Kinder Caminata set for March 8 at Santa Ana College

Rancho Santiago Community College District

MEDIA ALERT: February 25, 2013

Contact: Judy Iannaccone, Director, Communications, Phone: (714) 480-7503, E-mail: iannaccone_judy@rsccd.edu

One Thousand Santa Ana Kindergarteners to March on Santa Ana College on March 8

*KinderCaminata Introduces Youngsters to Santa Ana College*

WHAT: More than 1,000 Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) kindergartners will visit a college campus for the first time. The annual KinderCaminata program’s name was taken from the word “kinder,” meaning “children” in German paired with “caminata,” which is “to promenade” in Spanish.

The college visitors will enjoy more than 30 career stations that provide interactive exposure to a range of careers:

· The Santa Ana College (SAC) Nursing Department will provide the youngsters a look at IV poles, IV bags, a mannequin with body parts, and a stethoscope.

· SAC Fire Technology will showcase two fire engines and a talk on fire safety.

· Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez’s office will share information about financial aid and how to access resources to go to college.

· SAC TV will have “reporters” roaming the event and interviewing the kindergarteners about their experience.

· UPS will bring its “big brown truck.”

· SAC Associated Student Government will host a voting booth so children can vote for their favorite cartoon character and exercise their voting power at a young age.

· Comuniadad Latina Federal Credit Union will have a mock ATM machine where children can press numbers and get “money.”

· Rueben Martinez and the Librería Martinez de Chapman University will encourage reading and going to college.

· A number of mascots and well-known characters will be visible at the event, including the UC Irvine Anteater, Cal State Fullerton Tuffy the Titan, Clifford the Dog, and Uncle Sam.

The youngsters will be entertained by performances by Relámpago del Cielo, a nonprofit cultural arts organization which supports the study and preservation of traditional Mexican folkloric dance, and the SAC Jazz Ensemble.

At approximately 10:15 a.m., hundreds of youngsters wearing labels that indicate their dream careers will march from the Santa Ana College quad to the college soccer field chanting, “¡Sí, se puede!’

WHERE: Santa Ana College (SAC), 1530 W. 17th St.., Santa Ana

WHEN: Friday, March, 8; 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

WHO: An estimated 1,000 students from Santa Ana Unified School District, will visit SAC. Kindergartners from low-income areas are given priority for attendance.

The 2013 grand marshal will be Michael Collins, Ed.D., Santa Ana College’s new vice president of administrative services. Prior to joining the Santa Ana College administrative team in January 2013, Collins served for six years as director of business support services at Long Beach Community College District where he oversaw the district’s business operations. He also served as an adjunct instructor at Orange Coast College.

WHY: “Kindergartners attending schools that serve at-risk populations are introduced to the college environment through KinderCaminata,” said Erlinda J. Martinez, Ed.D., SAC college president. “The annual event helps the children and their parents realize that going to college is the natural next step after high school. It is our dream that every child in Santa Ana can one day hold a college degree in his or her hands and we know this event takes them one step closer to achieving that dream.”

The event is traditionally held near or on the birth date (March 31) of Cesar Chavez, the renowned United Farm Workers leader. On the day of the event kindergartners are given caps with Chavez’s motto, “Sí, se puede” (Yes, you can).

HOW: Support that made the KinderCaminata event possible came from Smart & Final Stores and the SAC Foundation.

This year, the KinderCaminata program is being supported by a new partnership with the Lumina Foundation. The Santa Ana ¡Adelante! Program is working with all SAUSD children to ensure that there is a “College Degree in Every Home” by the year 2025. For more information about this partnership visit: www.sac.edu.

KinderCaminata is a non-profit organization supported by an annual fundraising dinner, Salute to Chancellors, Presidents, Superintendents, organizations, community, colleges and university contributors. A volunteer board of directors composed of the four Orange County community college district chancellors, university, business and community leaders governs KinderCaminata.

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