ICUC faith leaders made recommendations for change that will benefit all students and sought a commitment from Cloud and Taylor to be partners in creating a better community and education system. Completion Counts agreed to provide workshops in Spanish at local churches and community centers, including in the Eastside and Casa Blanca neighborhood. Cloud agreed to work with ICUC leaders to find ways that the RUSD and higher education institutions like the University of California, Riverside can work together to make financial aid and higher education information more accessible to parents and students of all backgrounds. Both Cloud and Taylor agreed to continue to partner with faith leaders.
ICUC is making a region-wide effort to bridge the education gap. For several months, leaders in Riverside and San Bernardino County have studied better practices in other cities and conducted local research with academic officials. Through this local research and one-to-one conversations, leaders identified two principal barriers to college readiness that affects parents and students: information and finance.
“We want to ensure that partnerships like Completion Counts and our school district focus on policies and programs that can break down the barriers faced by our families in our community,” said Rose Calhoun, a parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine. “We want each of our students to receive a just education so that all households have at least one college degree. The future of our economy depends on it.”
Lucia Mirande is a Community Organizer for the Inland Congregations United for Change.