FEB. 23, 2018
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T he C oast News - I nland E dition
Roots series at Children’s Museum kicks off CSUSM, Viasat partner By Steve Puterski
ESCONDIDO — For the seventh year, the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum is taking children and their parents on an indepth cultural roots tour. The annual Roots series began Feb. 17 with a lesson on the Philippines, the island nation in the Southeast Pacific. About 700 people attended the museum’s kick-off event, according to Juliette Brezin, director of marketing and events for the museum. “It’s really become a way for us to involve the community,” she said. “The kids really get to be introduced to new cultures. That month will revolve around the country being featured. Every day the kids get to learn something about the Philippines.” The event consisted of music, dancing, food, interactive storytelling and crafts in a jammed-packed two-hour program. In ad-
dition, the museum’s Kids Global Village, a permanent fixture, is transformed into a Filipino display for the event and subsequent several weeks. As for the program, Brezin said it is short and concise to ensure the kids are focused and do not lose interest. In addition, the museum brought in Jsix’s Executive Chef Anthony Sinsay, who conducted a short food presentation, while the museum offered different Filipino snacks and food samples. The kids also enjoyed creating crafts whether it was coloring the flag or making various Filipino items. “Those events are entirely designed for kids, but involve the whole family,” Brezin said. Perhaps more exciting, she added, is the growth of the series. When the series began, about 150 people at-
tended the first event. The museum began targeting specific cultures with large populations in the county and creating relationships with various groups within those communities to perform, speak or play music. As a result, word began to spread and now the series is a popular destination. “What was really powerful was different community members reaching out and wanting to get involved,” Brezin said. “It was to introduce people to different cultures in their own county. Because we’ve been running the series for a few years now, we have good contacts in the community.” Another benefit, she explained, is as the program has grown and become more successful, other ethnic communities are reaching out to be featured and get involved. “People just want to be
involved and that is very exciting,” Brezin said. “We are encouraging people to learn something new about a new culture.” The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum will host six community events this year celebrating different cultures represented in the county. Next up is Mexico on April 28 followed by Germany on June 16, China on Aug. 18, Ireland on Oct. 20 and Argentina on Dec. 15. However, admission will charged beginning with the August event, which costs $8 for general admission, $5 for military and $1 for EBT cardholders, Brezin said. The Roots series is funded through grants from the Nissan Foundation and the County of San Diego. For more information about San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum’s Roots Series, visit www.sdcdm.org/ roots.
Hundreds compete at regional ballet semifinals By Angela McLaughlin
ESCONDIDO — Excitement and tension fills the room — the curtains rise and the music begins, as a dancer enters the stage. For a few moments, everyone is silent, holding their breath as the dancer moves with talent and purpose, given a brief amount of time in which to show the judges what they have to offer. The 2018 Youth America Grand Prix regional semi-finals took place at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido from Feb. 15 to Feb. 18,
where 350 talented ballet dancers, ranging in ages from 9 to 19, were given the opportunity to shine. According to its website, Youth America Grand Prix is the world’s largest global network of dance, providing scholarships each year to make continued education possible for many students. A nonprofit organization, Youth America Grand Prix hosts the event annually in locations around the world. Alexei Moskalenko, the organization’s assistant artistic director,
said that 2018 is a record year for them, with 10,000 students competing in 26 cities across the United States — and even more from eight additional countries. Dancers chosen during the semi-finals will have a chance to compete at the finals in New York City in April. “In New York, we have about 40 judges from all different kinds of schools around the world,” he said. “Our competition is kind of unique, TURN TO BALLET ON 13
on engineering program By Aaron Burgin
SAN MARCOS — Cal State San Marcos officials did not have to look too far to find a founding partner for its fledgling engineering program. Carlsbad-based communications giant Viasat recently gifted the university $1.5 million to become the founding partner in the university’s engineering program. The university will begin its Bachelor of Science in software engineering this fall and will offer a degree in electrical engineering anticipated in fall 2019. University President Karen Haynes announced the gift during her annual report to the community on Feb. 7. “Their visionary support will create the future Viasat Engineering Pavilion,” Haynes told attendees, “with funding to renovate classroom and lab space, purchase new equipment and instrumentation, and support the work of our faculty and students — quite literally creating pathways to educate the next generation of talented engineers.” The university has been developing its engineering program since 2017, after a 2015 feasibility study conducted by the Educational Advisory Board on behalf of the university showed that the region badly needed an engineering program. Viasat was involved in that study, part of a task force
that structured the study along with General Atomics, Northrop Grumman and representatives of the university and MiraCosta College. The study showed that local employment postings for software engineering-related positions jumped more than 72 percent between July 2013 and June 2015 and that postings for electrical engineers increased by more than 34 percent during the same period. “Viasat is engaged with CSUSM and our community for the common good, moving forward together to enhance the intellectual and economic life of our region and the state,” said Katherine Kantardjieff, dean of CSUSM’s College of Science and Mathematics. “Viasat believes in the University’s importance in our region’s success.” In addition, San Marcos-based Hunter Industries recently made a $100,000 gift to fund a design lab that, according to a news release, will be a hub of collaboration, hands-on design and innovation. “Viasat and Hunter Industries are sending a strong message that an investment in CSUSM is a strong one, with qualified, workforce-ready graduates as the almost immediate return,” Haynes said. “Together, we are stepping forward to expand the boundaries of what is possible, for our university and for our region.”
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