Daily Business Report-Oct. 10, 2019
Ana De Almeida Amaral has been named a 2019 National Gold Award Girl Scout.
Chula Vista’s Ana De Almeida Amaral
achieves a singular honor: she’s named a
2019 National Gold Award Girl Scout
On the website of High Tech High Chula Vista, a charter school formed in 2007, students are described as “doers, dreamers and thinkers who are poised to ask big questions and make big changes in a changing world.”
Ana De Almeida Amaral was one of those students. When she realized the school was made up of more than 80 percent students of color, yet offered no clubs or courses celebrating diverse cultural identities, she decided to take action. Ana developed High Tech High Chula Vista’s first ethnic studies course — an official, elective class that is completely student-led. Her curriculum embraces the histories, stories, and cultures of people of color.
She learned from her research that a lack of diverse perspectives in education contributes to institutional racism and a system of oppression. Ana and her team of students worked to identify injustice historically and in their own lives, and were empowered to unify it and change it. And to better equip educators in combatting racism in education, she ran seminars for teachers about creating culturally responsive, balanced coursework.
In preparation for International Day of the Girl on Friday, Girl Scouts San Diego announced that Girl Scouts of the USA has named Ana De Almeida Amaral a 2019 National Gold Award Girl Scout. She is one of 10 teen activists and change-makers selected for the organization’s highest distinction.
This is the first time a San Diego Gold Award Girl Scout has been selected for the national honor.
“We are beyond proud of Ana!” declared Girl Scouts San Diego CEO Carol M. Dedrich. “Her extraordinary accomplishments are changing the course of history.”
Ana, 18, is now a freshman at Stanford University, majoring in comparative race and ethnic studies, as well as political science.
“This year’s National Gold Award Girl Scouts have truly distinguished themselves as visionary leaders,” said Girl Scouts USA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “In a time when an increasing number of young people are using their voices to come together and take action, these girls stand out. They have made an incredible impact in the worlds of STEM, education, agriculture, the environment, civil rights, and beyond.
Click here for Ana’s first-person account of her project at High Tech High Chula Vista.
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Meet the Primes event hosted by
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is hosting a “Meet the Primes” event on Oct. 16, an opportunity for small and disadvantaged businesses to meet with representatives of the Airport Authority, multiple other public agencies, and construction and concessionaire primes to:
- Learn how to do business with the Airport Authority, and learn about future projects and potential small business opportunities.
- Speak with some of the largest general contractors and concessionaires.
- Build relationships with other San Diego County public agencies and learn about regional contracting opportunities.
- Seek resources provided by support service centers and/or organizations within Southern California.
The event will be from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Balboa Park Club Ballroom, 2150 Pan American Road West, San Diego 92101.
To register, visit www.MTPrimes2019.eventbrite.com.
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SDSU researcher leads $3.3 million
autism intervention study
Research shows early intervention can make an enormous difference in the development of children with autism spectrum disorders. Sarah Rieth, assistant professor in child and family development at San Diego State University, is working to ensure parents of toddlers have the tools they need to provide effective interventions themselves.
Rieth — an expert in early autism intervention — recently received a $3.3 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to research the efficacy of Project ImPACT for Toddlers. This naturalistic intervention, initially developed by autism experts Brooke Ingersoll and Anna Dvortcsak, was adapted specifically for toddlers through more than a decade of work by the BRIDGE Collaborative — a partnership of 15 service providers, funding agency representatives, parents and researchers (including Rieth) from multiple institutions.
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National University to be renamed Sanford National
University in honor of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford
San Diego-based National University will be renamed Sanford National University in July 2020 in recognition or philanthropist T. Denny Sanford’s dedication to educational causes.
The soon-to-be renamed Sanford National University will implement and advance a series of initiatives supported through a gift that represents among the Top 15 largest donations to a higher education institution. The initiatives will address some of the most critical challenges facing the education sector today and provide the private, nonprofit university opportunities to create innovative solutions for post-secondary students nationwide.
Sanford has committed to giving away most of his wealth during his lifetime — and has already donated approximately $2 billion, much of it to health care and education-related initiatives, including the Sanford Programs at the National University System.
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Governor signs renters protection measure
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation capping the size of rent increases and restricting landlords’ ability to evict tenants.
Authored by Democratic Assemblyman David Chiu, of San Francisco, Assembly Bill 1482 caps annual rent increases at 5 percent plus inflation. The law to take effect Jan. 1 requires that landlords provide a specific “just cause” to evict tenants.
Newsom, at a senior center in Oakland: “No one thought this could be done. There have been efforts over many years, they don’t even get a hearing.”
The law is a compromise that exempts:
- Single-family homes and condos not owned by corporations
- Apartment buildings built within the last 15 years
There are reports of landlords rushing to beat the bill’s implementation. A legal aid organization reported 35 families in Los Banos recently received “no cause evictions” ahead of the rent cap law.
Chiu says the law could not have been drafted in a way to close that type of loophole. Tenants unions are advising renters to contact them if they receive eviction notices.
— Dan Morain, CALmatters
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Grossmont College hosting panel
on careers in blue tech
As Silicon Valley is to high tech, San Diego is to BlueTech. So say leaders representing the region’s maritime, ocean and water industries who will gather Friday at Grossmont College for a panel discussion and networking session focusing on what they call the blue economy.
As defined by the Maritime Alliance, the blue economy is “the sum of all economic activity having to do with oceans, seas, harbors, ports and coastal zones.”
BlueTech is an emerging sector that includes science-based jobs in maritime, ocean, and water industries, said Renee Nasori, the college’s Career Services supervisor. “This is an exciting opportunity for Grossmont students and community members to learn about the blue economy and employment opportunities, as well as network with industry experts,” Nasori said.
Register for the event at www. bluetechgrossmont.eventbrite.com
The free event from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Griffin Gate in the Student Center is open to the public and is part of the college’s Career Week activities highlighted by a career expo Thursday that will draw more than 80 companies and businesses.
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Dr. Seuss Enterprises and SkyReacher partner
for launch of Seuss World game on Roblox
Dr. Seuss Enterprisesannounced the official launch of its newly minted Roblox digital game, Seuss World, created in partnership with SkyReacher Entertainment, a game development studio. The game, a fully-immersive pet-simulator game inspired by Dr. Seuss’s popular book, “If I Ran the Circus,” is available on Roblox and accessible on PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and Xbox One devices.
Seuss World features a variety of mini-games that players must complete to gather in-game currency for hatching and collecting virtual pets, which are inspired by popular Dr. Seuss characters such as Horton, The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Yertle the Turtle, and more. Activities include obstacle challenges like tight ropes, mazes, high dives, cannonballs, slides, and gathering up items throughout the world. Players complete the activities in several zones, each featuring familiar Seussian icons such as The Circus McGurkus and the colorful truffula trees, while wearing the Cat’s iconic stovepipe hat.
For more information on Dr. Seuss Enterprises, visit seussville.com.
