Bottom Line: JobTrain Provides First-Class Vocational Education that Allows Everyone a Chance to Improve Their Lives

JobTrain, a vocational education and job placement program based in Menlo Park, has found a way to help those residents of San Mateo County who need assistance in building a path to a successful career.

Bottom Line: Follow the lead of Atherton’s Laurel School and start reducing waste in the cafeteria while making conservation an every-day practice.

In 2007, Sustainable San Mateo County and The City of Menlo Park Environmental Quality Commission recognized Atherton's Laurel School for their efforts in reducing school waste. With the help of Allied Waste’s Composting for Business program, Laurel School’s Zero Waste efforts have saved more than 11 tons of garbage since 2005. By bringing recycling and composting practices to the school’s cafeteria, the zero waste program makes responsible environmental action part of the students’ daily routine.

Bottom Line: Hidden Villa welcomes school groups to explore its farm and wilderness lands while learning about ecology, organic farming, and stewardship.

Hidden Villa's Environmental Education Program Hidden Villa's Environmental Education Program (HVEEP) was founded in 1970 as a hands-on environmental educational experience for young, school-aged children. The program “teaches concepts of ecology, organic food production and environmental education” by providing a direct and guided experience of Hidden Villa’s farm and wilderness land.

Bottom Line: The College of San Mateo is offering two innovative new classes that will help advance your career in the alternative and renewable energy field.

Dependence on fossil fuel energy sources is a continued threat to the long-term sustainability of our community. While most people know that wind, geothermal, and solar energy are fast growing industries in California, few have the knowledge or background in these areas to make a career in alternative energy. In fact, with a stagnant economy and high unemployment, renewable and alternative energy careers (so called “green tech” jobs) are one of the few areas of job growth in the country.

Bottom Line: Experts from all branches of science meet monthly to discuss a wide variety of topics with interested community members at SRI International in Menlo Park.

When Roger Whiting and Nancy Peterson founded Café Scientifique Silicon Valley in 2004, science cafés were nearly unheard of in the U.S. For its first event, Café Scientifique invited Stanford physicist and Nobel Laureate Doug Osheroff to discuss "The Columbia Accident Investigation and the Future of Human Space Flight.”

 

Bottom Line: Are you a working parent who needs a place for your kids to go after school? Do you like the idea of being involved in your kids’ pre-school experience? How about a summer camp experience where children learn as well as play?

Belmont's Cipriani After-School Care [CASC] is a very special organization that has grown markedly and received many awards since it began in 1994. It started when Karen Haas-Foletta bid on the on-site child care program at Belmont's Cipriani Elementary School, which was reopening after a 10 year closure.

Bottom Line: Local Environmental Education Programs offer students, teachers, and families a chance to explore their natural world, develop a deep appreciation for our local environment and an understanding of the importance of responsible stewardship.

There are many environmental education programs offered throughout San Mateo County. These incredible programs give students opportunities to observe natural ecosystems, engage in hands-on discovery activities, and receive knowledgeable scientific instruction. These valuable programs lead students to an appreciation of the natural world and an awareness of the importance of responsible environmental stewardship. There is a range of affordable or free environmental educational programs available for student groups, teachers, individuals, and families.

Bottom Line: The three colleges that make up the San Mateo County Community College District offer over 90 vocational-technical programs to help you get the job you want!

The San Mateo Community College District is a three-college district located between San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The College of San Mateo, Canada College in Redwood City, and Skyline College in San Bruno serve more than 40,000 students each year and offer the first two years of instruction in a wide variety of 4-year college transfer programs as well as more than 90 vocational-technical programs.

Bottom Line: The San Mateo County Cooperative Extension is a conduit for sharing university expertise on agriculture and forestry with the community.

Cooperative Extension is the county-based education and research branch of the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Extension programs exist in almost every county in the United States and are funded jointly by Federal, State and County Governments. Cooperative Extension has been serving San Mateo County since 1945, and San Francisco County since 1970.

Bottom Line: Local community colleges are expanding vocational training in the growing clean energy fields to produce highly coveted employees.

The San Mateo County Community College District Vocational Programs train people to enter specific career fields upon completion of coursework. Vocational programs offer a wide variety of career choices including automotive technology, child development, graphic design and dental hygiene. Many community groups offer scholarships for particular fields and for individuals who have specific needs or backgrounds.

Bottom Line: Sequoia Healthcare District is working to meet the needs of a growing community through grants and innovative new programs.A new 2007 agreement between the Sequoia Healthcare District and Catholic Health Care West, gave the community's healthcare programs and services a facelift. Initiatives include upgrading and expanding the capabilities of Sequoia Hospital, the HeartSafe program, community grants, a nursing education partnership, and free medical clinics.

Bottom Line: San Mateo County provides free, comprehensive workforce development services to job seekers, laid-off workers, and employers.

In San Mateo County, the PeninsulaWorks One-Stop Career System, an initiative of the Workforce Investment Board (WIB), spearheads an integrated approach to workforce development.

Bottom Line: The Bay Area Gardeners Foundation has provided $49,500 in scholarships to 31 low-income students, now in college, since its inception in 2006.

Catalino Tapia, a 2008 Sustainable San Mateo Award Winner, thought the odds were against him when he wanted to start a scholarship foundation in 2002. He had difficulty convincing his friends and the Latino community that it was possible for a Mexican immigrant gardener to raise money for low-income Latino high school students to go to college. So it wasn't until 2005, when he took a long drive on Highway 5 to Los Angeles that he realized he had the power and strength within himself to make the Bay Area Gardeners Foundation a reality. All he had to do was ask for help, and success came soon after.

Bottom Line: The HEAL Project offers an award-winning program that instills healthy lifestyle habits in elementary school children while inspiring environmental and agricultural awareness through a comprehensive, interactive curriculum.

The HEAL Project began in 2005 at Hatch Elementary School with a grant from Kaiser Permanente. The program has been very successful and well received by students, teachers, parents, school & district administrators and community members alike.

HEAL stands for:Health - Empowering children with the knowledge and experience to make healthy choices about food & fitness.Environment - Understanding cycles, ecosystems and how people effect and are effected by those systems, encouraging personal responsibility and stewardship.