Specializing in adult education and workforce development, SDCCE provides tuition-free career training in high demand industries including:
• Automotive
• Business and Accounting
• Child Development
• Clothing and Textiles
• Digital Media and Programming
• Healthcare
• Hospitality and Culinary Arts
• Information Technology
• Skilled and Technical Trades
• High School Diploma/Equivalency
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Emeritus classes for age 55+
• Disability Support Programs and Services
Welcome Message
From the President
Dear San Diego College of Continuing Education Supporter and Community,
As California’s largest noncredit institution dedicated to adult education and workforce development, San Diego College of Continuing Education is at the forefront of transforming lives every day. With solid enrollment growth, record-breaking achievements in diplomas and certificates, and millions of dollars in grants supporting our acclaimed free programs, we are paving the way for meaningful careers and lifelong learning for a richly diverse student body.
Your College of Continuing Education, "The People's College," puts equity at the forefront of our efforts supporting students from all walks of life. The students we serve comprise first-generation, low-income, justice-involved, military veterans, and Dreamers. We are committed to helping everyone, from the most vulnerable to comfortable retirees, from those looking to transition to a for-credit college to advanced degree-holders looking for a change in careers, from the refugee aspiring to become a fluent English speaker to dually enrolled high school students determined to get a head start as a healthcare professional.
I am proud to deliver this informative annual Report to Our Community detailing the multitude of accomplishments that are profoundly impacting our region in the most positive of ways.
Thanks to your support and the backing of our community and educational partners, our graduates are working at Michelin-star restaurants, top IT companies, hospitals and medical centers, and as successful entrepreneurs. Our career education programs are pumping a quarter-million dollars into the regional economy annually.
It is my honor to serve as President of this great institution. At San Diego College of Continuing Education, we are all moving forward together.
Warmly,
Dr. Tina M. King President San Diego College of Continuing Education
From the Executive Director of the Foundation
Dear Community Member,
The San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation exists to support the aims of San Diego College of Continuing Education in championing equity by fostering innovation, raising funds for scholarships and awards, eliminating barriers to student success, and positively impacting the community at large.
I am pleased to say we continued to meet this mission during the 2023-24 academic year.
This past spring, thanks to your contributions to the San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation, 188 students received a record $87,475 during the April 26 Forward Together to Your Future – The Scholarship and Awards Celebration at the Educational Cultural Complex. Our Historic Preservation Committee continues to make great progress on a $35-million project to renovate our ECC Theatre, with construction slated to begin in 2025. And we continue to strengthen partnerships with community organizations that are yielding pathways to college and careers.
Your Foundation is a tax-exempt nonprofit supporting and advancing educational opportunities at the College of Continuing Education. We play an integral role in ensuring the tuition-free, adult education arm of the San Diego Community College District continues to thrive. And partnerships include the highly successful Employee Training Institute (ETi), a consulting and contract education arm that provides high-quality training solutions and services to customers in both public and private organizations.
Our goals over the next year include expanding ETi; growing and diversifying our donor base; developing a comprehensive strategic plan in line with those developed by the college and the San Diego Community College District; and expanding and diversifying staff.
It is an honor working with an organization serving students from diverse cultural backgrounds across the spectrum of genders, abilities, and orientations.
Warmly,
Dr. Tami Foy CEO/Executive Director San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation
24, 600
Number of students who enrolled in 2023-2024
13%
Percentage of students who are refugees or asylees
12, 545
Number of students taking online classes only (51% of the college’s total student population) 28%
Percentage of students who are 55 and older
15,922
Certificates and Diplomas awarded in 2023-2024!
(Summer 2023: 2,555; Fall 2023: 6,352; Spring 2024: 7,015)
Percentage of students earning less than $15,000 annually 54%
$244.9 MILLION
Annual economic impact of the San Diego College of Continuing Education’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs
2,956 The number of regional jobs supported by San Diego College of Continuing Education CTE programs, alumni, and students.
$9.10
The amount received by taxpayers via added tax revenue and social savings for every $1 invested in career education.
Mission Statement
San Diego College of Continuing Education commits to student success and community enrichment by providing tuition-free, accessible, equitable, and innovative quality education and support services to diverse learners in pursuit of lifelong learning, training, career advancement, and pathways to credit college.
To be the leader in innovative education where students transform their lives and communities.
Accreditation : A Mark of Educational Excellence
San Diego College of Continuing Education was once again accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) this past spring. Accreditation standards are important to maintain because they keep our institution at a prominent level of excellence in how we organize and present our curriculum.
The WASC committee lauded your college for building a student-centered environ ment that celebrates culture, diversity, anti-racism and accessibility, all of which contributes our students’ powerful sense of belonging. The committee also enjoyed learning about our phenomenal career education programs that lead to an array of employment opportunities and how Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) – which define the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities we expect our students to master in our classrooms and programs –are embedded throughout our institution.
In addition, committee members were impressed on how inclusive our college is, they were astounded at the involvement and dedication of our classified professionals, and they noted how our college prioritizes providing professional development opportunities for all.
“SDCCE offers quality instructional programs that enable students to pursue learning goals, master skills that meet the needs of the local employers and prepare students for success as part of a diverse workforce,” wrote the WASC committee.
Student Success Stories
Ospierrenida “Nida” Pierre wasn’t going to let anything stop her. Not the harrowing, 3,000-mile odyssey she endured mostly on foot during a grueling 18 months to reach the U.S. border. Not the shortage of cash that prompted the refugee to stop in towns along the way, young daughter in tow, to work at odd jobs needed to fund the next leg of her journey. Not the uncertainty of not knowing what she would find when she finally reached the land of hoped-for opportunity.
Today, thanks to the resources and support from the San Diego College of Continuing Education, Pierre feels truly at home for the first time since arriving here in 2021. Employed via the CalWORKS program at the campus and planning to enroll in small business classes after wrapping up her final ESL
“You have to find a way to follow your dreams,” said Pierre, 35, a proud Haitian who grew up in Dominican Republic. “Don’t limit yourself. You can start, you will find the strength to continue, and you will achieve whatever you
Pierre embodies San Diego College of Continuing Education, where 13% of students are refugees, 4% are temporary residents who have been granted or are seeking amnesty, and 46% have incomes of less than $10,000 annually. She also is among the 38% of students who are Latino, the 13% of students who are Black, and among a growing number of students who hail from the Haitian community.
The Mid-City Campus became her home, thanks to caring faculty and professional staff, the CalWORKS program and the array of services ranging from academic and career counseling to student success workshops. She mastered all seven levels of ESL classes Continuing Education offers. Now a campus employee, Pierre is paying it forward by helping students experiencing hardships similar to
War Refugee Finds a Future at San Diego College of Continuing Education
Zahra Husainy will never forget the date: August 25, 2021. That’s when the Afghan native, then just 17, became a refugee she fled with her family from their hometown of Kabul after Taliban fighters overwhelmed the besieged capital. “All my goals, my dreams, everything was destroyed overnight,” said Husainy, whose father had been employed by the American military, sewing together uniforms and repairing backpacks and other gear. “It was just chaos.”
The chaos finally ended – after 11 months confined to a sweltering Abu Dhabi refugee camp – when Husainy landed in San Diego and found San Diego College of Continuing Education. Today, she’s progressing through courses to help her master English, earning her GED through the school’s High School Diploma/Equiva lency program, serving as Associated Student Body vice president and secretary, and working as an SDCCE proj ect assistant helping newly arrived immigrants enroll at the college to reclaim their lives.
“When I was looking at SDCCE, I was just looking for a school to learn English,” Husainy said. “But when I started coming to school at the César E. Chávez Campus and seeing the teachers and seeing the students…this school has given me back all the things the Taliban destroyed.”
Husainy is set on becoming a doctor and has mapped out a strategy to reach her goal: transfer to San Diego City College, perhaps earning a nursing degree; move on to San Diego State University for a bachelor’s degree; then enroll at the Albert Ein stein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, the recent recipient of a transformational gift ensuring no student will ever have to pay tuition again.
“
When I was looking at SDCCE, I was just looking for a school to learn English…this school has given me back all the things the Taliban destroyed.”
- Zahra Husainy
Supporting Our Students
San Diego College of Continuing Education embraces the responsibility of providing access to a first-class, community college education for all students and remains committed to providing the resources necessary to do so.
According to 2023-24 data from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at the San Diego Community College District, approximately 70% of Continuing Education students are students of color, and 54% of students report they earn less than $15,000 annually.
Among the initiatives to help our students succeed:
• Academic Counseling
• Career Services
• BeWell Mental Health Support
• SDCCE CARES Market Place
• Hotel Voucher Program
• Bus Pass Program
• On-The-Go Cab Voucher Program
• Disability Support Programs and Services
• SDCCE CARES Laptop Loaner Program
• CalWORKS
• CalFresh
• Pathways
• Gateway to College and Career
• Veterans Services
In addition, our second-to-none Student Services team welcomed scores of students, faculty, professional staff, and members of the surrounding to community to the inaugural College of Continuing Education Mental Health Fair on May 15 at the Educational Cultural Complex. Those who stopped by were able to learn about mental health support available throughout the region and relax for an afternoon of filled with food, games, and plenty of support.
SDCCE Cares
The Data Doesn’t Lie!
Our SDCCE Marketplace saw 9,179 visits during the 2023-24 academic year through the first week of May.
441 students received transportation support in the form of bus passes, gas cards, and vouchers for cab rides.
No-Cost Cab Rides
The College of Continuing Education distributed 234 laptops to students who were sitting on the other side of the digital divide.
BeWell served 50 students who were seeking mental health resources.
It isn’t easy being a college student trying to navigate around San Diego when you don’t have a car, the buses stop running past a certain time, and you’re not within walking distance of a Trolley stop.
That changed this past February when San Diego College of Continuing Education launched a pilot program in partnership with United Taxi Workers of San Diego to provide free cab rides via $100 transportation vouchers for students struggling with basic needs. This is the first partnership of its kind.
The need is profound. Nearly half of SDCCE students have incomes of less than $10,000 per year and one in three is unemployed, according to the college’s Office of Institutional, Effectiveness and Research.
“It’s critical that we meet the needs of our students and meet the needs of our community,” said college President Dr. Tina M. King. “It’s also imperative that we work with an organization such as United Taxi Workers of San Diego, whose members live here and also will benefit from this program.”
Colleges have long provided students with discounted and cost-free bus and trolley passes. This is the first-time free cab rides have been offered. The pilot program’s $10,000 cost is being funded by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office via its basic needs initiatives.
“It’s critical that we meet the needs of our students and ...our community. It’s also imperative that we work with an organization... whose members live here and also will benefit from this program.”
- Dr. Tina M. King, President, San Diego College of Continuing Education
Centering Our Vision
More than 40 California community college leaders, elected officials, and representatives from business and industry spoke at the Educational Cultural Com plex on October 5 & 6, 2023, when San Diego College of Continuing Education hosted the inaugural Vision 2030: A Call to Action Adult Education Summit that drew an in-per son, capacity audience of 300 educational, community, and political leaders from throughout the state, in addition to hun dreds of others who tuned in to a summit livestream.
Day I focused on strengthening noncredit-to-credit pathways; nurturing new partnerships; developing systematic tools to engage with adult learners; building flexible learning options with ample supports; creating a robust career exploration and job placement infrastructure; and telling our stories. Day II sessions included: Valuing All Students Equitably; Advancing Economic Mobility with Equity in California; Embracing the Whole Student – Building a Network of Support Services to Facilitate Student Performance; and The Lead Support Providers to Adult Learners.”
Vision 2030: A Call to Action Adult Education Summit has fed our souls, but it has not sated our need to act. Forward together.
Coming Soon: A Skilled Trades & Workforce Development Center
San Diego College of Continuing Education is laying the groundwork to create a new A.I.R. Skills Technical Trades & Workforce Development Center at the Educational Cultural Complex that would directly address a grow ing statewide shortage of skilled workers in trades and technical fields such as welding, green technology, electronics, and more.
A.I.R.: Automation. Innovation. Robotics.
“Our objective is to expand access to education and ca reers through an equity lens, ensuring equal opportunities for all,” said President Dr. Tina M. King. “Perhaps no college is more suitable for a cutting-edge workforce skills center such this, as our college was established more than a century ago with the goal of serving those from historically excluded populations.”
The College of Continuing Education is targeting a tentative opening date in 2026. The college is currently in Phase 1 of the campaign, which includes a needs assessment, partnership engagement, facilities planning, and developing and implementing fundraising strategies. Paramount in design and construction of the A.I.R. Skills Technical Trades & Workforce Development Center is ensuring that all programs are accessible and inclusive to a diverse range of students, developing a longterm sustainability plan that accounts for ongoing operational costs, and working with industry, labor, and students to make necessary improvements.
Automation, Innovation, Robotics: Advanced Skilled Technical Trades & Workforce Development Center
The capital campaign was jump-started by a recent $1.175 million in funds from a Texas-based non profit to double the size of SDCCE’s award-winning welding program and expand program facilities as part of a comprehensive effort addressing a shortage of skilled welders. The nonprofit, BlueForge Alliance, focuses on increasing manufacturing capacity for the U.S. Department of Defense’s grow ing demands and is providing the grant to help meet Navy needs for more submarines.
Lifelong Learning
Talk about lifelong learning. San Diego College of Continuing Education has something for everyone, from our award-winning Child Development courses to High School Diploma and Equivalency class es, skilled trades training, and a standout Emeritus program geared to those 55 and older.
Among our most recently launched initiatives, and with the help of a $1-million state grant this past March, the College of Continuing Education is working with the San Diego Unified School District in developing new pathways to train future ophthalmologist technicians and opticians. The effort is aimed at supporting English language learners to embark on in-demand healthcare careers and follows the creation of a related effort allowing San Diego high school students to gain the skills needed to become certified CNAs by the time they graduate with their high school diplomas.
Other new programs include a cost-free pre-apprenticeship emergency medical technician academy that got underway in June. Coding and robotics options, meanwhile, are now available in our Welding program.
For older adults, College of Continuing Education’s Emeritus Program offers a variety of courses such as Brain Fitness, Music Appreciation, Health and Wellness, Nutrition, and Tai Chi. The annual Emeritus concert on April 27 attracted a large crowd to the Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego.
At the College of Continuing Education, we have something for everyone.
A Seamless Transition
Among the factors making San Diego College of Continuing Education unique is that we offer not just first-class workforce training, but we also provide a successful pathway leading students from our free, noncredit, vocational options to our for-credit sister colleges in the San Diego Community College District. The College of Continuing Education was founded on a mission to eliminate poverty, and buoyed by our award-winning Noncredit to Credit Alignment Lab (NCAL) Project, students interested in transferring are supported with academic counseling and help with educational planning in their transition to San Diego City, Mesa, or Miramar colleges. We began the project by focusing on healthcare and child development pathways, and nearly one-third of 183 healthcare students earning a certificate of completion subsequently transitioned to City College.
The nonprofit RP Group recognized San Diego College of Continuing Education’s NCAL project with a 2024 Honorable Mention Award for “making significant strides in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion by treating noncredit students as integral and valuable parts of the educational community. The project’s success lies in its comprehensive, collaborative, and data-informed approach, leading to tangible improvements in support services and pathways for noncredit students.”
The RP Group held out particular praise for the initiative’s early outreach, onboarding assistance, and myriad support services.
The College of Continuing Education continues to focus on the core principles of the NCAL framework: treating all students as students; building pathways between noncredit and credit credentials; aligning departments and governance; making programs credit worthy or credit based; and removing barriers to transition. While the first iteration of NCAL has been completed, the work continues as SD Advance. To learn more visit https://sdcce.edu/san-diego-advance.
Celebrating Diversity
San Diego College of Continuing Education this past year adopted the following Diversity Statement:
“San Diego College of Continuing Education was founded in 1914 on the principles of inclusion and social justice. As a community, we affirm that every person has worth as an individual. Each person is entitled to dignity, compassion, and respect, regard less of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, nationality, language expression, citizenship, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, physical ability, mental ability, and cultural expression.
“We understand that systemic inequities exist and we are dedicated to confronting and dismantling these barriers within our institution. We denounce words and acts that lead to prejudice and intolerance; we look to educate those whose thoughts lead them to such actions. Such expressions have no place in the San Diego College of Continuing Education.”
But actions speak louder than words. That’s why the College of Continuing Education proudly celebrates and recognizes Asian American & Pacific Islander Her itage Month, Black History Month, Black Student Success Week, Filipino American History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Undocumented Student Week of Action, Arab American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Hispanic Her itage Month, Pride Month, and more with workshops, lectures, discussions, and film screenings.
Additional highlights include:
Our Immigrant-Based Support Program Student Center
at the César E. Chávez Campus in Barrio Logan, which regu larly hosts community forums in both Spanish and English for students who are immigrants or refugees. The program has two WhatsApp group chats, one in Spanish and one in English, where stu dents share resources with one another such as job announcements, free food distribution locations, educational opportunities, low-cost laptops, and community events.
Our Black Student Success Program
sional success of Black and African American students via support services running the gamut from counseling and mentorship to career development and mental health referrals.
Our Disability Support Programs and Services
supports disabled students in their personal, educational, and vocational goals. Examples include enrollment assistance, interpreters for deaf students, use of special equipment and adaptive devices, and specialized counseling.
Our LGBTQIA+ Program, led by program coordinator Dr. Lisa Carulli, provides support, resources, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ students by offering educational initiatives, counseling services, and events.
Strengthening the Black Student Experience
Dr. Terry Sivers, Counselor and Coordinator of the Black Student Success Program at San Diego College of Continuing Education, is at the forefront of bringing the voices of Black students front and center. In fact, the Black Student Success Program is one of the only specialized programs in the county offered by a college to increase retention and success for Black and African American adult students. As the program’s counselor and coordinator, Dr. Sivers meets with Black and African American students one-on-one to develop an academic plan and supports them finding critical basic needs resources.
The Black Student Success Program, housed at the Mid-City Campus in City Heights, isn’t the only initiative San Diego’s College of Continuing Education has launched to ensure Black and African American students are afforded equitable resources and services.
Working with President Dr. Tina King, Vice President of Student Services
Dr. Shakerra Carter, Dean of Counseling and Student Services Dr. Roberta Krauss, and Associate Dean of Student Support Programs Dr. Franklin Garrett, Sivers is bringing the African American Male Education Network Development (A²MEND) student charter—an initiative dedicated to advancing the success of African American males across California's community colleges—to the College of Continuing Education.
Students with Black and African American roots make up 13% of the institution’s population.“SDCCE faces unique challenges, what our adult learners need is way different from what first-time, two-year community college students need,” said Sivers. “We must support our students in real ways with action and foster a culture that cares.”
Acquired Brain Injury Program
The Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) program at the College of Con tinuing Education is the only one of its kind in the nation — to provide free classes that support survivors recovering from brain trauma, stroke/aneurysm, brain tumor, brain infection and anoxia.
Every March, in honor of Brain Injury Awareness month, students, employees, and families from the College of Continuing Education’s ABI program proudly walk and roll together under the name, “Team ABI” at the annual surviveHEADSTRONG Walk and Health Fair, a fundraiser hosted by the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation. Led by newly-retired Professor Heike Kessler-Heiberg, this year a record-breaking $30,234 was raised at the walk benefitting the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation, with a portion of donations going towards the College of Continuing Education’s ABI trust fund for scholarships.
Adriana Dos Santos Leaves Impact as Second Student Trustee for SDCCE
Adriana Dos Santos became the second individual to serve as a student trustee representative for the San Diego College of Continuing Education on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees. Student trustees also serve as their college’s Associated Student Body (ASB) President, rotate attendance at board meetings, and are committed to serving and advocating for student interests by promoting diversity, community, and academic success.
As the 2023-2024 student trustee, Dos Santos, 35, participated in state and federal advocacy from Sacramento to Washington, D.C., where she lobbied for funding to renovate old campus buildings and for more basic needs resources including mental health services. She met the United States (U.S.) Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, Senator Laphonza Butler, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, and Congressman Juan Vargas. As student trustee, she proudly marched in the San Diego Pride Parade and the 42nd annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.
“The most memorable experiences I have had serving as student trustee were partic ipating in the board meetings and voting on issues that interfere in the daily routine of many students and the opportunity to attend conferences that discussed the importance of empowering adult learners and the workforce,” said Dos Santos.
At the College of Continuing Education, she studied English as a Second Language (ESL), Healthcare, Child Development, and Japanese calligraphy. Together with the college’s Associated Student Body (ASB) leaders, Dos Santos organized events for her fellow students including Arab American Heritage Month and Women’s History Month.
Following her studies at the College of Continuing Education, Dos Santos will transition to Mesa College.
Haydee Zuniga Serves As Third Student Trustee for SDCCE
Business student Haydee Zuniga has been elected as Associated Student Body (ASB) President at the San Diego College of Continuing Education for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees. Zuniga, whose tenure began June 20, is only the third trustee to hold the position.
Zuniga moved from Tijuana to San Diego in 2004. Up until she found the College of Continuing Education in the summer of 2022, she never had the opportunity to pursue postsecondary education. “When I came to the U.S. my English language skills were low. It took me 20 years to go to college. I didn’t know that a career technical college like this exists,” she said.
Zuniga completed a business information worker certificate in spring 2024 and is studying advanced ESL at no cost to her. Now she is working toward a second business and accounting certificate and has a goal of earning a bachelor’s degree to work in administration management.
As ASB president and trustee, she is on a mission to empower students like her. “When I help someone else to discover opportunities to go to school it feels good to know that they will have the same chance as me to grow their career.”
Ready. Set. Action!
Planning has wrapped up and construction is set to begin on a $35-million renovation of the hub of Black San Diego culture: the his toric, 275-seat theatre at the Educational Cultural Center in the South eastern San Diego community of Mountain View.
Enhancements are being made possible through a state grant secured by then-state Senate Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins. The Division of the State Architect is reviewing the plans and construction is tentatively scheduled to commence in early 2025.
The historic theatre is home to Common Ground Theatre, previously known as Southeastern Community Theatre, which regularly produced performances by Black playwrights and provided a venue for Black artists to flourish. Whoopie Goldberg and the late James Avery, who many remember as the character Uncle Phil from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” were cast in a production of The Sty of the Blind Pig. The venue also hosted the likes of Jesse Jackson, Muhammad Ali, and Coretta Scott King, the latter of whom was rallying support to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday.
Our contractor, HGA, has beautifully encompassed the art, history, and culture of our beloved ECC in developing schematic designs following input from the Classified Senate, Academic Senate, students, and the larger community. Plans call for expanded seating to accommodate more than 300 guests, modern acoustic panels, new sound and lighting controls, along with updated entries and foyer areas. New spaces that welcome public use from the surrounding community will be incorporated into the ambitious project, such as updated exterior patio areas and a new, large community room for theater overflow, public events and cultural preservation efforts.
Future plans call for converting an existing two-story classroom space into a kind of “living museum” that celebrates the ECC’s long history of civil rights advocacy and provides space for representation and community gathering. In total, the renovation will encompass approximately 10,000 square feet of new and existing spaces for ECC.
Notably, the theatre is set to receive the Professional Design Award from the California Community College Facilities Coalition (CCFC). The CCFC Professional Design Awards are presented annually at the CCFC Conference, in conjunction with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
A New Pathway to a Fire Service Career
San Diego residents can now earn their EMT completion certificate as a first step toward a firefighter/ paramedic career, thanks to a new, cost-free Pre-Apprenticeship Emergency Medical Technician Academy at the Educational Cultural Complex in partnership with the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Cal-JAC). The first responder pre-apprentice program is the first of its kind in Southeastern San Diego.
Priority is given to individuals with a demonstrated financial need. A high school diploma/equivalency and valid driver’s license are required by the academy to apply. In addition to providing free tuition, Cal-JAC will supply uniforms and books and support with childcare and travel costs.
Cal-JAC is a labor-management partnership between California Professional Firefighters and the California State Fire Marshal and is the established leader in recruitment, outreach and standardized training for firefighters in California. The six-month pre-apprenticeship EMT academy opens a pathway toward a career in the fire service.
In addition to obtaining the skills required of a nationally registered EMT or paramedic academy, cadets will train for the Candidate Physical Ability Test, receive preparatory instruction for the Cal-JAC written exam, and hone their interview skills through the guidance of a firefighter mentor. Success ful graduates will earn a place on the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center’s Statewide Eligibility List, which more than 155 California fire departments use for hiring.
Nationwide, more than 18,000 openings for EMTs and paramedics are projected each year, on average, over a 10-year period ending in 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Community Crafted
San Diego College of Continuing Education can’t do it alone. That’s why nonprofits, local businesses, government, and labor continue to generously support our ongoing efforts at alleviating poverty. Here are just some of the highlights from the past year:
San Diego College of Continuing Education last fall secured $1.175 million from a Texas-based nonprofit to double the size of its award-winning welding program and expand program facilities as part of a comprehensive effort addressing a shortage of skilled welders. BlueForge Alliance, which is focused on increasing manufacturing capacity for the U.S. Defense Department, is providing the grant to help meet Navy needs for more submarines. The grant will fund $600,000 for additional welding booths, $225,000 for a ventilation upgrade, $200,000 to hire new faculty, and $150,000 for electrical upgrades. Funding is being issued by BlueForge Alliance on behalf of the Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base Directorate.
San Diego College of Continuing Education in March of 2024 was awarded a $1-million state grant to work with its regional adult education partners in expanding pathways for English language learners to embark on in-demand healthcare careers. The English Language Learner Healthcare Pathway Grant of $1,049,601 is being funded through the Care Economy Workforce Development Package, a $130-million appropriation to help rebuild California’s health care workforce in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our college is working with San Diego Unified School District in expanding a successful, joint Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program.
San Diego College of Continuing Education and The San Diego Black American Policy Foundation in January of 2024 received $30,000 from the Conrad Prebys Foundation to offer emergency relief aid to residents of South 42nd Street whose homes were heavily damaged from a severe winter storm that generated historic rainfall, hazardous flooding and impacted much of the Southeastern San Diego community.
Hyundai and Kia dealerships at the Mile of Cars in National City this past spring donated six pallets of car parts valued at a few hundred thousand dollars to support students in our automotive program.
Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-52) secured $500,000 in federal funding for San Diego College of Continuing Education for facility improvements at the college’s Educational Cultural Complex.
Investing in Our Future: Scholarships
The San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation this spring presented a record-breaking $87,475 in scholarships and awards to students who have returned to the classroom as adults. And for the first time in the college’s history, recipients had the opportunity to sit and engage with contributing donors during an annual celebratory event.
Some 188 students in all were honored at the April 26 gala on the front lawn of the Educational Cultural Complex. Students such as Karina Menera, an immigrant lacking the opportunity to complete her education in Mexico because of a shortage of resources, but whose aspirations led her to enroll in our adult high school and ESL program to continue on a jour ney that will surely lead to a career in healthcare. Students such as Travis Hefferman, who has been with our hugely successful ABI program since 2020 and who aspires to become an optician to help others like him who have faced the seemingly impossible task of restoring their sight. Stu dents such Mariel Rojas, who arrived at San Diego College of Education as a first step in a pathway toward becoming a teacher and to set an example for her two children that just as their mother is achieving her dreams, so, too, can they.
Scholarships and awards are made possible through the San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation. Fundraising is supported through donors, administrators, faculty, staff, and community partnerships. While students are not eligible to receive financial aid to help cover costs of their educational expenses, receiving a scholarship makes all the difference.
“I am thrilled to be part of this remarkable occasion. It is a genuine privilege to wit ness our generous donors investing in the future generation of students and lead ers who will positively impact our communities,” said Foundation CEO and Executive Director Dr. Tami Foy.
A New Chapter
The history of the Educational Cultural Complex has been memorialized in a professionally published, hard-cover, full-color book.
“The Place of Vision: Drum Call to Destiny, A History of the Educational Cultural Complex” was authored by local author and African American ancestral storyteller Alyce Smith-Cooper, a labor of love celebrating the richness of what has become San Diego’s center of Black culture.
“The Educational Cultural Complex in the Mountain View neighborhood of San Diego is, without a doubt, an integral part of our history that has been woven not only into the fabric of southeastern San Diego, but also the surrounding region,” states the book’s foreword.
The book’s 56 glossy pages are packed with historical photographs, site plans, and beautifully woven words detailing how the Educational Cultural Complex came to be.” It was published by St. Louis-based Reedy Press and funded through the San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation.
Teamwork
Teamwork, they say, makes the dream work. Which is why the San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation is working with our labor, business, nonprofit, and government partners to better serve our community.
Here are just a few programs that are making a difference:
Gateway to College and Career for Immigrants, Refugees and English Language Learners. In collaboration with the San Diego Workforce Partnership, this program removes barriers for young adults who are immigrants, refugees, and/or English language learners via services such as academic counseling, mentorships, civic engagement opportunities, job training, and occupational skills training.
ElevateU Program for Foster Youth. This program focuses on aiding transition-age foster youth and disconnected youth towards self-sufficiency by offering job training, internships, living wage employment opportunities, or college admission, and helping youth reach personal empowerment goals.
Apprenticeship Readiness Program for High Road Construction Careers. As part of the Apprenticeship Readiness Collaborative’s commitment to breaking barriers to employment in construction careers for underserved communities, this program offers rigorous, pre-apprenticeship trainings that are leading to well-paying jobs. Key partners include the San Diego Building Trades Council, the San Diego Workforce Partnership, the Imperial County Workforce Development Board, Urban Corps of San Diego, Gafcon, the San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation, and others.
Pathways Program. Funded via the Lucky Duck and Dana foundations, this initiative guides homeless students along a pathway to completing their education and transitioning to college or a career. Participants can earn a job training certificate in as little as six months, explore career oppor tunities via paid apprenticeships or internships, and get help with covering the cost of books and school supplies.
The Employee Training Institute. Also known as ETi, this program provides customized education to provide local businesses and non profits with tailored employee education and training programs that meets specific and immediate needs.
The Foundation also collaborates closely with SDGE, which awarded a $1,255,800 three-year grant to provide a Utility Line Clearance Arborist Training program in April of 2022. The tuition-free program comprises a 200-hour, five-week training to mold skilled arborists specializing in clearing trees away from utility equipment and lines. Training takes place at California Conservation Corps, urban Corps of San Diego County, and the College of Continuing Education.
Please consider donating today. Your generous, tax-deductible gift will support our community’s most vulnerable students.
Making History with Sacramento State’s Black
Honors College Partnership
San Diego College of Continuing Education is making history by partnering with Sacramento State’s groundbreaking Black Honors College, providing a pathway for graduates to transfer to one of the nation’s leading universities for Black students. San Diego College of Continuing Education is the only noncredit institution of the state’s 25 community colleges signing a long-term partnership with the Black Honors College, the first institution of its kind in the nation.
Dr. Tina M. King signed a Memorandum of Agreement formal izing the partnership at a recent California State University June teenth Symposium. “Signing this memorandum is the first step in codifying a partnership establishing a unique transfer pipeline for Black and African American students into a California State University campus, and all of us at the College of Continuing Education applaud Sacramento State President Dr. Luke Wood for his trailblazing contribu tion in creating this pivotal pathway for our Black students."
ing Education offers short-term career training in a wide range of priority industry sectors, but also has vibrant adult high school and ESL divisions for students who can benefit from an established pathway to Sacramento State’s Black Honors College.
Creating Health Equity Through New Training Tools
New training equipment is arriving to the College of Continuing Education's Healthcare programs. Thanks to the generous contributions from California Coast Credit Union, students will now be able to train with culturally appropriate mannequins, which feature a range of diverse skin tones.
By addressing this gap, the College of Continuing Educa tion aims to enhance diversity within the healthcare field and provide students a more realistic training experience for those pursuing careers in the healthcare field.
A New Look
San Diego College of Continuing Education has undergone a marketing makeover. Necessitated by a need for more cohesive messaging, our college partnered with Carlsbad-based GradComm in developing a months-long rebranding initiative, the first such project of its kind at the college in well more than a decade. The aim: ensuring even more people in the region are aware of the College of Continuing Education and its impact on building the regional economy and improving the lives of our students.
The rebrand, launched at 2023 Convocation, includes a new visual identity, new motto (Forward Together), new logo, new wordmark, new colors (purple – symbolic of royalty – as a primary color; yellow, blue and red as secondary colors), a new style guide, templates for social media, a cohesive strategic marketing plan to guide messaging, consistent use of standardized fonts (Montserrat with a dash of Cervantes) and more. Messaging themes include “Let’s Go,” “Let’s Dream,” “Let’s Grow,” and “Let’s Succeed.”
The rebrand followed an extensive communications audit report, along with a 57-page study based on a community phone survey, a student and staff online survey, and student and staff focus groups in Spanish and English. More than 2,000 people in all were contacted, including 517 via the community phone survey and 1,575 faculty, professional staff, and students who completed a customized online survey.
OUR CAMPUSES
César E. Chávez Campus
1901 Main Street
San Diego, 92113 (619) 388-1910
Educational Cultural Complex 4343 Ocean View Boulevard San Diego, 92113 (619) 388-4956
CE at Mesa College 7350 Armstrong Place San Diego, 92111 (619) 388-1950
Mid-City Campus
3792 Fairmount Avenue San Diego, 92105 (619) 388-4500
CE at Miramar College
10440 Black Mountain Road San Diego, 92126 (619) 388-7825
North City Campus 8355 Aero Drive San Diego, 92123 (619) 388-1800
West City Campus 3249 Fordham Street San Diego, 92110 (619) 388-1873
