Cañada Hosts High School & Community Partners Forum

 

On November 19, Cañada College hosted its third annual High School Counselor & Partner Forum, held virtually. The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Interim College President, Kim Lopez, and Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Manuel Alejandro Pérez. Attendees received updates on vaccination requirements, the College’s Recovery with Equity Plan and Department and Program updates.  Interim Financial Aid Director Andrea Garcia-Rittgers and representatives of the Promise Scholars Program encouraged everyone to help spread the word so all students apply for financial aid and Promise.  

Lezlee Ware, Professor at Cañada College and now also Program Coordinator for Umoja, shared exciting information about Umoja at Cañada College which is set to launch in the Spring 2022 semester.  Marcos Chacon, from the Personal Counseling Center spoke about the personal counseling services offered to students. Student Ambassadors, Bella Zhang and Chloe Kim, spoke about our Disability Resource Center. 

Mayra Arellano, Director of High School Transition & Dual Enrollment, and Jen Petroelje, Middle College Instructor, also shared information about our early college credit programs. These programs include Middle College, Dual Enrollment & Concurrent Enrollment.  

After program updates, attendees chose from one of two, 20-minute sessions to attend.  The first session included a Concurrent Enrollment training workshop for high school counselors.  Cañada College Counselor Nadya Sigona offered high school counselors information and tips to better help students who are interested in taking classes at Cañada College while still in high school.  The second session was a Community Focus Partner, led by Olivia Cortez-Figueroa, College Recruiter, and Ariela Villalpando, Interim Director of High School Transition & Dual Enrollment.  In this session, community partners provided feedback on what they would like to see from Cañada College to further strengthen our relationships and our commitment to serving students and the community.  This second session was offered as a result of survey feedback the College received after last year’s same event.

Feedback from the attendees was very positive and some great ideas were discovered from the breakout rooms. For example, the Community Partner Focus group got along so well and had such great ideas, that College Recruiter Olivia Cortez-Figueroa, offered to create and lead a Cañada College & Community partner group that will meet every other month to continue to promote and encourage communication and collaboration.

The Forum was recorded and can be found here using passcode: &47QB*r?

Cañada College Raises $50,000 to Support Students Daily Needs

 

Cañada College hosted its Fourth Annual President’s Luncheon virtually on November 2. The goal of the President’s Luncheon is to raise funds to support the basic daily needs of students so they can become successful in achieving their educational goals. As a college, Cañada is dedicated to serving its students and has found that student needs continue to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. The event raised $50,000 towards the Cañada College President's Fund and will help pay for groceries, food vouchers, Chromebooks and hot spots for Cañada students. 

Community members, education partners and local elected representatives from throughout San Mateo County joined the President’s Luncheon, virtually, to hear about the essential needs of our students. The event was hosted by Cañada’s President’s Advisory Group, which led the charge in raising funds to support student success. Cañada College was fortunate to partner with many community sponsors including: Facebook, Kaiser Permanente, Chamber San Mateo County, Greystar and Stanford University to name a few. 

Since the pandemic started, the number of students enrolling at community colleges across the country has dropped precipitously: 14 percent statewide since fall 2019. Cañada College experienced a decline of seven percent over the same period. Reasons for stopping out cited by stopped out students Districtwide include: preferring not to enroll in online classes, prioritizing working for pay and prioritizing the care of children and other family members. When asked what the top three things the District could do to support their return, these students cited better scheduling options, being able to get the courses they want when they want them, as well as needing financial support and help choosing courses and programs. Holding events such as the President’s Luncheon, can help demonstrate to the community what resources students need to continue their studies.

During the President’s Luncheon, attendees had the honor of hearing from several Cañada students who shared their personal experiences at Cañada College and how relying on the school’s resources helped them on their educational journey and where they are continuing in the future. Jeison Velasquez, Aimee Kanadijan, and Brittney Samora-Delgadillo spoke and shared their stories that demonstrated their resilience, hard work, and pride in being a (current or former) Cañada student.

Jeison is now the Vice President of the Associated Students of Cañada College who has made a tremendous impact on our community and helps all students. He shared that he originally left Cañada College but returned years later when he received the support of the financial aid he needed. 

Aimee completed the Honors Program and transferred from Cañada College to UCLA with the help of counselors, financial aid, and her engagement with student government and clubs.  She plans to graduate from UCLA with a degree in Psychology.

Brittney is planning to transfer this year to study Psychology. She shared how support from Cañada helped her make the best of her situation during the pandemic so she could support herself and those in her community with help from counselors, tutors and financial aid. 

The adage “from here you can go anywhere” rings true when these success stories of Cañada College students is considered. With the support of the President’s Advisory Group and the more than 100 attendees logging into the event – including all of the District’s Board of Trustees members - and the College achieved its $50,000 fundraising goal to support students’ daily basic needs. A recorded version of the President’s Luncheon can be viewed here.

 

 

 

What's Happening at Cañada: Week of December 13, 2021

Week of December 13, 2021

 

Registration is OPEN for ALL new & returning students can register for classes

In-Person & Online Classes - Cañada College will be offering both in-person and online classes in the spring semester, so you can take the classes that are right for you. Check out Spring 2022 classes on WebSchedule.

Get Ready to Upload Your Vaccination Status - All students are required to be vaccinated in order to take in-person classes. Students must upload their vaccination. Complete the vaccination documentation process by following instructions below:

1. Log into Websmart and select the Student Services tab

1. Click on the “COVID-19 Vaccination” link at the top of the page and select one of the options below:

1. Select “Fully vaccinated”

Enter requested vaccine information AND upload a digital copy (jpeg, tiff, or pdf) of vaccination card or California digital vaccination record. International students should provide documentation that is translated into English. For more information, please visit https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/students.php.

 

College Shuttle Re-Launches in January 2022

The Cañada College shuttle will be back in rotation for the Spring semester! The shuttle will run direct service Monday-Thursday to/from Cañada and East Palo Alto beginning January 18, 2022 through May 27, 2022. Visit canadacollege.edu/shuttle for the latest schedule updates.

 

SamTrans to Launch Pilot Program to Give Free Rides to Low-Income Students

SamTrans, in partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education, is launching a six-month pilot program to offer free fares to low-income students. Read more about the program here: bit.ly/3xI7Rb4

 

Donate a Toy or Book for the Redwood City and San Mateo Toy Drive

Our Center for Student Life & Leadership Development is collecting new toys and books for the Redwood City Pal Toy Drive that will be donated to families at the North Fair Oaks Community Center. Please bring your donation to Building 5, Room 354 by 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 16. For questions, please contact canstudentlife@my.smccd.edu

 

December 12-18

Final Examinations (Day and Evening Classes)

 

December 15

Student Support Station (in-person)

2-5 p.m.
Quad Area between Buildings 9 & 18

Are you ready to enroll at Cañada College for our Spring 2022 semester? Do you need help? Come visit us ON CAMPUS at our Student Support Station. We will help with your application, orientation, counseling appointment, financial aid and more! Don’t wait –classes start on January 18!

 

December 17

Campus Holiday Gathering (in-person)

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Updated Location: The Grove, Building 5

The entire campus community is invited to mix and mingle over light refreshments and merriment at our in-person Campus Holiday Gathering.

 

December 18

Day and Evening Classes End

 

December 22

Men’s Basketball vs Reedley College

5 p.m.
Building 1

Cheer on the Colts as they take on Reedley College!

 

December 23- 31

Winter Recess

 

December 30

Men’s Basketball vs Fresno City

3 p.m.
Building 1

Cheer on the Colts as they take on Fresno City College!

 

January 18, 2022

Spring 2022 Semester Begins

 

 

 

What's Happening at Cañada: Week of December 6, 2021

Week of December 6, 2021

 

Registration is OPEN for ALL new & returning students can register for classes

In-Person & Online Classes - Cañada College will be offering both in-person and online classes in the spring semester, so you can take the classes that are right for you. Check out Spring 2022 classes on WebSchedule.

Get Ready to Upload Your Vaccination Status - All students are required to be vaccinated in order to take in-person classes. Students must upload their vaccination. Complete the vaccination documentation process by following instructions below:

1. Log into Websmart and select the Student Services tab
2. Click on the “COVID-19 Vaccination” link at the top of the page and select one of the options below:
3. Select “Fully vaccinated”

Enter requested vaccine information AND upload a digital copy (jpeg, tiff, or pdf) of vaccination card or California digital vaccination record. International students should provide documentation that is translated into English. For more information, please visit https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/students.php.

 

College Shuttle Re-Launches in January 2022

The Cañada College shuttle will be back in rotation for the Spring semester! The shuttle will run direct service Monday-Thursday to/from Cañada and East Palo Alto beginning January 18, 2022 through May 27, 2022. Visit canadacollege.edu/shuttle for the latest schedule updates.

 

December 10

Men’s Basketball vs College of Siskiyous

6 p.m.
Building 1

Cheer on the Colts as they take on College of Siskiyous!

 

December 12-18

Final Examinations (Day and Evening Classes)

 

December 17

Campus Holiday Gathering (in-person)

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Building 23 Rooftop Patio

The entire campus community is invited to mix and mingle over light refreshments and merriment at our in-person Campus Holiday Gathering. Please RSVP by Tuesday, December 7.

 

December 18

Day and Evening Classes End

 

December 22

Men’s Basketball vs Reedley College

5 p.m.
Building 1

Cheer on the Colts as they take on Reedley College!

 

December 23- 31

Winter Recess