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.

♪♪