LAKE/MENDOCINO COUNTIES
Mendocino College receives $2 million High School Equivalency program renewal
A grant from the U.S. Department of Education was recently renewed that will allow Mendocino College to continue its High School Equivalency Program (HEP). The program is expected to receive $400,000 per year for five consecutive years, beginning in the 2020-21 academic year. HEP has been in existence since 1967 and is an educational program which serves migrant or seasonal agricultural working families. Since its first award in 2001, the program has served close to 1,000 eligible migrant/seasonal farm working students in Mendocino and Lake Counties.
“We are thrilled to have this grant renewed. HEP has been an important program for students in our community. It has been highly successful; students graduate at a high rate and the experience has a positive impact on the students and their families, building confidence and a new relationship with education,” says Mendocino College Vice President of Academic Affairs Debra Polak.
The Mendocino College HEP mission is to assist migrant seasonal agricultural workers and their immediate family members in Mendocino and Lake counties to obtain a High School Equivalency Certificate, and subsequently, gain improved employment, begin post-secondary studies or enlist in military services. Mendocino College HEP is committed to providing academic support such as preparation classes, personalized tutoring, support with testing fees, transportation assistance, books and supplies as well as transitional services such as career exploration, financial literacy, scholarship assistance, informational and academic workshops, and exposure to cultural events and excursions.
“I am excited to continue having HEP at Mendocino College. HEP is an exceptional program that provides opportunities for those who were unable to complete their studies,” stated HEP Program Manager Jackeline Orozco. “I truly believe that every person deserves to have a second chance in life to continue their education and be successful.”
The program also hopes to improve collaboration between local education providers and employers to ensure student-learning objectives are aligned with the skills or knowledge required for employment in in-demand industry sectors or occupations. HEP offers instruction and testing at all Mendocino College locations in, Willits, Lakeport, Ukiah and Fort Bragg. For more information about Mendocino College HEP please call (707) 472-7253.
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USDA highlights accomplishments in rural high-speed broadband deployment
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture joined its government partners to release a Progress Report detailing the accomplishments of the American Broadband Initiative (ABI) one year after the release of the initial ABI Milestones Report. The Progress Report released today shows significant achievements across government in removing regulatory barriers to broadband deployment, leveraging public resources for broadband expansion, and maximizing the impact of federal broadband funding.
The Progress Report highlights USDA’s Accomplishments in the last year in deploying high-speed broadband across rural America:
- USDA, through its ReConnect program, has awarded more than $744 million in funds through March 2020 to support more than 80 broadband projects benefiting more than 430,000 rural residents in 34 states.
- USDA worked with FCC to establish processes to coordinate awards for rural broadband deployment to ensure that USDA-funded grants do not overlap with the FCC’s $20 Billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) or the $9 Billion 5G Fund for Rural America.
- USDA developed a public map viewer that displays basic information, such as location, site designation, and contact information for all communications sites located on National Forest System lands. Additionally, the data was provided to the Department of Interior for use in their JOEL map.
- USDA partnered with GSA to finalize a revised Standard Form (SF-299), making this Common Application Form suitable for telecommunications purposes.
- USDA published a final rule in April 2020 to implement the 2018 Farm Bill, which streamlined the Forest Service’s procedures for evaluating applications to locate or modify communications facilities on lands they manage.
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