Christina: Coming up on Inside
California Education:

Community Colleges Meet aspiring
entrepreneurs at City College of

San Francisco.

These students learn everything
they need to know about bringing

their ideas to market...
including how to pitch

to investors.

Kevin Posadas: The confidence
that pitching in in front of

these large amounts of people
that gave me so much more than

I could have ever imagined.

Christina: We'’ll also explore
the first Climate Change degree

program offered at a community
college in Los Angeles... with

a focus on the city'’s local
environment and activism.

Sarah Solis: Seeing Gen Z'’s
passion also about climate

change, they're really, they're
starting a revolution.

And I'm so excited for all of
the youth that are coming out

and fighting for climate change.

Christina: And see how these
film students at Glendale

Community College continued to
produce short stories during

the pandemic... working together
remotely to create films.

Geri Ulrey: We adapted, um, as
filmmakers do, and we found new

ways to do what we needed to do.

Christina: It'’s all next, on
Inside California Education:

Community Colleges

Annc: Inside California
Education:

Community Colleges
is made possible by:

College Futures Foundation
believes nothing is more

transformative for individuals
and our society than an

educational opportunity.

We partner with organizations
and leaders across California

to help students earn college
degrees regardless of zip code,

skin color, or income.

More information at
collegefutures.org.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

Kevin: Through that excitement
we can all change the world

one bottle at a time.
Thank You!

Man: It's Wonderful.

Kevin: Entrepreneurship is about
solving problems.

And it's about, um, finding a
problem and finding solutions

to that problem.

And not only that, but in the
process of finding those

solutions to problems
will arise.

Christina: Kevin Posadas knows
a few things about solving

problems.

He'’s the founder of a company
called Grean, which offers

recycling services in the
Bay Area.

It'’s a concept he developed
while taking entrepreneurship

classes at City College of
San Francisco.

Kevin: What we do is, we provide
people with infrastructure, for

them to collect their materials,
sort, their materials.

And once they've reached a
minimum amount, one of our

drivers comes by, we pick up the
materials and then we take him

to the recycling center.

So I like to tell people we are
not a recycling company.

We are an environmental company,
so our focus is really on

the environment.

Christina: Grean pays its
customers a percentage of

the value of their beverage
containers.

In turn, those recyclables are
kept out of the landfill.

Kevin had the idea before
enrolling at City College, but

he says it blossomed into what
it is today because of the

college'’s Center for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The Center was founded in 2018
by Vivian Faustino.

She wanted community college
students to have the same access

to venture capital and startup
funding as students at

prominent universities.

Vivian: They always say that,
oh, I could never be successful

as an entrepreneur because
I am not from Harvard.

I am not from Stanford.

Because they always think about
Google, Mark Zuckerberg and

Tesla and all of that coming
from all this big name

universities.

So it's, it's, it's
heartbreaking to feel that

our students don't have the
kind of confidence.

Christina: The Center for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation

is more than just
a business course.

Through workshops and lectures,
students learn everything they

need to know about launching a
product or app.

The Center covers topics like
finance, design thinking and

intellectual property.

But perhaps most valuable....
is the ability to network with

investors and entrepreneurs....
people like Lauren Taylor,

who has a marketing
and product development

agency in the Bay Area.

She'’s also an
entrepreneur-in-residence

at the Center.

Lauren: Networking is so
important, especially I think,

um, in the Bay Area.

Folks come to the Bay Area with
the, with the idea that, um,

that anyone can make it.

And anyone that has a great
idea, um, you know, can get a

million dollars in seed funding
and be off to the races.

And unfortunately it's so much
harder than that.

And so much of it relies on your
network and who can

open doors for you.

Christina: One way the Center
connects students and industry

professionals is
at pitch events.

Pitch event video: Hello good
afternoon and welcome everybody

to City College of San Francisco

Christina: Prior to Covid, these
pitch events were held at the

City College campus, with
investors or venture capitalists

serving as judges.

Students get three minutes to
pitch their product, app, or

business idea.

Pitch event video: We are a
vegan health coach and image

consultant who have come
together to provide people with

information about nutrition
and style.

Vivian: So things that they do,
number one, is to describe what

is the problem that they would
like to solve.

What are they passionate about?

What is the big, why?
Right.

And then after that, they would
say, okay, this is the problem.

This is the solution.

pitch video: I came
up with an idea of a faster

and more convenient
way of paying restaurant bills,

particularly if
within a group dining.

Vivian: So the purpose of this
is two-prong.

Not only to get funding, because
honestly their ideas are still

still being developed, it's not
100% viable.

But the pitch, this students,
are there to really test their

ideas with the market who are
listening and watching

their demo.

They could get this feedback,
this valuable feedback and

insight on how can they tweak
the product.

Lauren: We're really there to
support the entrepreneurs.

Everybody is coming to the table
with a really fantastic product

and idea, and what they need is
help kind of teasing out where

the biggest opportunities are.

Christina: It'’s an intimidating
experience...

but one that students
say teaches them

invaluable lessons.

Kevin Posadas will never forget
his first pitch.

" So I got a total ..."

Kevin: I had spent months,
literally months preparing

this three-minute pitch.

Um, and it's incredible how
much one takes for just

three minutes.

And I felt ready, I felt like
when the time came, I would be

able to, to present in a way
that would highlight my company

and make myself a great, but
when the time came, um,

That it wasn't the case.

And I completely froze,.

Lauren: And he was so nervous
and I, I feel like I remember

like tears welling up in his
eyes, he was so nervous.

And Kevin just delivered the
most incredible pitch.

I mean, I still, like, I have
goosebumps...

I think by the end of the pitch,
there was like a

standing ovation.

Christina: Kevin says that
nerve-wracking experience...

motivated him to keep going.

He went on to enter a national
pitch competition.

This time, he spoke in front of
600 people...but delivered his

pitch perfectly, coming home
with the third-place prize

in the country.

Kevin: It was one of the best
experiences in my life, and I

owe it all completely to, to the
the Center for Entrepreneurship

and Innovation at City College
for putting me into that,

into that position.

Christina: When Covid hit, the
Center for Entrepreneurship

moved all its workshops and
content online.

Ly: Thank you for joining us
today. This is defiantly the

first, the first, time that
we are doing this virtually.

Christina: The same went for the
pitch event, which was held over

Zoom in 2020.

Pui: Hello everyone.

My name is Pui San Tan, and I am
the founder of Workmate.

An online, on demand, networking
platform.

Christina: Pui San Tan is a
student at the City College.

She already has a bachelor'’s
degree from UC Davis and was

working as an independent
consultant when her

priorities changed.

Pui: Last year when the pandemic
hit, uh, we had to work from

home, but also I have
small children.

So both of my children had to do
distance learning from home.

So it became very difficult for
me to, um, combine being

full-time at home, but full-time
mom, and And so I really took

this pandemic as that
opportunity, um, to try this

entrepreneurship.

Christina: Pui San says she
missed having serendipitous

conversations with other
professionals in her old

coworking space.

So, she came up with the idea
for Workmate - a way for

independent workers to connect
in the remote working age.

Pui: You will be matched
instantly with another workmate

who is online and matches
your objective.

Then it's just a matter of
connect and converse.

It's just as simple as that.

Christina: Like Pui San, a
number of the students at the

Center already have a college
degree and work experience.

Many are immigrants whose
academic credentials did not

transfer to America.

But they all share common
desires: To create jobs for

themselves, and better
the world.

Cathleen: Decolonize
will not only have a collection

of free resources ranging from
black novels to indigenous

poetry, immigrant experiences,
but it will also be a safe place

to exchange ideas and connect
with people.

Christina: Leaders say moving
the Center online during Covid

was challenging, but it also
presented opportunities for even

more people to attend its
workshops.

Vivian: Its mission really is to
make education accessible

and inclusive.

So with that, even though they
are not a student of

City College, the workshops are
free for everyone.

And I thought that's really what
we meant by, you know, being a

community college is to really
serve the community.

Lauren: What we see nationally
in terms of the trends around

entrepreneurship are that
immigrants are creating jobs

and new businesses at four times
the rate of other Americans.

We see that women of color are.

Uh, creating new businesses,
I think nine times the rate

of other Americans.

So there's this huge need and
huge opportunity.

And then this incredible gap and
resources and access to funds.

And I think that that's one of
the biggest reasons that CCSF

is such an important part of our
community because it's

accessible to everyone.

Christina: For Pui San and
Kevin....the Center for

Entrepreneurship has helped them
realize their aspirations.

Pui: I learned that I really
enjoy entrepreneurship.

So I do hope to one day be able
to call myself an entrepreneur

and, um, get my idea out there
in the market.

Kevin: There are so many
students at community colleges

right now who I'm sure have
ideas for, for companies that

have potential to be great, but
don't know how to go about that.

The Center for for
Entrepreneurship allowed me to,

to dream in a way that I don't
think I could have ever, um,

ever done without them.

♪♪♪

Michael: A SMALL BUSINESS IS
DEFINED AS ANY COMPANY WITH LESS

THAN 500 EMPLOYEES. CALIFORNIA
IS HOME TO MORE THAN 4 MILLION

SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH MAKE UP
99.8% OF ALL BUSINESSES IN THE

STATE. THEY EMPLOY MORE THAN
SEVEN MILLION PEOPLE, NEARLY

50% OF THE STATE'S WORKFORCE,
MAKING THEM A VITAL PART OF

CALIFORNIA'’S ECONOMY.

♪♪♪

Emily: There are people in the
black indigenous people of color

community who were the OG
birders.

They were birding for many
years.

Jim: Using video,
slides, and graphics,

Emily Cobar is leading a
conservation studies class

at West Los Angeles College.

The two semester course is
typically held in person at a

local park but went remote
during the pandemic.

it's unique both in its college
cost and outreach.

Emily: So the conservation
studies program is free to

West LA students and anyone in
the community.

Well we're talking about birds
we're talking about who gets to

see the birds, you know, birds
are for everyone. It doesn't

matter if you're black,
indigenous people of color like

birds are for everyone.
So we do talk about that.

We don't just talk
about identifying birds,

but we talk about access to
seeing those birds.

Um, so really this class is for
anyone who likes nature.

And who wants to learn about it?

Jim: Students delve into the
natural history of Los Angeles.

Learn how to Identify native
plants, animals and birds.

And meet guest speakers from the
field.

Emily: What advice do you have
for those who are looking for a

career entomology or a career in
wildlife biology?

Specifically for those who are
black indigenous people of color

Marty: I guess the best advice
that I can give is just keep

learning and, uh,
like keep learning and

keep getting experience

Jim: The Conservation Studies
certificate is only one part of

the college's focus on
environmental studies and
activism.

West LA has also created an
academic degree which sets

this community college apart.

Jennifer: As far as we know,
this is the first climate change

associate's degree in the
country.

Our community college is
located in the western part of

Los Angeles. And the majority of
our students identify as Latinex

black or multiple races.

We wanted to create the
climate change degree at West

Los Angeles college because we
know that people of color and

minoritized communities are
among the first impacted by

climate change and among
the most significantly impacted

by climate change. And we
wanted to help our students

understand the complexity of the
climate crisis.

And we also wanted to uplift our
students so that they could

become part of solutions to the
climate crisis.

Sarah: Climate change is one of
the most important issues in the

world right now. So I definitely
wanted to focus on that.

Jim: Student Sarah Solis says
that in addition to academic

course work, climate change
students take part in field

trips, make their voices heard
at environmental protests, and

make up the membership
in a very active college

environmental club.

Sarah: The environmental club
has definitely grown in numbers.

It'’s really a community effort
this semester, which has been

really amazing.

It really shows that people
really want to be a part

of a community.

Our main thing is that we have a
campus garden, So every semester

we plant and harvest vegetables,
organic vegetables only.

And with the produce, we donate
it to the campus food bank.

That's been such incredible
experience because I personally

am not a gardener, but because
of the students and club

members, we do have some
members that are,

have just green thumbs.

So they have been
able to teach us.

Jim: Alan Cooper'’s enjoyment of
outdoor life and camping sparked

an interest in a possible career
as a park ranger.

The Climate Change coursework at
West Los Angeles College

added another dimension.

Alan: I went to West LA with the
intention of eventually

transferring into forestry.

Then I took an environmental
science class on sort of a whim.

It just kind of resonated with
me and you know, the more and

more I learn about this topic,
the more and more I see that

it's like an issue that we, as a
society won't, won't be

able to ignore.

We'’re at a point where it's not
just our actions that can

kill us all, but our inactions
as well.

And I think that that's
definitely something I kind of

came to a full understanding and
appreciation of here at West.

Jim: West LA College says
fostering climate change career

choices for their diverse
student population can

directly benefit local
communities facing

concerns of clean
coastal water, wild fire

prevention, and diminishing
natural habitats.

Jennifer: We know that as the
climate is changing, the oceans

are being significantly
impacted.

And so by taking field trips to
our local oceans, students can

maybe appreciate this more and
think about the, the connections

that we have with each other and
with. The earth system and, um,

nonhuman parts of, uh, our
ecosystems.

You know, the city is not going
anywhere. We're not going to,

it's going to keep on growing
and we want to make sure we're,

we're providing habitat for the
animals.

So we want to make sure people
have park access and they're

knowledgeable about the animals
that we share LA with.

Sarah: You can see how
communities of color are always

subject to the brunt
of climate change.

Like pollution and freeways are
always built directly through

poor neighborhoods.
So seeing how intertwined.

Social justice and racial
justice is with climate justice.

They really are one
and the same.

Girl: ...countless people are
suffering and dying from.

Alan: What'’s really neat about
this degree is it empowers you

in a way, it, it shows you
really like a thing to focus on

and a problem that needs fixing
in this world.

That'’s what being an
environmentalist is about.

You're one part activist, one
part scientist, and one part,

I guess, science communicator.

Jennifer: Our students are
natural leaders.

Our students know what's best
for their communities.

Our students are inspire me
every day and our students are

going to be the change that we
need in order to solve

the climate crisis.

We hope that all of these
opportunities will allow our

students to share their voices
with our local community in

Los Angeles, but also
with the world.

♪♪♪

Christina: What kind of jobs are
available for those who want to

study climate change?

Top careers include
environmental scientists,

climatologists, and
geoscientists.

Experts also expect to see job
growth in clean energy sectors

such as wind power, electric
vehicles, solar panels,

retrofitting homes and
businesses to be more

energy-efficient, and rebuilding
infrastructure to withstand the

impacts of more severe weather,
such as fires and floods.

♪♪♪

Christina: Maria "“Lua"” Ternes
is a student at Glendale

Community College.

Originally from Brazil, she was
working and living in the Los

Angeles area as an Au Pair when
she enrolled in the college'’s

film program.

Lua'’s classes began in the fall
of 2020...

just before the pandemic hit.

But she made the best
of the situation...

using the pandemic as
inspiration for her work.

(Scream)

Maria: For the class,
Introduction to

Motion Picture Production.

I had the opportunity to create
a little short film, where I try

to put in all my emotions of
being stuck in quarantine and is

basically this girl who is stuck
at home and she wants to do

something and she decided to go
camping, but we end up finding

out that she'’s camping in the
front yard and is not going

anywhere.

Christina: Lua is taking
editing, screenwriting and

production classes as she works
toward earning an Associates of

Arts degree, with plans to
transfer to

a four- year university.

Maria: I think the main benefit
of studying in a community

college is that you have a very
small classes where you can have

more contact with not only the
students, but with the faculty.

And they can help out like
closely with anything

that you need.

Geri: Part of our mission as a
department is to reach diverse

voices and folks that maybe are
not having an easy access

into the industry through
traditional means.

Christina: Geri Ulrey chairs the
Film, Television and Media Arts

program at Glendale
Community College.

She says enrollment in the
program has doubled

in the last five years.

Geri: What is the clip?
The second clip,

the second roll in?

Amanda: The second roll in is a
video of Ferro in his kitchen

and he like throws the towel in
frustration and he says

something like, he just doesn't
understand the kind of

pressure we'’re under.

Christina: Every student is
different.

Some are still in high school.

Others are working towards an
A.A.

or a transfer degree...or are
earning a certificate in

cinematography or editing.

Still others are simply taking
the class for fun.

Geri: We have students that
already have careers in other

industries, successful careers
that they have now decided

I'’m going to go and change.
I want to change what I do.

I'’ve always been interested in
film and television.

I'’m going to take a class, see
what that'’s about.

And then often they stick
with us and they,

they get their cert.

They decide they want to
get an AA.

They sometimes decide they want
to get a BA and they'’re building

that skillset to make that
career change.

Christina: Cortney Colvig was a
child actor who grew up around

the film industry, where her dad
worked as a cinematographer.

She already has a bachelor'’s
degree in agribusiness and

food science, but wanted
a career change.

Cortney: I've always been
fascinated what's behind the

camera instead of
in front of it.

I just thought maybe let's try
it behind the camera.

Let's see what it's like.

I just fell in love with it.
It was, it was so much fun.

My first day on set as a camera
production assistant,

it was a lot of fun
and I'm like, okay.

I think, I think this is the
place.

Christina: Cortney says the
program has helped her make

connections in the industry and
sharpen her technical skills.

She'’s already landed some
freelance work as a

First Assistant Camera.

But it'’s the classes at Glendale
that have given her the freedom

to explore many different
aspects of filmmaking.

Annc: Find your future at
Glendale Community College

today. Learn Screenwriting,
Producing...

Cortney: In your first class,
you make your own film in,

and you go through
trial and error.

So you start with the script,
you start with, um, learning

basic things like overhead shot
list, storyboards, and you get

assigned a role.

And you can like put your input.

Like, I really want to be a
cinematographer.

I really want to be a director,
or I really want to do PD,

I want to try these different
things.

But you and your team,
just like on a set,

you get to make this film.

Deb: This teacher is kind of
looking down and she'’s got look

space here, so we usually give
people look space here.

So she'’s looking down
and to the right.

And then we cut to
the little guy.

Christina: Deb Diel teaches
audio production, editing

and a narrative film class at
Glendale.

Both Cortney and Lua were taking
her classes when the pandemic

hit and classes moved online.

Instead of working in groups and
having an instructor on hand to

help guide students through the
film making process...

everyone was forced to adapt.

Deb: I'’m proud that we were able
to keep the quality of their

academic work and their creative
work up.

It'’s really, really good.

And I have to say that one of
the reasons for that was the

district, our college, we have a
college foundation.

They all worked to help us get
money to get some extra

equipment and some laptops so
that students could borrow

equipment for longer
periods of time.

♪♪♪

Okay.
And standby.

Rolling.
Number one and music out.

Cristina: During class...
students have the chance

to watch each
other'’s work.

Projects are analyzed by both
the instructor and classmates.

Students can take the feedback
and apply it to future projects

or life endeavors.

For many, that'’s
the beauty of

the community
college experience.

Deb: Community colleges are a
place where they'’ve truly are

about community.

They are providing people with a
bridge to whatever their goal is

for themselves.

That we'’re there to really
support them and walk them

across that bridge into the,
into the next thing that they'’re

going to do.

Christina: That'’s it for this
edition of

Inside California Education:
Community Colleges

If you'’d like more information
about the program, log on to

our website insidecaled.org.

We have videos from all of our
shows, and you can connect

with us on social media.

Thanks for joining us.

We'’ll see you next time on
Inside California Education

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

Annc : Inside California
Education: Community Colleges

is made possible by:

College Futures Foundation
believes nothing is more

transformative for individuals
and our society than an

educational opportunity.

We partner with organizations
and leaders across California

to help students earn college
degrees regardless of zip code,

skin color, or income.

More information at
collegefutures.org.

♪♪♪