Rep. Jimmy Panetta, who played a key role in earmarking the $2.9 million for Cabrillo within a broader $65 million high-speed Internet investment across the country, says the grant will help improve the educational experiences for Latino and low-income students participating in remote and hybrid learning.
"This nearly $3 million federal investment in Cabrillo College will help expand broadband at this institution to further its mission of empowering students' academic, personal, and career growth," Panetta, a former community college student, said in a release. "I look forward to continuing to implement our work with this type of federal investment in our local institutions' infrastructure to ensure the future of our students."
The money is part of the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and comes through the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, which awarded grants to 61 colleges and universities across the country.
Cabrillo President and Superintendent Matt Wetstein called the funding "a real shot in the arm for our most deserving students," adding that high-quality technology and broadband access are essential ingredients for a college education in this day and age.
"With the support of the (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) Connecting Minority Communities program, we will be able to provide laptop and technology support to students in the Watsonville and Live Oak Areas, while also building out our capacity to offer flex learning spaces for our students and faculty," said Wetstein in the release.
The grant will support Cabrillo's previously established Improved Remote and HyFlex Learning, Digital Literacy Training and Support for Students program, which is focused on providing high-quality educational resources to Latino and low-income students engaged in remote or hybrid flexible learning. Project initiatives include construction of three Hyflex classrooms, updated software for the school's learning centers, hiring of adjunct faculty for digital literacy training and partnerships with local K-12 schools.
Expanded broadband access, support for Latino communities and equity for Cabrillo's Watsonville campus were all key issues discussed during a special Cabrillo Board of Trustees meeting Feb. 27, where trustees openly interviewed three candidates to fill an Area 5 vacancy, representing the city of Watsonville and southern Freedom.
The board unanimously selected Martha Victoria Vega, a Pajaro Valley High School teacher and native to the Watsonville region. A former high school student of Vega's told the Sentinel that she took a fully remote course in criminal justice from Vega at Watsonville High School in 2021 that continues to influence her career interests and collegiate studies.
Santa Cruz County was also recently awarded grant money from the state that will bolster broadband expansion efforts of its own. The California Public Utilities Commission provided the county with a $500,000 grant that will advance continued development of its broadband master plan, which aims to bring high-speed Internet to local residents and businesses. Officials told the Sentinel the master plan development is ongoing and expected to be completed by summer.
©2023 the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
