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By John Fensterwald, EdSource, August 1, 2020 The California Department of Education released a more readable and tempered draft of an “ethnic studies model curriculum” on Friday, 11 months after intense criticism of the first draft forced state officials to order a rewrite. Its release will start eight months of review and revision, beginning with an Aug. 13 meeting of a curriculum commission reporting to the State Board of Education, then a one-month public comment period and more review.

By Samantha Young, California Healthline, July 29, 2020 When Will Lightbourne looked at the statistics behind California’s coronavirus cases, the disparities were “blindingly clear”: Blacks and Latinos are dying at higher rates than most other Californians. As of Monday, Latinos account for 45.6% of coronavirus deaths in a state where they make up 38.9% of the population, according to data collected by the California Department of Public Health. Blacks account for 8.5% of the deaths but make...

By Jacob Pierce, July 31, 2020, Goodtimes. A volunteer group known for doing needle distributions in Santa Cruz County has landed grant funding to support new staff positions and stipends. Kate Garrett, managing member for the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County (HRCSCC) announced Thursday that the group secured a portion of a new $12.2 million chunk for harm reduction programs awarded via the statewide California Harm Reduction Initiative. [ Please click here to read more. ]

By Ashley Gold, California Healthline, July 20, 2020 While the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Hispanic Americans is no secret, federal officials have launched studies of the disparity that they hope will better prepare the country for the next great epidemic. The National Institutes of Health began the ambitious “All of Us” research project in 2018 with the goal of enrolling at least a million people in the world’s most diverse health database. Officials saw it as an...

CalFresh As of April 28, 2020 you can use your EBT card to make purchases online. Individuals and families can purchase groceries online using their EBT card at Amazon and Walmart. If you receive CalWORKs , you may also be able to use your cash benefits to make purchases online at Wal-Mart. California expedited implementation of EBT online purchasing in response to COVID-19. Allowing for EBT online purchases will support vulnerable populations in meeting their nutrition needs, especially...

By Michael Lewis, July 30, 2020, Bloomberg. Notes From A Pandemic: A California county’s efforts to stop the spread has also become a battle with the public’s denial. Erica Dykehouse will wait for minds to change. The Humboldt County Public Health department in California is inside what used to be a juvenile jail. The offices are former prison cells. A few of the doors still have the small windows with the sliding panels that allowed guards to observe prisoners. The basement is a dungeon,...

From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, July 30, 2020 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing, and more so better health flourishes for all. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, good jobs, and reliable transportation—affects how long and how well we live.

By Grant Marek, SF Gate, July 29, 2020 Lana Nguyen sits in a closet in her parents’ studio apartment in the Tenderloin. She has a Zoom background of the Bay Bridge, but every time she adjusts her body, the background flickers to reveal the tight confines of the surrounding clothes on hangers. “It sounds sad, but I had to take my AP exams in my bathroom,” she says. “It was the only place with a large flat surface.” [ Please click here to read more .]

By Maryam Abdullah, Greater Good Magazine, June 29, 2020 As a homebound parent with a preschooler, I’ve felt an array of emotions over the past few months during the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve felt sadness and worry about how many people are becoming ill, while being confounded by trying to juggle homeschooling and my own work responsibilities. But I’ve also felt a great deal of gratitude for the kindnesses that have punctuated so many of my days lately, like when a neighbor left herbs from...

By Kenne A. Dibner, Heidi A. Schweingruber, Dimitri A. Christakis, JAMA Network, July 29, 2020 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to the nation’s kindergarten-grade 12 education system. 1 The rush to respond to the pandemic led to closures of school buildings across the country, with little time to ensure continuity of instruction or to create a framework for deciding when and how to reopen schools. States and school districts are now...

ACEs Aware Grantee Project descriptions

By Mdlogix, July 2020 Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) works hard to maximize behavioral health support to students in the county’s six independent school districts. Through a partnership with the county’s behavioral health department – which has been continuously expanded and strengthened over the past 11 years – SCOE has been able to support a variety of suicide prevention, mental health, and social emotional learning programs in school-based settings. Part of these initiatives...