LAVC Professional Development is excited to announce the launch of the LAVC Safe Zone Ally program, which provides training for faculty and staff to be allies for groups that are often marginalized. In addition, don't miss the B.U.I.L.D. Series's Video and Conversation on Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness on April 17 at 1 p.m. in the Fireside Room, and the PDC Book Club on April 24 at 1 p.m. in LARC 200.

You're invited to the LAVC OBOC Program's special screening of the first-ever documentary about Ursula K. Le Guin, the author of this year's college-wide shared book The Left Hand of Darkness, on Wednesday, April 10 at 1:30 p.m. in the LAVC Music Recital Hall. Light refreshments will be served before the screening. The free screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the film's producer/director and editor. The event is free and open to all students, faculty and staff!

Congrats to Men's and Women's Swim for progressing to the Spring conference finals! This week, Softball plays Antelope Valley on March 21 at 2:30 p.m., and then Allen Hancock on March 22 at 3:30 p.m., and Baseball plays Pierce on March 23 at 12 p.m., Men's & Women's Swimming are hosting the WSC #3 Meet at Valley on March 29 starting at 9 a.m. Admission is free to these home games. 

Don't miss your chance to watch Monarch Softball and Baseball in action this week! Softball goes up against Santa Monica today at 3:30 p.m. in the LAVC Softball Field, and Baseball plays Bakersfield tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the LAVC Baseball Field. Tickets are free to these home games!

Congrats to Men's Basketball for representing Valley at the second round of the So Cal Playoffs, and to Men's and Women's Swim for finishing in second at WSC Meet #1. Sona Aghasaryan also finished 2nd in the 50 freestyle also finished 2nd at the meet. This week, come cheer on our Monarchs at home as Baseball plays West LA on March 5 at 1:30 p.m. and Bakersfield on March 7 at 2 p.m., and Softball plays Glendale on March 5 at 1 p.m. and Oxnard on March 7 at 2 p.m. #GoMonarchs

LAVC students Gabriella and Sergio Ruelas met with LA Mayor Garcetti at the HIRE LA's Youth Roundtable. As graduates of the LAVC Workforce Training academies funded by the City of LA, the siblings shared how the LAVC Biotech Training Program and the LAVC Manufacturing Technology Training Program helped prepare them for employment. Both students are also currently attending LAVC, and pursuing engineering degrees.

Congratulations to LAVC students Dana Herrera, Robert Ristine, Diana Castro, and Alexander Richardson for being selected as semi-finalists for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This highly selective scholarship provides generous financial support (up to $40,000/year) for two to three years and is awarded to the nation’s top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. The finalist will be announced in April.

Los Angeles Valley College has been named as one of the Top 50 Community Colleges for Hispanics in the nation by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine. LAVC was ranked #38 for Community Colleges with the Greatest Total Enrollment of Hispanics and ranked #49 for the Greatest Number of Hispanics Receiving Degrees and Certificates.

The LAVC Helping Hands Food Pantry is open during the Spring 2019 Semester every Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Campus Center's Monarch Patio. The campus food pantry is open to all students, faculty/staff and the community, and offers a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, dry and canned foods, milk and juice. It also has a representative on hand to assist students with applying to the CalFresh program. In addition, the campus community is still encouraged to make a "Plus One" donation of non-perishable foods (individuals who donate 20 times will get a prize), or they can donate online to Helping Hands Project through the LAVC Foundation.

The campus community is invited to participate Professional Development's B.U.I.L.D. Series college-wide book group meetings to discuss Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. This book examines decision making, and connects with the work the college is doing for Guided Pathways and students’ decisions regarding coursework choices. Professional Development will also be working with the District to launch an online professional development portal called Cornerstone in the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates!