By Kathy Chouteau
Two important scholarship deadlines are approaching in March for high school students in Richmond with aspirations of pursuing a post-secondary education. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)/Dream Act application is due March 2, 2021, while the Richmond Promise Scholarship application deadline follows shortly thereafter on March 14, 2021.
By applying for a Richmond Promise Scholarship, students can receive $1,500 renewable for up to four years toward a two-year or four-year college and/or a Career Technical Education Certificate at any U.S. not-for-profit institution. As an added bonus, students can petition for an additional two years of funding.
To be eligible for the Richmond Promise Scholarship, students must: reside in the City of Richmond or North Richmond (i.e. have a Richmond home address); have graduated from an eligible high school within the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSSD) boundaries or received a GED/high school eq
By Kathy Chouteau
The West Contra Costa Unified School District and EnrollWCC are partnering to host the virtual “2021 West Contra Costa Education Fair,” Jan. 16-23 with the dual aim of providing parents/caregivers a chance to explore their children’s individual needs, as well as showcasing myriad opportunities available in West Contra Costa Schools.
By attending virtual sessions, families can meet school representatives and participate in panel discussions surrounding topics like special education, African American student achievement, dual language immersion, mental health services, various high school and middle school options and more.
According to organizers, more than 90 school and community leaders will be participating on session panels and more than 350 West Contra Costa community members have already registered to attend.
By Kathy Chouteau
A promise made is a promise kept. Amid a challenging year that drastically changed academic landscapes across the country, the Richmond Promise welcomed its largest class of scholars ever.
In total, 503 new Richmond and North Richmond students joined the organization’s scholar network of 1,500 scholars across 100-plus college campuses nationwide, according to Richmond Promise Executive Director Jessie Stewart.
The Richmond Promise’s mission is to build a college graduating culture in Richmond. The program provides a $1,500 annual scholarship that is renewable for up to four years to high school seniors in Richmond pursuing degrees at a two-year or four-year college, or a Career Technical Education Certificate at any not-for-profit institution in the U.S. The Richmond Promise was created 2015 from a $35 million, 10-year investment by Chevron Richmond.
Mike Hutchinson
Members of the school community are looking expectantly to January, when four new school board trustees take their seats, for signs that there will be new directions in Oakland public schools’ leadership.
The new board members – Dr. Clifford Thompson, Mike Hutchinson, VanCedric Williams and Sam Davis – will be called on to work with the other three members of the seven-member board to develop solutions in a district that faces deep divisions over school closings and austerity-driven budget cuts. At the same time, they must also find a path to reopen the city’s classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic that currently requires the district to rely on Internet-based education.
Volunteers serve up holiday cheer to neighbors in need with Christmas dinners and Walmart gift cards at Independent Community Church at 605 S. 16th St. in Richmond on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. (Photo credit: Mike Kinney)
On Macdonald Ave. Tuesday, hundreds of “boxes of hope” containing Christmas dinners were handed out to community members in need. Meanwhile on Bissell Ave., families got books along with their frozen turkeys and pies. And over on S. 16th St., donated Christmas dinners came with gift cards.
Such events came at a critical time for community members facing mounting economic hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic.
For years, the Richmond community has fostered a reputation for banding together to support neighbors experiencing difficult times. The city’s residents, businesses, government agencies, schools, nonprofits and religious organizations collaborate annually on charitable giveaways. Efforts amid an unrelenting pandemic, however, have come with a heightened se