Got four minutes to support a CSUMB's college-preparedness program?

Educational Talent Search, a federally funded program that helps first-generation, low-income students prepare for college, is turning 50 this year.

To celebrate the occasion, ETS programs across the nation created videos to highlight the impact they've had on students, families, communities and schools. The video created by CSUMB, where the local Educational Talent Search is based, was selected as a finalist.

“Please take the time to watch our students’ stories,” said Clementina Macias, ETS program coordinator at CSUMB. “We will have until Friday, July 24, to get as many people as possible to LIKE our video on YouTube.”

Here's the video.

Talent Search gives first-generation, low-income students and their families information about college admissions and resources, provides students with academic advising, helps them explore careers, exposes them to cultural events and helps students become college-ready.
The federally funded program was part of President Lyndon Johnson’s Higher Education Act of 1965, established with the goal of seeing that “no American talent is wasted.”

Nearly 1,200 high school students start down the path to college each year through the Educational Talent Search program based at CSUMB. The students come from seven high schools in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

The winning video will be announced Aug. 5 and highlighted at the Council for Opportunity in Education’s annual conference Sept. 16-19 in Atlanta.

Standing room only at Kennedy Center for Monterey County High School All-Star Band

The talented musicians of the Monterey County High School All-Star Band had a standing room only performance on the Fourth of July at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, reports mom extraordinaire Katherine Wenglikowski.

And she sent a photo to prove it. Here it is.

You may remember I wrote a brief story previewing the trip, you can find it here. I watched a portion of the program on Saturday, so I can attest to these kids abilities. So good! But you can check it out yourself in the Kennedy Center's archived performances here. 

And they sent a photo holding the story! How awesome's that?

Keep rocking, Monterey cats!

Stuff the Bus and help Monterey County homeless children with school supplies

There are more than 7,000 students considered homeless in Monterey County, and the yearly "Stuff the Bus" campaign helps collect school supplies to make sure they are ready for classes come August.

The campaign is spearheaded by the Monterey County Office of Education and United Way Monterey County, and it asks community members to donate school supplies or money to buy those supplies for needy children.

Donations of paper, pens, pencils, notebooks and backpacks will be received at any of the school collection "buses" placed in banks, credit unions and other local businesses during the month of July. There's also collection "buses" in most libraries. For a complete list of drop-off sites, click here.

All the collected school supplies will be sorted, and stuffed into backpacks on Aug. 1 at MCOE for distribution during the first week of school.

For the first time, people may make donations via text. Text STB15 to 71777.

And for more information, click here.  You can also volunteer to help stuff the backpacks.