November 2021
Please forward this newsletter to teachers, staff, and colleagues.
Updates
VCOE Career Education
CDE - State
CTE Collaborative, Tuesday, November 30, 10:30 am: Join us to share best practices for CTE Completer Post-Secondary Status Survey. Join the zoom meeting here.

Arduino Training, additional date added: For SWP Round 2 district partners and all as space permits. For teachers to learn to write and upload code. Please join December 2 and receive a class set of Arduinos. Click here for more information.

FIRST Robotics has announced spring competition dates and is seeking volunteers. Scroll down for more information.

Hackathon 2022: Save the date! Scroll down for more information.
Strong Workforce Program, Round 1 Expenditure Deadline: The expenditure deadline for K12 SWP Round 1 funds is December 31, 2021. Please be sure your district has expended all funds passed through from VCOE.

CTEIG Expenditure Deadline, December 31, 2021: December 31 is the expenditure deadline for two rounds of CTEIG grant funding. The deadline is for both CTEIG FY 2017-2018 and FY 2019-2020 funds. Districts throughout the county participated with VCOE on the FY 2017-2018 round. Laurie Arnold will be sending out reminders to districts and soliciting expenditure information for reporting purposes in the coming weeks.
Program Spotlight: State of the Art Facility opens at Fillmore High School
Fillmore High School students have new hands-on learning opportunities with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities supporting automotive diagnostics and repair, greenhouse horticulture, wood and metal fabrication in Ag Mechanics and ICT pathways, and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) manufacturing. Fillmore Unified School District held a grand opening event for their new CTE facilities at Fillmore High School on November 2, 2021 providing tours to families, community members, and local government officials.

An 8,500 square foot Transportation Building contains program spaces for Systems Diagnostics and Service & Repair and consists of an Auto Repair Lab with 4 lift bays and 1 alignment bay, and a classroom and an engine lab. An 13,500 square foot Agriculture and ICT building holds a Digital Fabrication “Fab" Lab, Wood Shop, Metal Shop with welding stations, Science Classroom, Green House, and additional classroom space. The new facilities provide for a unique integration of multiple programs, such as Robotics and Agriculture.

There are 75 grade 10-12 students currently enrolled in Ag Mechanics, Advanced Ag Mechanics & Design, and Ag Fabrication, and all courses are UC A-G. Students in the Ag Fabrication classes have opportunity to earn their OHSA-10 certifications. This facility compliments a district farm, with Fillmore offering multiple agriculture pathways. Ag students have an array of opportunities to compete in numerous FFA contests and conferences that prepare students for future careers and leadership.

Many FHS alumni continue to live and work in the local community, particularly in family businesses. Teaching students the skills they need to succeed with their future goals has always been a priority for FHS. Pam Klittich, who teaches the Agriculture Mechanics classes, notes that many students who complete her program go on to apprentice with a tradesperson, earn a certification from a college program, start working on a succession plan for the family business, as well as transfer to four year universities. Locally, students are supported and involved with many of Fillmore's agricultural businesses. The industry advisory board, comprised of many local agricultural leaders, is thrilled that the new CTE facility offers students the opportunity to work with high-tech machinery, equipment, and tools. Ms. Klittich emphasizes that the new facility has been a long-held dream the students of Fillmore deserve.
2021 State of the Region Report, Release Event
Did you know 85% of Ventura County residents over the age of 25 hold a high school diploma or higher? 33.8% of Ventura County residents over the age of 25 hold a Bachelor's Degree or higher? In 2019, the median holder of a Bachelor's Degree in Ventura County earned about twice as much as the median high school graduate.

Every two years the Ventura County Civic Alliance publishes the State of the Region Report. It is the premier collection of indispensable data covering topics from education to homelessness to a multitude of industry sectors. Data is used by elected officials, businesses, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, the educational community, and many others as an essential tool in understanding our region and preparing for the future. The report was highlighted at the annual 2021 State of the Region Report - Release Event, held November 17 at the VCOE Conference Center. Attendees included local elected officials and community leaders; educational representatives from our county's four year universities, community colleges, and K12 school districts; and business and non-profit leaders.

The Ventura County Civic Alliance is a unique regional collaborative representing a balanced mix of Economic, Environmental, and Social Equity perspectives. The mission of the alliance is to work together to promote a healthy and sustainable future for Ventura County (source: https://civicalliance.org/).

Access the 2021 Report for up-to-date information informing CTE and all educational programs.


Community College Transfer Data Factoid: The total number of students who transferred from Moorpark College, Oxnard College, and Ventura College in the 2019-2020 school year to a UC was 568 and to a CSU was 1,911. (source: 2021 State of the Region Report)
Opportunities for Teachers and Students

Save the Date! Hackathon By The Sea is back as a multiple day, hybrid event March 11-19, 2022. We invite district representatives to be involved in planning and execution. Contact dthompson@vcoe.org or jjudd@vcoe.org.
FIRST Robotics: After a year and a half of event disruptions due to COVID-19, FIRST is once again planning in-person events for the 2022 season.  Volunteer registration is now open for the 2022 FIRST Hueneme Port Regional, which is replacing the old Los Angeles North Regional for 2022, and the Ventura County Regional. We hope you will be able to join us! Event details and instructions on how to register to volunteer are included below.  Click here for Volunteer Role Descriptions. Direct volunteer questions to Rene Rickard at rene.rickard@gmail.com. Direct event questions to FIRST Regional Director Velma Lomax at vlomax@firstinspires.org

Volunteer Registration Instructions:
2. Log into your account using the "Log In" button in the upper right hand corner of the page (new volunteers will need to register for an account)
3. Click the "My Dashboard" link at the top right of the page
4. Select the "Event Volunteering" option
5. Search for “Hueneme Port” and/or "Ventura County" in the “Name” field
6. Locate the Hueneme Port Regional and/or Ventura County Regional tile and within that tile click "Volunteer"
7. Complete the volunteer form 
8. Upon completion, you will get a message near the top of the webpage that says "Application Received"