The Cradle to Career Initiative in San Bernardino County will be the focus of a discussion and panel session on Wednesday, April 27, at Cal State San Bernardino as part of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) on the Road program.
HACU officials will also host 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. The summit will be from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
The STEM summit will provide networking opportunities for students with professionals in STEM fields who will provide input on career building skills, as well as with corporate recruiters diversifying their workforce with job and internship opportunities. Students will also receive information about applying for paid corporate internships under the HACU National Internship Program and receive feedback on improving their resumes, interviewing and networking skills.
Five scholarships will also be awarded 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 discussion and panel session, which will be from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and held in Fourplex on the second floor of the Santos Manuel Student Union, is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Co.
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.
The purpose of the discussion and panel sessions are 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.
It is also the hope that higher education leaders, PreK-12 administrators and other community stakeholders will 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, and Peter Villegas, vice president Latin American Affairs, the Coca-Cola Co, will each give opening remarks.
Antonio R. Flores, HACU president and CEO, will discuss the organization’s membership, programs, and services and strategies.
Morales will also lead a panel session giving a synopsis of the Cradle to Career initiative being implemented in San Bernardino County. Following Morales,will be panelists Bruce Baron, chancellor San Bernardino Community College District; Ted Alejandre, county superintendent, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools; and Stephen Villasenor, senior director of the CSUSB GEAR UP program. Each panelist will discuss how their institutions or programs are collaboratively addressing the issues/challenges within the implementation of Cradle to Career.
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.