San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium receives funding approval

The San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium (SJVRBC) has received final approval for funding from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). After CPUC finished its initial review of the 15 regional consortia grant applications filed in August, seven consortia, including the SJVRBC, not only met the grant qualifications but earned the highest scores. The full commission voted to approve a formal funding resolution on December 1, 2011.

The SJVRBC is under the umbrella of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley and is being administered by the Office of Community and Economic Development at Fresno State, with assistance from the Great Valley Center. The SJVRBC will be working diligently during the next three years to focus on accelerating the deployment, accessibility, and adoption of broadband within the eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley.

The SJVRBC requested California Advanced Services Fund consortia funding of $150,000 in Year 1 with an intention to renew for the same amount in Years 2 and 3.  The San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium represents Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare Counties.

SJVRBC's goals are:

• Expedite the provision of broadband access in all areas of the San Joaquin Valley;
• Promote accessibility and adoption of broadband in targeted underserved communities and populations (e.g., develop and implement a plan to ensure high school students graduate with basic computer literacy skills);
• Expand and replicate successful model programs to increase broadband access and bridge the digital divide;
• Accelerate deployment of broadband infrastructure through Telemedicine and Telehealth technology (e.g., develop and implement a plan to connect health clinics with medical centers); and
• Work with neighboring regional consortia to ensure the development of cohesive infrastructure.

The SJVRBC is represented by members of the public-private sectors including telecommunications providers and industry associations; government, economic development corporations, and business development centers; local educational agencies and institutions of higher education; health delivery organizations, community-based and nonprofit organizations; and accessibility advocates. The consortium membership brings years of experience in a variety of areas that will enhance the ability of the SJVRBC to meet its goals. Namely, that have successfully increased utilization by residents through digital literacy programs, pursued funding for deployment, built upon existing infrastructure for Telemedicine/Telehealth, and expanded digital literacy programming.

The Consortium will convene in December to discuss next steps, goals of the work groups, and develop a meeting schedule for the next year.

For additional information on the SJVRBC, contact Christine Nutting, Associate Director for the Office of Community and Economic Development, California State University, Fresno, at (559) 294-2230 or cnutting@csufresno.edu.

GVC is seeking bilingual trainers for Merced and Stanislaus Counties

The Great Valley Center is seeking bilingual applicants for two California Connects community trainer positions which have just opened up. A trainer is needed for Merced County, as well as an additional trainer for Stanislaus County.

These are full time positions that pay $15 per hour and applicants must be able to speak and write fluently in both Spanish and English. Trainers provide free Internet classes targeted at area residents who are not currently connected online and Spanish is the primary language for many of these community members.

Trainers positions are still available in several other counties covered by the program grant. A California Connects community trainer job description is available on GVC's website.

California Connects' hands-on trainings cover basic use of Internet search engines, email, Facebook and broadband access. The training helps participants understand how they can use the Internet as a valuable tool to search for a job, get health information, learn English, apply for college, or connect to friends and family. The goal of the three-year, federally funded California Connects program is to provide Internet understanding and broadband access to over 61,000 California residents.

The Vida en el Valle newspaper featured the California Connects training being conducted in Riverbank on the front page of the November 16th Modesto edition, with the article appearing on their website in both Spanish and English as well. The Riverbank News also covered these training opportunities in October.

The success of the classes in Stanislaus County has been made possible though a partnership with CASA Del Rio Family Resource Center and Riverbank Unified School District. Stanislaus County community trainer Jose Urzua, pictured here with participants Maria Uristu (L) and Dora Fierro (R), has completed several classes with more scheduled in December and January.

Additional information on California Connects is available online or email Desiree Cervantes Holden, Program Manager.

Green Communities program concludes successful first round

The Great Valley Center’s Green Communities program, a collaborative effort with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability USA, has completed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories for ten local governments in Stanislaus and Merced Counties. During the first round of the program, Great Valley Center (GVC) staff and interns were trained and sent to local governments to essentially measure the “carbon footprint” of each government. Results were delivered individually to the participating local governments as a starting-point for reducing GHG emissions in future operations.

Green Communities is funded by California utility customers and administered by PG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The program is intended to provide support to local governments and communities in pursuing their energy efficiency and GHG emission reduction goals. It is clear that many local governments find it difficult or impossible to achieve such goals alone.

Donna Kenney, Community Development Director at the City of Livingston stated, "As the only Planner employed by the City of Livingston, I had neither the training nor the time to conduct a local government operations (LGO) greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the city."

The Green Communities program provided the City of Livingston with the tools, training, and resources necessary to complete the inventory, as well as GVC staff and intern support to limit impacts on city staff-time.

"The experience was painless and cost-free and I would recommend it to all cities in the Central Valley," Donna Kenney concluded.

The nine local governments from Stanislaus County that partnered with the GVC during this first round of the Green Communities program have since obtained funding through Proposition 84 to continue with GHG emission reduction efforts at a regional level. Proposition 84, also known as the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, authorizes over $5 billion in general obligation bonds to fund a variety of environmental and infrastructure improvements in California, including a Sustainable Communities and Climate Change Reduction element. 

Government partners sought for second round of Green Communities

Of course, with the successful close of this round of the program, GVC is now actively looking for other local governments to assist over the next several months. You can expect to see us working in the following Central Valley regions in the near-future: San Joaquin County area, Merced County area, and west Kern County area. 

To learn more about the Green Communities program accomplishments or how to get involved
please contact Bryce Dias, Program Associate, at bryce@greatvalley.org.

California Connects offers community trainer job opportunities!

The Great Valley Center is seeking full time, bilingual trainers for the California Connects program. A community trainer is needed for each of the following counties:

• Amador
• Colusa
• El Dorado
• Mariposa
• Nevada
• Placer
• San Joaquin
• Tulare
• Yuba

Please help us spread the word on these job openings! 

The full time positions are paid $15 per hour. Applicants must be able to write and speak fluently in Spanish. Specifically targeting the Spanish-speaking community, trainers provide hands-on training on how to use the Internet. This can dramatically impact the lives of those they train, opening their eyes to the world of learning and services available through use of the Internet. This free training can help members of the community learn to search for a job, get health information, apply for college, or connect to friends and family.

To view a job announcement click here.

 For more information on the CA Connects program and community partnership opportunities visit www.greatvalley.org/caconnects or www.caconnects.org.

The Great Valley Center looks forward to bringing you additional news on California Connects in the near future!

California Connects is underway!

The implementation of California Connects is well underway. California Connects is a program to increase Internet use for California residents not yet connected. The goal of this three-year program is to provide internet understanding and broadband access to over 61,000 California residents!

The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges in partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

The Great Valley Center is responsible for the implementation of community trainers on the ground in 18 counties: Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Placer, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, Tuolumne and Yuba.

We are accomplishing this through hiring, preparing and equipping each for success. These trainers work in their designated county, showing residents how to use the Internet and set up an email account. They explain broadband and where to find public access computers.

Additional community partnerships are still available!

The success of this program is dependent upon leveraging existing resources in the Valley and establishing mutually beneficial partnerships. We are seeking community agencies, educational institutions and governmental organizations to partner with in this initiative. Partnership may consist of providing a location with computers for holding trainings, helping us reach targeted audiences or publicizing the digital literacy training opportunities. For more information on community partnerships contact Desiree Holden, at (209) 522-5103, ext. 136 or desiree@greatvalley.org

For more information visit www.caconnects.org and www.greatvalley.org/caconnects  

The Great Valley Center looks forward to bringing you additional news on California Connects in the near future!

Video: UC Merced's National Parks Institute Executive Leadership Seminar - 2011

Twenty seven executives in park and protected area management from around the world convened in April 2011 for the second National Parks Institute, a 12-day intensive seminar on leadership, innovation, and organizational renewal.

View a video created by UC Merced about the 2011 National Parks Institute.



The National Parks Institute was created by University of California, Merced, with help from the Great Valley Center the National Park Service.

Video: CA Connects Launch, March 23, 2011

The official launch of California Connects was held March 23, 2011 at American River College. The launch also streamed live online and was viewed by community partners in the Central Valley and California community college Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program students throughout the state.

Watch the Video

California Connects is a three-year program that will increase digital literacy and broadband access in underserved communities throughout the state by deploying community college Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program students and representatives from the Great Valley Center to teach members of the community how to access and navigate the Internet for educational, health, and economic purposes. Funded by a $10.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), California Connects is administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges.

For more information visit www.caconnects.org

Job Opportunity: Community Trainers for Digital Literacy Outreach and Training

We are looking for candidates to hire as community trainers for California Connects program.  Trainers will conduct digital literacy outreach and training for Central Valley residents who currently do not have access to broadband technology.  There are several full positions available, paying $11.50 per hour including full benefits, in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Kern, Nevada, Placer, Sutter, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties. 

Download the Job Description (PDF)

Application Deadline
Open until filled 

Application ProcessPlease submit a letter of interest and resume as Word or PDF documents by email to desiree@greatvalley.org. Please include in the subject line: Community Trainer, California Connects Program.

About California Connects

California Connects is a new program that will increase digital literacy and expand broadband Internet access to underserved populations throughout the state. Funded by a $10.9 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, California Connects
provides intensive outreach and hands-on training to students, who will, in turn, educate 61,120 new broadband users and influence 9,168 new broadband adopters over three years.

For more information visit:
http://www.foundationccc.org/CAconnects

Helping Central Valley Cities Reduce Greenhouse Gasses

HealthyCal
March 24, 2011
by Derek Walte

California cities face a daunting deadline. Within nine years they must make a significant reduction in the pollutants that create the state’s carbon footprint. The target of 2020 to make a 15 percent cut in greenhouse emissions may seem a long way off. Yet the Great Valley Center, a Modesto-based not-for-profit, wants to help cities take action now.

They recently launched the Green Communities program, which helps city governments create plans to reduce their emissions and increase energy efficiency. The initiative, funded by PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission, will help cities and counties acquire a detailed list of greenhouse gas emissions and identify ways to reduce them.

“We recognize the smaller cities don’t have the money, the staff or the resources to say, ‘Hey we want to look at climate change’ and start addressing this issue,” said Stacey Shepard, the program coordinator.

Many smaller municipalities do not have the kind of resources or personnel available to undertake a large-scale inventory of their energy usage, Shepard said. Finding solutions often takes years of research and changes to city operations, something that smaller communities don’t necessarily have the staff power to handle.

The legislation that is driving this initiative is known as the Global Warming Solutions Act (also referred to as AB 32). Its aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California back to 1990 levels. The California Air Resources Board includes a broad definition of emissions targeted for reduction, such as electricity generation, large industrial sources, transportation fuels, and both residential and commercial use of natural gas.

Read more: http://www.healthycal.org/helping-central-valley-cities-reduce-greenhouse-gasses.html

Join us for the CA Connects Program Launch on March 23 in Sacramento

The Great Valley Center and the Foundation for California Community Colleges cordially invites you to the official launch of California Connects on March 23 at the American River College in Sacramento.

California Connects is a three-year program that will increase digital literacy and broadband access in underserved communities throughout the state by deploying community college Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program students and representatives from the Great Valley Center to teach members of the community how to access and navigate the Internet for educational, health, and economic purposes.

Please join us and our participating local colleges, partners, and students on March 23 for this historic event. The launch will also be broadcast live via the Internet to California Community College MESA program students throughout the state and community partners in the Central Valley.

Our keynote speaker is Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonillas, representing California's 11th Assembly District.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Time: 10–11 a.m.

Location: American River College Theatre
(Fine & Applied Arts building)
4700 College Oak Drive, Sacramento, CA 95841

Watch the live broadcast

RSVP by Friday, March 18, 2011

Please con firm your attendance by emailing CAconnects@foundationccc.org or

contacting Sally Vue at 916.498.6705.

The program is funded by a $10.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges in partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Offi ce and the Great Valley Center. Additional details about California Connects are available at www.CAconnects.org.

Be a part of the CA Connects community on Facebook

GVC leads Central Valley component of California Connects, new statewide digital literacy initiative

GVC is leading the Central Valley component of California Connects, a statewide initiative that offers a multi-pronged approach to increasing digital literacy and broadband access for underserved communities. We will recruit individuals into libraries and public computing centers in 18 Central Valley counties to provide in-person training on basic digital literacy skills.

California Connects is a three-year program that will increase digital literacy and broadband access in underserved communities throughout the state by deploying community college Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program students and representatives from the Great Valley Center to teach members of the community how to access and navigate the Internet for educational, health, and economic purposes.

The program is funded by a $10.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges in partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Offi ce and the Great Valley Center. Additional details about California Connects are available at www.CAconnects.org.

Be a part of the CA Connects community on Facebook

Population gain mostly Hispanics; group makes up 42% in Stanislaus

Modesto Bee
March 8, 2011
by John Holland and Amy Taxin

The population grew 19 percent in the Northern San Joaquin Valley from 2000 to 2010 despite a sour economy in the latter part of the decade, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday.

The gains came mostly from Hispanics, who increased from 32 percent to 42 percent of Stanislaus County's population and gained in Merced and San Joaquin counties.

Non-Hispanic whites made up 47 percent of Stanislaus' population of 514,453 in 2010, the bureau reported. It was the first time this group slipped below majority status in the once-a-decade tally.

The figures are from a home-by-home count of the population as of April 1, 2010. They provide far less detail than the bureau's more frequent surveys of social and economic conditions, but they are important nonetheless. The results will be used to distribute certain federal funds and to redraw legislative districts.

The increased number of people brings challenges for schools and other public bodies, said Dejeuné Shelton, interim executive director of the Great Valley Center in Modesto.

"It pulls on the services we have available at a time when all of our services are being reduced because of budget cuts," she said.

But the numbers also show that the region attracts people despite its poor rankings on variousnational lists, Shelton said.

"If you look at the population, you can see that they are coming for a reason," she said.

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2011/03/08/1590237/population-gain-mostly-hispanics.html#ixzz1GbZSfuRi

National Parks Institute Executive Leadership Seminar Convenes April 2-16, 2011

National Parks, Reserved Lands the Focus of Leadership Seminar 

MERCED, Calif. — From California's Sierra foothills to Sweden's Tyresta forest, the problems facing the world's national parks and reserved lands are immense and require a new way of thinking.

Park leaders from across the globe are being brought together in April for an intensive, 12-day leadership program to address central issues like climate change, habitat loss, encroachment, budget constraints and rapidly changing leadership.

The program is hosted by the University of California, Merced, the National Park Service, the Institute at the Golden Gate, the Great Valley Center and the National Parks Conservation Association's Center for Park Management.

Quick Facts

• More than two dozen park leaders from across the globe will take part in UC Merced's second National Parks Institute Executive Leadership Seminar.
• Participants will discuss effective leadership training for stewarding the world's natural and cultural heritage.
• Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist E.O. Wilson and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis will be among those presenting.

Press Release:  http://www.ucmerced.edu/news_articles/03092011_national_parks_reserved_lands.asp

Learn more: http://parkleadership.ucmerced.edu

Valley Futures Forum 3/17: "Sustainable Communities Initiative: A New Direction for America"

Sustainable Communities Initiative: A New Direction for America with Shelley Poticha, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Ms Poticha will describe what it means to be sustainable and why sustainability is important for Valley communities. Then she will explain why the Sustainable Communities Initiative was developed and what HUD, DOT, and EPA expect the program to achieve. Among the regions that received a Sustainable Communities Initiative grant is the San Joaquin Valley represented by 14 co-grantee cities.

March 17, 2011
5:00 - 6:45 pm

Great Valley Center
Community Room
201 Needham St.
Modesto, CA

Fee for the Forum: $10 (payable at the door)

Register online: http://events.greatvalley.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=6

For more information, please visit our new website at www.valleyfuturesforum.org or email nuplanner@gmail.com

About the Valley Futures Forum (VFF):
The VFF is a dynamic conversation on development issues in the San Joaquin Valley. The VFF is held on the third Thursday of each month at 5:00pm, from January through November.

The VFF is presented by:
American Planning Association, Central Section; Building Industry Association of Central California; Congress for the New Urbanism, NorCal Chapter; Great Valley Center; Local Government Commission; Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

→ Download a flyer

Great Valley Center Highlights, February 2011

Now in its second decade, the Great Valley Center continues to address the challenges of our special place on this earth. We continue to operate programs that seek out potential leaders and lift them to higher levels. We also work to overcome the digital divide as our Pixley Connect program now expands to two other communities. Sustainability continues to be a key theme as we work to implement energy retrofit strategies. All of this and much more would not be possible without the generous support of our funders, some of whom have been with us for many years. We extend our appreciation to all our donors for their confidence in us and for their support.

A few highlights for the coming year:

• We are excited to announce our involvement with California Connects, a new statewide digital literacy initiative headed by the California Community College Foundation and the California Community College Technology Center.
  
  GVC is leading the Central Valley component of California Connects, and will recruit individuals into libraries and public computing centers in 18 Central Valley counties to provide in-person training on basic digital literacy skills. We will focus on reaching populations for whom computer and internet use is still a challenge yet necessary to enhance their lifelong learning ability, improve their economic status and advance their quality of life.
  
  California Connects is funded by a $10.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The three-year program will ultimately provide access to more than 61,000 broadband users in California.
  
  Read the CA Connects Fact Sheet →
  
  
• The Great Valley Center Energy Program has developed Green Communities, a new program that will train local government staff in the Central Valley to plan for climate change over the next three years. The program, funded by PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission, will help cities and counties develop a detailed list of greenhouse gas emission sources and levels, and identify ways those emissions can be reduced.
  
  Working with Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), paid university interns will provide hands-on assistance to develop the inventory. Green Communities will allow many local governments to at least begin the process of analyzing local emissions data. Eventually, the baseline data will be used to set emissions reduction goals and develop strategies to achieve these goals.
  
  This effort could help cities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which is set to take effect in 2020. Cities must start this year to show how they will meet reduction measures by the 2020 target.
  
  Visit www.gvc-energy.org/green-communities.html →
  
  
• Class II of the American Leadership Forum Great Valley Chapter is expected to graduate in May 2011 where they will join the Senior Fellows from Class I. Recruitment for Class III is underway.
  
  The American Leadership Forum is dedicated to joining and strengthening established leaders in order to serve the public good. The Great Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum serves the 3-county region of the Northern San Joaquin Valley of Central California.
  
  ALF Fellows participate in a yearlong intensive leadership development program, which includes monthly seminars and a five day wilderness experience. Upon graduation, these Senior Fellows join an active network of over 1,000 graduates nationwide, and continue to work together on regional problems.
  
  Visit www.greatvalley.org/alf →

Highlights from Fiscal Year 09-10

• The National Parks Institute: Leading Strategic Change Seminar graduated its inaugural class, which included 15 U.S. National Park Service leaders and 11 international participants.
• We launched Great Valley TV, a new public affairs television series that aired 30 half-hour episodes weekly in Sacramento, Fresno, and Redding.
• 18 leaders graduated from the inaugural class of the American Leadership Forum Great Valley Chapter.
• 20 leaders graduated from the 2010 Class of the Institute for the Development of Emerging Area Leaders (IDEAL).
• 11 leaders graduated from the Great Valley Leadership Institute (GVLI).
  
  Download our Year-at-a-glance timeline of activities (PDF) to see all our accomplishments during Fiscal Year 09-10.
  

While our challenges may be great, we continue to feel that the future of our Valley is alive with possibilities. All of us working together, cultivating leadership and a more collaborative spirit, are needed to transform these possibilities into reality.

Thank you for your continued support and we hope to see you at one of our events in 2011!

Sincerely,

Dejeune M. Shelton, Interim Executive Director
Kathy McKim, Board Chair

New Resource: Directory of Conservation Organizations in the Central Valley

We pleased to provide this compilation of conservation organizations operating in the Central Valley of California as a resource to other groups and individuals who may find it useful. 

Download Conservation Organizations in the Central Valley  (PDF)

Changes, additions and deletions should be emailed to info@greatvalley.org.

Valley Futures Forum: "Growth and Change in the Central Valley--New Opportunities" on February 17

Growth and Change in the Central Valley--New Opportunities with Elizabeth Deakin, UCBerkeley City and Regional Planning

This presentation will discuss the opportunities that growth in the Central Valley presents. By managing growth strategically, the Central Valley can improve its cities, reduce environmental damage, increase economic opportunities, and produce a better quality of life for residents. Planning and design strategies will be discussed and illustrated.

February 17, 2011
5:00 - 6:45 pm

Great Valley Center
Community Room
201 Needham St.
Modesto, CA

Fee for the Forum: $10 (payable at the door)

For more information, please visit our new website at www.valleyfuturesforum.org or email nuplanner@gmail.com

About Elizabeth Deakin:
Elizabeth Deakin is Professor of City and Regional Planning and Urban Design at the University of California, Berkeley, where she teaches courses on transportation and land use planning and does research on strategies for sustainable development. She served two terms as Director of the UC Transportation Center and also directed the Berkeley Global Metropolitan Studies program for a number of years. She has been appointed to a variety of boards and commissions at the federal, state and local levels and has consulted with city governments world-wide.

About the Valley Futures Forum (VFF):
The VFF is a dynamic conversation on development issues in the San Joaquin Valley. The VFF is held on the third Thursday of each month at 5:00pm, from January through November.

The VFF is presented by:
American Planning Association, Central Section; Building Industry Association of Central California; Congress for the New Urbanism, NorCal Chapter; Great Valley Center; Local Government Commission; Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

→ Download a flyer

Job Opportunity: Community Trainers for Digital Literacy Outreach and Training

We are recruiting community trainers for the Foundation for California Community Colleges “California Connect” program. There are several part time positions (20-22 hours a week) paying $15.00 per hour in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kings, Kern, Mariposa, Merced, Madera, Nevada, Placer, Tuolumne, Tulare, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter and Yolo counties.  Community Trainers will be hired to conduct digital literacy training for Central Valley residents who currently do not have access to broadband technology.

Job Purpose: Digital Literacy Outreach and Training
Under the direction of the program director and staff at the Great Valley Center, support digital literacy outreach and training functions of the Foundation’s California Connects program, currently funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The incumbent is accountable for supporting the execution of program implementation, documentation and practices; and communicating with program partners for the California Connects Program.

Download the full Job Description (PDF)

Filing deadline for this position is February 15, 2011

For more information contact:
Manuel Alvarado, Program Director
Great Valley Center
(209) 522-5103
manuel@greatvalley.org

About California Connects

California Connects is a new program that will increase digital literacy and expand broadband Internet access to underserved populations throughout the state. Funded by a $10.9 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, California Connects
provides intensive outreach and hands-on training to students, who will, in turn, educate 61,120 new broadband users and influence 9,168 new broadband adopters over three years.

For more information visit:
http://www.foundationccc.org/WhatWeDo/CaliforniaConnects/tabid/771/Default.aspx

Program offers cities a plan to address emissions, energy use

Patterson Irrigator
January 13, 2011
by Kendall Septon

The San Joaquin Valley has gained notoriety over the years as one of the worst air-pollution basins in the nation. Moving forward, though, a new sustainability outreach that ends later this month could help Patterson and other cities throughout Stanislaus County change that image.

The Green Communities Program, organized by the Great Valley Center and funded by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and the California Public Utilities Commission, will help cities, free of charge, to develop a detailed list of greenhouse gas emission sources and levels. In the end, with the help of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives’ Local Governments for Sustainability, paid university interns will work with city staff to recommend how each city can reduce the energy it uses each day.

“Hopefully, this will help the city make better decisions, in a cost-effective manner, about how we decide to operate in the future,” said Joel Andrews, interim community development director for the city of Patterson. “We are always looking for ways to do things better, become more efficient.”

Advocates say the effort could help cities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which is set to take effect in 2020. Cities must start this year to show how they will meet reduction measures by the 2020 target.

Read more: Patterson Irrigator - Program offers cities a plan to address emissions energy use

Valley Futures Forum: "A New Perspective on Ag Land in the San Joaquin Valley" on January 20

A New Perspective on Agricultural Land in the San Joaquin Valley with Ed Thompson, American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust has been working with the Information Center for the Environment at U.C. Davis to map physical characteristics of agricultural land in the San Joaquin Valley as they relate to its future economic viability and pressures from urban and rural development. This information can help guide planners and officials as they do a rural "greenprint" to complement the region's Blueprint for urban growth. This will be the first presentation of the maps and data from this project.

January 20, 2011
5:00 - 6:45 pm

Great Valley Center
Community Room
201 Needham St.
Modesto, CA

Fee for the Forum: $10 (payable at the door)

For more information, please visit our new website at www.valleyfuturesforum.org or email nuplanner@gmail.com

About Edward Thompson:
Since 2003, Edward Thompson, Jr., has been California Director of American Farmland Trust, a national conservation organization he has also served as general counsel, policy director and senior vice president. He is the author of several groundbreaking publications on California agriculture, including Alternatives for Future Urban Growth in California’s Central Valley: The Bottom Line for Agriculture and Taxpayers; Water Policy and Farmland Protection: A New Approach to Saving California’s Best Agricultural Lands (with Marc Reisner); and, most recently, California Agricultural Vision: Strategies for Sustainability. He earned his B.A. in government from Cornell and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.

About the Valley Futures Forum (VFF):
The VFF is a dynamic conversation on development issues in the San Joaquin Valley. The VFF is held on the third Thursday of each month at 5:00pm, from January through November.

The VFF is presented by:
American Planning Association, Central Section; Building Industry Association of Central California; Congress for the New Urbanism, NorCal Chapter; Great Valley Center; Local Government Commission; Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

→ Download a flyer

Valley has 6 of nation's 10 metro areas with worst rate for joblessness

Modesto Bee
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
By Marijke Rowland

The San Joaquin Valley continues to be at the heart of the nation's unemployment problem.

A report released this week by the U.S. Labor Department shows that the valley accounts for six of the 10 metropolitan areas with the worst unemployment rates in the country.

The valley cities stretch from Stockton to Visalia-Porterville and also include Modesto, Merced, Fresno and Hanford-Corcoran.

Two other California metro areas also made the bottom 10: No. 1 El Centro in Imperial County and No. 2 Yuba City in Sutter County.

"It's one of those perfect storm situations," said University of California at Merced economics Professor Shawn Kantor. "So it will take a very long time for this area to recover."

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2011/01/05/1499504/valley-at-the-heart-of-the-problem.html#storylink=omni_popular#ixzz1AHaBV2cA

(Photo Credit: DEBBIE NODA/dnoda@modbee.com)

San Joaquin Valley utilities and firms work to meet green energy mandates

Modesto Bee
Monday, January 3, 2011
By John Holland

The sun performed as promised at Jim Jasper's business near Newman.

He installed about 4,000 panels that capture solar energy for use in processing almonds at Stewart & Jasper Orchards. 

Jasper said he expects to save as much as $250,000 on his Pacific Gas & Electric Co. bill each year. But he said something else that gets to the crux of the renewable energy debate: 

"It doesn't pencil out without the subsidies."

Solar, wind and other renewable sources may have finally come of age, after four decades of promise from their promoters. But the technologies still tend to cost more than conventional sources such as hydroelectric, natural gas and coal.

The extra cost is covered in part by utility rate increases, including the one that took effect Saturday in the Modesto Irrigation District.

And the federal government helps with up to 30 percent of the cost with income tax credits for homes and businesses. Those lost taxes add to the national debt.

Advocates say renewable sources are worth the cost because they reduce the need for fossil fuels, which pollute the planet and mire the nation in messy foreign affairs.

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2011/01/02/1495066/green-energy-gets-real.html#ixzz1A67BL3CC