from,
and I'm probably going to take these
skills elsewhere. Narr: Sergio Gonzalez
is a student at Contra Costa Community College who's enrolled in an out
of this world opportunity. When I heard the NASA, I thought
it'd be a good opportunity n
ot only to challenge myself
a bit with the group work, since I'm not too keen on it, but also to kind of expand the
opportunities I already have. Narr: It's called the NASA
Community College Aerospace
Scholars Program, or NCAS. The one at this college in San
Pablo is part of a nationwide program
offering a blended learning opportunity,
a five week online course, and an exclusive NASA
experience where the students gain insight into NASA's unique
missions and diverse workforce. They also get acces
s to world
class NASA facilities. Jon: The goal of the program
is really to broaden a student's
perspective on both themselves and the potential fields
they could go into. It's an extraordinary
opportunity. Narr: Jon Celesia is the dean of
Astronomy, Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, who helps oversee the NCAS
program and was instrumental in bringing the program
to the college. Jon: It's a long time
coming, and we... we are so happy to bring it
to the community. Narr: Contra Costa
Colle
ge is one of only seven community colleges in California
chosen by NASA and is the only Northern California
campus to offer the program. A majority of the students
are taking STEM classes focused on science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. It's designed to guide students
in developing their talents, interests and passion to pave the way to a future
specializing in one or more of those skills. Students: Oh! Oh! Narr: The final
portion of the program involves an engineering design challe
nge where the remaining students
are divided into four teams. Teacher: So close! So close... Jon:
Each team is a company and they are trying
to get NASA to use them to build this part
to go to Moon or Mars. Narr: The teams
compete against each other using Legos to build model
NASA Rovers. Jon:
There is the hands on of the actual putting together
the robot and modifying it. There's the hands on of the programing, the robot
to do whatever in the testing and they've got
certain tasks to achieve. So
it takes a dedication. Sergio: Yeah, I would say we only got like about 36 hours
within the span of four days. So it was a bit of a time
constraint on us, but it was something that did push us to the point
where we were able to do it and we were able to find ways
of solving the issues we had. Jon: They're learning
real life skills. There's communication,
there's planning, there's working together
with different types of people,
delegating responsibilities. So now they're learning
to be on a tea
m. Sergio: I mostly spend time
building and designing the robot and coding it. I've never actually had a coding position,
so working in such a manner, it was interesting
because I thought, maybe I can't really do it yet,
but seeing now that I am capable of it,
I'm just... I just needed to learn
to push myself. Maria: I didn't
know what I was getting into and it was grueling... but it was so worth it. Narr: Unlike the other STEM
students, Maria Suwabe is pursuing an education
in early childhood d
evelopment. So why did she enroll
in this program? Maria: I'm an early childhood
educator, so I was like, okay, I want to do it for my kids.
Why not? If I'm going to be a teacher, I better go and train myself
first before I teach the children. Student: Oh! Wait!
Oh no! Jon: I think
what's really important is that one can easily
think of scientists in general or NASA people
as a bunch of geniuses. I think that really breaks
that barrier. It's... it's about showing
up. It's about hard work. It's a
bout passion. Maria: I feel very fortunate
to have taken it here. I hope that I can inspire
other people to come and try it. Don't be afraid of it
and just go for the program. It■s... really, really, really,
really exciting to be in it. Sergio: At the end of the day,
everyone did win something because we got the experience
out of it. Jon: It's more
than a robotic competition. It's touching them
deeper than... than that. It's almost been surprising to
see just how much it's affected them It's one
of those things where
if you do climb a mountain, it's hard and every step can be challenging,
especially near the end but... but they need that perseverance
to say, “you know, I'm going to as long as it takes and we're going to get it done.
I'm going to look back at the mountains and
say that I climbed it.” Narr: What does it take
to become an astronaut? Since the 1960s, NASA
has only selected 350 people to train as astronaut candidates
to explore space. The basic requirements
include: United
States Citizenship, Master's degree
in a STEM field, two years of related
professional experience, 1000 hours of pilot-in-command
time in a jet aircraft, must pass the NASA's long
duration space flight physical, which includes requirements
such as visual acuity correctable to 2020 in each eye. ♪♪♪ Josh: You guys ready to go? Ready to work? Good to see you.
How are you? Hey, how are you? Good to see you. Narr: Teamwork and hard work
are the lessons being learned today at this
Sacramento Elementar
y School. But the students learning
these lessons aren't in elementary school. They're California college
students, part of a new college
core volunteer program. Volunteer student leaders
from community colleges and four year schools across
the state are in California's Capitol for a retreat and an opportunity
to give back to the community by planting trees at David Reese
Elementary School. Josh: We want you to find
purpose in your life through this program. Josh Fryday is California's
chief ser
vice officer overseeing the state's volunteer
programs, including this one. College Corps is focused on giving back to the
state through volunteering. Josh: You are
helping your community now. It's a win for your community. - What we're saying to a whole new generation
of Californians, if you're willing to serve
your community, we're going
to help you pay for college. So for those students who commit to serve for a year
while they're in school, we give them $10,000
towards their education. We■re
looking for young people
who want to create change. Who want to make the world
a better place, who have financial need. But also want to
be connected in their communities. So we have
over 10,000 people apply for those 3000 slots. Narr: One of the students here
today is LeMarcel McDowell, studying business administration
at Glendale Community College. For LeMarcel, this program
provides financial help, but just as importantly, an opportunity
to give back to the community. LeMarcel: Finances
get
really, really tough when it comes
to getting your school supplies and books
and things like that. So it does help with that
and just, you know, everyday living situations. Like it helps me with not only my schooling,
but just for like gas and trying to get back and forth
to class and volunteering. Narr: As part of his College
Corps commitment, LeMarcel
helps with food distribution at the Glendale
Community College Cares Program. LeMarcel: We don't realize
how blessed we are and we take things f
or granted. So that motivates me
every single day to get up and come help volunteer. As a kid growing up, I used
to hear this word all the time. You have a heart of gold. I never knew
what they understood because I came
from a really broken background. I didn't have both parents growing up,
so I was really lost. And. But I knew deep down inside,
if you treat people the way you want to be treated,
you can go really far in life. And just a simple smile
can change someone else's day. Narr: The prog
ram is also open
to DREAMers, undocumented students
who were brought to the U.S. as children. Karla Martinez is a Glendale Community College student
and a dreamer in the program. Karla: We lived there in Oaxaca
with my grandmother, and after she had passed away,
we moved to America. And we've been here ever since. And I don't remember much
because I was three years old. So I grew up here, and I call this my home. Karla: You have to filled out the form, correct?
Student: Yeah. Karla: I'm very gra
teful
for College Corps its a very unique program
and it's really, really helping our DREAMer
students succeed and continue that pursuit
of higher education. A lot of DREAMer students,
especially during the pandemic, we saw that their enrollment
rate in colleges had dropped. Narr: Community colleges
across California are working to rebound from a significant
enrollment drop. At the same time, student completion rates
continue to be very low. One factor, many students
struggle with paying for hou
sing, food and basic
needs. Ideally, the program's support
offered here can help ease that financial burden that forces
some students to drop out. Josh: This is a key program
for all Californians. But here's what we know. We know
we're facing a student debt crisis that's saddling our
young people with... with debt. So this program
is really focused on dealing with the student debt
crisis by providing debt free pathways for those who are willing to earn it
by serving their community. Narr: There
is something else happening in the College Corps
program too. The program offers a path for volunteers
to hone their leadership skills. Those skills are on display
today, back at that, Sacramento
Elementary School. Josh: It benefits
the state in a huge way. First of all, we're graduating our next generation
with less debt, which means that they can
contribute more to our economy moving forward. They're also providing
really meaningful work that tutoring and mentoring
our kids, they■re providing
-- helping us deal
with our climate action issues and helping us
protect our state. They're also serving in our food
banks that are providing
a real need. Narr: Organizers
are hoping initial successes helped this program take root
for long term sustainability. What we're also creating
is a whole new generation of Californians
who are going to have the tools and now the skills to work with people
from very different backgrounds, very different perspectives
to solve our problems, to find common
so
lutions in our communities. That's it for this edition of Inside
California Education. If you'd like more information
about the program, log on to our website: InsideCalEd.Org We have videos
from all of our shows and you can connect
with us on social media. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next time
on Inside California Education. Students: We are! L.A. Room
and Board! Wooo! ♪♪♪ [indistinguishable noise
and chatter] [LeMarcel talking] Student: You guys are helping
famillies in need. Annc: Fu
nding for Inside
California Education is made possible by Annc 2: The California lottery
has been reliably raising additional money for public
education for decades. More than $41 billion since voters
created the lottery in 1984. Speaker: And that's the reason
why California lottery exists. It's why we do what we do
and work so hard to do it. Annc 2:
Thank you, California. Our schools
appreciate your support. Annc 3: Imagine a credit union
where school employees are treated
like the heroes you
are. At schools
first, Federal Credit Union, everything we do starts
with helping school employees and their families live better
today and plan for tomorrow. Learn more at
SchoolsFirstFCU.org Annc 4: The Stuart Foundation. Improving Life Outcomes for
Young People Through Education ScholarShare529 California's
state sponsored tax advantaged 529 College Savings
plan designed to help pay for
the cost of higher education. Additional funding for inside
California education is made possible by these
organizations
supporting public education.
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