News Briefs

EVMWD to co-host free STEM event for high school students

Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) will once again co-host the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in Public Utilities Learning Lab (STEM PULL) for local high school students the week of July 11-15.

The weeklong event is a collaboration between Riverside Public Utilities, EVMWD, and the Science & Technology Education Partnership. Through the STEM PULL program, students have the opportunity to meet industry experts, participate in hands-on projects, and explore future career paths in the industry.

“We are excited to once again offer this program to local high school students,” said Kaitlyn Wu, who oversees EVMWD’s education programs. “Through STEM PULL, students gain real-world skills and engage with industry professionals. We hope this will open their eyes to the many careers that exist within the public utilities field.”

Throughout the weeklong event, students will participate in live presentations, facility tours, hands-on activities, and a final design challenge where groups compete for up to $1,000 in prizes. Sessions will cover numerous subjects in the water, wastewater, and energy fields for a comprehensive look at how STEM concepts are applied in everyday settings.

The program is open to all high school students in EVMWD’s service area, including those in Canyon Lake, at no cost. Visit www.evmwd.com/STEMPULL for event registration or contact Kaitlyn at kwu@evmwd.net with any questions.

County offers free access to literacy program for pre-6th graders

In support of Literacy by 5th Grade Initiative, all children from birth to 5th grade in Riverside County will have unlimited access to early learning platform in English and Spanish

From pre-reading activities and read-to-you stories, to alphabet recognition songs and grammar rules games, the youngest learners in Riverside County now have interactive, new tools right at their fingertips, to boost their early learning and love of reading as a result of a new partnership between the Riverside County Office of Education and Footsteps2Brilliance.

As part of the Literacy by 5th Grade Initiative at the Riverside County Office of Education, the new partnership with the Footsteps2Brilliance platform will plant the seeds of learning for pre-school-aged children. It will nourish the love of reading for elementary students as they learn through play via the free apps available now on smartphones, tablets, and computers, at www.myf2b.com/riverside.

“It is a well-known adage that students who learn to read by 3rd grade, will then read to learn for the rest of their lives,” Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez said. “But, if students aren’t confident readers, they will struggle to learn as they approach middle school, and become a dropout risk in high school.”

With the Footsteps2Brilliance partnership, RCOE is providing free access to the suite of bilingual learning programs for all birth through 5th grade children and their families in Riverside County. These programs are accessible 24/7 from the smartphones, tablets, and computers that families already own—with or without Internet access.

To kick off this initiative, Dr. Gomez is challenging the children of Riverside County to read 3 million words by April 30 on the Footsteps2Brilliance platform.

“This is a historic moment for Riverside County as it embarks on its mission to get all students reading proficiently by 5th grade with fun activities to get started before they ever enter a classroom,” Superintendent of Riverside County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez said. “We encourage all Riverside County families to download these fun and educational programs and use them daily for 15 minutes with their children to accelerate academic achievement.”

Resources available on the Literacy by 5th Grade Initiative website include access to online books, video tutorials for teachers of reading, recordings of RCOE educators reading to preschool-aged students, and more.