ARC River Tales Featuring AVP, BJ Snowden 

American River College proudly celebrates Black History Month, and

would like to cordially invite you to join us in welcoming this month's

speaker, Dr. BJ Snowden! For the month of February, BJ shares his story of

finding community in college, the importance of mentorship for success, and his own educational journey as a young black man. Please take a moment to watch BJ's video here on the ARC main YouTube channel! 

In addition, BJ will be in the UNITE Center on Tuesday, February 13

from 12:00-1:00 pm to answer any questions you have about his life or the video itself....there will also be cookies!

Black History Month

Join us for this special event celebrating Black History Month:

The Los Rios Black Experience Virtual Forum: “Teaching While Black: The Need for Culture in Curricula”

Thursday, February, 8 from 10:00 to 11:30 am, online via Zoom

Join Folsom Lake College’s BASE (Black. African. Student. Edu-Culture) Program for the second in this three-part conversation series on matters impacting the Black/African community in higher education. All Los Rios students, staff, and faculty are invited to participate.

Celebrating Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year will be celebrated on Saturday, February 10 this year. This is a holiday observed by many Asian cultures as a way to celebrate the beginning of a new year, based on the Lunar calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar. Although each culture celebrates a little differently, each year is associated with a different animal from the Chinese Zodiac – 2024 is the Year of the Dragon!

Centering Equity in Program Review

Monday, February 5, 12:00-1:00 pm, CTL Conference Room and Zoom 

Facilitators: Victor Zarate, Physics; Jeff Sacha, Sociology 

This workshop is designed for Program Review authors and members of any department/area going through the Program Review process during the 2023/2024 academic year. This session will focus on thinking about, writing, or revising Question #4 (“What will be your unit’s strategies for eliminating disproportionate impact (DI)?”) of the Program Review questions through an equity lens. There are many ways to answer this prompt and this workshop will help authors use an equity perspective in their response.

Listening to and Supporting LGBTQ+ Students:

An Intersectional 3-Part Series

February 6, February 20, & March 5, 12:00-2:00 pm, RSVP

Facilitated by: Sara Smith-Silverman, History and Social Justice Studies 

Our LGBTQ+ students need your support. In the Spring of 2024, please consider participating in this 3-part workshop series on the lives and educational needs of queer and trans community college students, being led by Professor Sara Smith-Silverman at American River College. Though friendly to beginners, the workshops are intended to go beyond the typical introductory-level flex events focused on LGBTQ+ students by focusing on students’ multiple, intersecting identities and by centering their voices. This offering can build upon the self-directed online Safe Space training being offered by the ARC Pride Center.  

The workshop series centers on approximately 50 video-recorded interviews Professor Smith-Silverman conducted in 2023, with funding from the ACLS Mellon Foundation and Type A Leave. Get a sense of the interviews by watching this 1-minute video with Mico, a trans community college student, discussing his experiences. 

Note: This is an ARC-sponsored series. Participants from other LRCCD colleges are welcome to register and, space permitting, will be invited to participate.

Supporting Our Students’ Mental Health

We all have mental health. If a student has been feeling sad, hopeless, anxious, or not themself for two or more weeks, it may be time for them to talk about it and seek connection. To support our students, Los Rios has free mental health services to help. 



Peer-to-Peer Virtual Support

They can log into Togetherall and anonymously share their feelings and concerns with an understanding community of their peers. Available 24/7 when and where they need it and FREE – a whole community is ready to support them.   

Individual Mental Health Therapy Sessions

For students who prefer to talk individually in a safe space, Los Rios provides all students with up to 17 FREE mental health therapy sessions each academic year. 

• Los Rios Therapists: They can make an appointment for up to five free one-on-one on-campus in-person or virtual sessions with a Los Rios Therapist. 

• TimelyCare: Students can make an appointment with TimelyCare for up to 12 free virtual teletherapy sessions available seven days a week, including evenings.  

In Case of a Mental Health Emergency

If this is a mental health emergency, students in need should dial 911, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or text “COURAGE” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

ARC’s New Mental Health Advocate

It is with great pleasure that we introduce Teresa Juarez to the ARC Community; TJay has joined the Student Health and Wellness team as a Mental Health Advocate. 

As a mental health advocate, TJay will work collaboratively as part of the Student Health and Wellness team to assist students with mental health skill development, navigation to community and campus resources, and support students experiencing a mental health crisis. TJay will engage the Los Rios community and promote de-stigmatization through mental health outreach events, skills workshops, and staff training.

TJay was raised in Sacramento, California, and has her BA in Sociology from California State University, Sacramento. She has 6.5 years of experience working in the mental health field with children, teens, adults, and their families. TJay is passionate about breaking the stigmas of mental health and reducing barriers to mental health services. 

In her free time, she enjoys being in nature, listening to music/podcasts, reading, and spending time with loved ones. 

TJay can be found on ARC’s main campus in the Counseling Center and can be reached at mentalhealth@losrios.edu or (916) 286-3662.

Important Changes to FAFSA

The application period for the 2024-25 FAFSA and CADAA is now open! Due to some changes to streamline the FAFSA process, students may experience technical issues while submitting their application.

The US Department of Education has compiled a list of issues related to the 2024-25 FAFSA. Be sure to check the 2024-25 FAFSA Issue Alerts website for the most up to date issues information.

Hot off the Press: On Tuesday, January 20, 2024, the White House and U.S. Department of Education officially announced that colleges will not receive FAFSA applicant information until "the first half of March," further delaying an already sluggish process. LRCCD Financial Aid will be reviewing this information and will provide more information at a later date.

Career Preparedness Workshops

All students are invited to attend a variety of virtual workshops this month that can help with your job and career search! Click on the workshop title below for more information and to register in advance via Handshake. 

Upcoming workshops include:

• Employer Information Session: Shaping the NextEra with Renewable Energy - Thursday, February 8, 12:00 to 1:00 pm
• Networking For People Who Hate Networking Workshop - Friday, February 9, 12:00 to 1:00 pm
• Internship Info Session: Public Accounting Internships with Moss Adams - Tuesday, February 13, 12:00 to 1:00 pm
• Internship Info Session: CA Department of Water Resources - Monday, February 14, 12:00 to 1:00 pm

Figure Friday at ARC

Drop in to draw, paint, or sculpt every Friday (except for school holidays) from 1:00 to 4:00 pm in Fine Arts Rm. 510. It is free for ARC art students and $10 for the general public. The room is equipped with drawing horses, easels, and sculpting tables, but you will need to bring your own art supplies.

Foster and Kinship Care Online Classes

Community college Foster and Kinship Care Education are supporting foster and kinship caregiver efforts. We know that caregivers like you understand that parenting another's child is more than just warm and tender affection. Whether you are taking on the responsibility of caring for a relative's child or a child from within the foster care system, we understand that there is much you need to know. View the spring list of Foster and Kinship Care classes now available on our website and join us to learn more.

Study Abroad in London in Fall 2024

Students should consider the life-changing experience of participating in the Los Rios Study Abroad Program and delve into the incredible possibilities of studying abroad in London, England for Fall 2024. Trip dates are from September 5 through December 6, 2024. The application priority deadline is Friday, April 19 and scholarships are available. All Los Rios students are invited to participate!

Drop-in information sessions will be held online via Zoom every Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:00 pm, and Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00 pm through Thursday, April 18. This is a great opportunity for interested students to gather information, ask questions, and envision the unique experiences that await them on this academic and personal journey. For questions, contact CRC History Professor Gregory Beyrer at beyrerg@crc.losrios.edu.