Category: Education
The Golden Renaissance Scholarship Gala Awarded Ten Local Legends
RIVERSIDE, CA – The Inaugural Golden Renaissance Scholarship Gala recently honored ten legends. Awards were presented for Lifetime Achievement, Public Servant of the Year, Trailblazer of the Year and Legacy of Impact. The Gala was created by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Phi Upsilon Chapter and held in the Grand Parisian Ballroom at the…
A third of teacher prep programs get an ‘F’ on literacy report card
Critics question methodology, say state has solid literacy plan DIANA LAMBERT Despite six years of state investments to improve literacy instruction, California ranks among the bottom dozen states in preparing future educators to teach reading, according to a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality. Fifty-two elementary teacher preparation programs in California submitted…
Famous African American Musicians and Composers
This is a partial list of African American Musicians and composers. Also included are musical groups. To locate biographical information on the following persons, use one of the library’s biography databases or Grove Music Online, located on the library database page. To Access Information Off Campus, Please Enter Your Banner ID and Password. Marian Anderson…
Riverside Transit Agency Offers “Youth Ride Free” Promotion, Making Summer Break Trips Even Easier
Anyone 18 or younger can ride free on RTA buses through June 30, 2027 WHAT: As Riverside County schools begin summer break, the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) continues to offer free bus rides for youth. The “Youth Ride Free” promotion is available to anyone 18 or younger and runs through June 30, 2027. Youth riders…
Seven-day-a-week tutoring and mentoring through a partnership between Valdez Educational Services and the San Bernardino City Unified School District, Valdez helps students improve academic performance and gain access to higher education.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Valdez Educational Services, headquartered in San Bernardino, recently recognized student achievement at a banquet highlighting academic progress and the impact of tutoring and mentoring, and awarded scholarships to four deserving students. The event brought together students, families, school district leaders, and community leaders to celebrate the importance of sustained tutoring and mentoring. The…
Meta resolves lawsuit with school district over student mental health impact
Vani Sanganeria Meta settled a major lawsuit on Thursday with a Kentucky school district over claims that its platforms are designed to be addictive and harm children, The New York Times reported. The settlement follows other settlements with TikTok, Snap and YouTube less than three weeks before the case was scheduled for trial in an…
Inland Empire Mayors Cyber Cup Crowns 2026 Champions and Launches Year-Round Cybersecurity Pathway for Regional Students
538 students. 53 teams. 7,861 challenges solved. The marquee event of a continuous, year-long pipeline now connecting Inland Empire students directly to the region’s top cybersecurity employers. INLAND EMPIRE, CA. April 27, 2026. The 8th annual Inland Empire Mayors Cyber Cup, hosted by the Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity Collaborative (IEGO), wrapped today with a…
College Students and Young Adults Face Ongoing Mental Health Challenges
By Dr. Nicole Brady, chief medical officer, UnitedHealthcare Student Resources Mental health challenges among young people remain persistently high, and many students and families are still trying to understand how best to respond. UnitedHealthcare’s fourth annual Young Adult and College Student Behavioral Health Report found that more than 6 in 10 (62%) college students and…
Black school counselors are a necessity–we don’t have enough
By Alvin Buyinza Word in Black Gabrielle Brundidge knew she wanted to be a school guidance counselor since she was a teenager. The idea first came to her while discussing college plans with her guidance counselor, Ms. Garcia, during her senior year at Northview High School in Johns Creek, Ga. “She was Hispanic, and it…
State of Preschool Yearbook Provides an Annual Snapshot of State-Funded Preschool
By National Institute for Early Education Research Georgia’s state-funded pre-k program for 4-year-olds was recognized as the largest state-funded preschool program in the nation to meet all 10 quality benchmarks, and the first universal program to do so. Georgia’s recognition is the top finding in the National Institute for Early Education Research’s new 2025 State…
California schools face budget cuts as enrollment drops by 74,961 students
Diana Lambert, Lasherica Thornton, John Fensterwald, And Daniel J. Willis Enrollment in California K-12 schools, and in schools across the country, is declining rapidly as birth rates drop and immigration rates fall. This school year, California had the largest decline in enrollment rates since 2021-22, after schools returned from the pandemic. Enrollment in public schools…
Black Student Success Week 2026 Set To Kick Off Monday, 4/20
Kimberly.brown@tandtpublicrelations.com A New Revolution for Black Student Success Statewide Week of Action Returns April 20-24, 2026 Los Angeles, Calif. — On Monday, April 20, community colleges across California will kick off the seventh annual Black Student Success Week (BSSW), bringing together students, educators, policymakers, and community partners for a week of programming focused on advancing…
California Advances a National Model for Early Wealth-Building at CEWAS Summit
Los Angeles, CA — Launched under the leadership of the State Treasurer’s Office and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, through the STO-FSFA (State Treasurer’s Office Financial Savings for All) initiative—the nation’s largest and most inclusive public savings collective—California is advancing one of the most comprehensive early wealth infrastructures in the nation, bringing together leaders…
Stop the ‘Perfect Trap’ Before It Starts: New Children’s Book Helps Kids Build Self-Worth
LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2026 — Long before children fully understand social media, they can absorb its message: how they look matters more than who they are. In her new picture book, Perfectly Perfect, physician, author and radio personality Dr. Tiffanie Tate offers families a way to gently interrupt that narrative. Written for children under…
University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education and Adams Motorsports Park Announce Partnership to Open New Doors for the Local Community
Irvine, Calif. (March 25, 2026) – Adams Motorsports Park and the University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education (UC Irvine DCE) have launched a new marketing partnership to introduce the park’s motorsports community to the educational and career development opportunities available through the division. For more than 60 years, UC Irvine DCE has helped…
A Head Start Administrator’s Story
By Marcia Claggett My name is Marcia Claggett. I reside in Calvert County, Maryland , and work at the United Planning Organization’s (UPO) Office of Early Learning in Washington, D.C. As a child at the age of 3, I was enrolled in the Head Start program located at the Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee. The year would…
Must-read historical fiction novels about Black women
By ReShonda Tate Black women have always been at the center of the story—even when history tried to write us out. Thankfully, a brilliant group of contemporary African-American authors is giving our foremothers the spotlight, the mic and the flowers they deserve. From Harlem to Hollywood, sewing rooms to skyways, these novels bring the past…
Obama Presidential Center announces grand opening celebrations: June 18-21
By Obama Foundation The Obama Foundation announced March 7 that the Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening celebrations will begin on June 18 and last through June 21, with a series of events that bring together the changemakers, community members, volunteers and supporters who made the Obama presidency a reality and that welcome visitors to celebrate…
Etiwanda High School junior’s Shakespeare performance carries her to the national stage
“Make thick my blood…” When Etiwanda High School junior Vanessa Mejia delivered that line from Macbeth, the room fell silent. The intensity of her performance — drawn from one of Shakespeare’s most famous passages — was so powerful that even her drama teacher, Christian Kiley, was stunned. “Vanessa is one of the most natural actors…
Los Angeles Summit Brings Together Leaders to Tackle Poverty and Affordability
By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent On March 2, over 200 leaders from government, philanthropy and community organizations convened in Los Angeles this week for a major summit aimed at addressing poverty, housing instability and economic inequality across the city. Hosted by the City’s Community Investment for Families Department, the 2026 “Making LA Affordable…
Verizon Announces $125,000 in New Grant Funding and Digital Resources for California Small Businesses
San Bernardino, CA – Verizon today announced a new round of support for California’s small business community, offering $5,000 grants to 25 eligible entrepreneurs through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform. In partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), this initiative aims to provide vital capital and digital training to help small businesses…
My Head Start Success Story
By Iris Cumberbatch, PhD, MBA To call 1965 consequential in American history is an understatement. The year delivered a series of tipping points that urged the nation’s conscience to move closer to reaching its ideals. As part of his Great Society program, President Lyndon B. Johnson‘s administration launched several initiatives to address health, political and…
11 Children’s Books That Bring Black History to Life
A Century of Black History This year marks a historic milestone: the 100th anniversary of the first Black History Week, established by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. As we celebrate under the theme “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” there is no better time for families to explore the rich legacy and achievements of…
“What About People Like Me?” Teaching Preschoolers About Segregation and “Peace Heroes”
By Nadia Jaboneta The following article is an excerpt from Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens, published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children As part of the anti-bias curriculum at the preschool where I teach, we study the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Learning about…
5 free resources for teaching Black history
by Alvin Buyinza/ Word In Black Teaching the “I Have a Dream Speech,” Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat on the bus, and how George Washington Carver became “The Peanut Man” are common Black History Month lessons in American schools — if Black history is acknowledged or taught at all. But this year,…
