The Cradle to Career Initiative in San Bernardino County was the focus of a discussion and panel session at Cal State San Bernardino as part of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) on the Road program.
HACU officials hosted a free, one-day summit to prepare Latino students for corporate internships and jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at the CSUSB Santos Manuel Student Union Events Center on April 27.
The STEM summit provided networking opportunities for students with STEM field professionals, who provided input on career building skills, as well as with corporate recruiters diversifying their workforce with job and internship opportunities. Students received information about applying for paid corporate internships under the HACU National Internship Program and received feedback on improving their resumes, interviewing and networking skills.
Five scholarships were also awarded to students to allow them to attend HACU's 30th Annual Conference Student Track in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 8-10. The scholarship includes hotel, round-trip airfare and conference registration.
The purpose of the discussion and panel sessions were to share insights on collaborative work being done within the San Bernardino area between K-12 and higher education institution, and any collaborative programs occurring within their institution.
Organizers also hoped that higher education leaders, PreK-12 administrators and other community stakeholders would return to their communities and institutions to promote and empower their education leaders to form high impact collaborative practices utilizing the resources and connections made during the discussion and panel sessions.
CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales, who also serves as chair of the HACU national governing board, said the collaborative efforts of education institutions and groups were vital to help students succeed in education and in the workplace.
“The economic well-being of any nation, state or region relies on a well-educated citizenry,” Morales said. “The importance of earning a college degree continues to expand in the United State. By 2020, 65 percent of all jobs in the economy will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school.”
Morales led the panel session, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Co., that gave a synopsis of the Cradle to Career initiative being implemented in San Bernardino County. Following Morales were panelists Bruce Baron, chancellor San Bernardino Community College District; Ted Alejandre, superintendent, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools; and Stephen Villasenor, senior director of the CSUSB GEAR UP program.
Each panelist discussed how their institutions or programs are collaboratively addressing the issues/challenges within the implementation of Cradle to Career.
HACU, which was created to champion Hispanic success in higher education, represents more than 470 colleges and universities in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain. HACU on the Road is an initiative designed to promote national and international dialogue about the state of Hispanic higher education with chancellors, presidents of colleges and universities, superintendents of Hispanic-Serving School Districts, corporate leaders and supporters of Hispanic higher education.
For more information on the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), visit the HACU website.
About California State University, San Bernardino: Set in the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, CSUSB is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in inland Southern California. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015-2016, CSUSB serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.