$15 million tech grant Pierce to receive $1 million to create technology pathways

Seth Perlstein News Editor

The Los Angeles HighImpact Information Technology, Entertainment & Entrepreneurship, and Communications Hubs (LA HI-TECH) consortium, of which Pierce College is a member, earned a $15 million grant from the state earlier this month.

The grant was designed to outline specific career pathways for high school students interested in technology.

High schools will further align parts of their technology-based curriculum with Pierce and other community colleges.

Students will be able to take technology classes at Pierce when they are in 11th or 12th grade, and be concurrently enrolled in their high school and Pierce, according to Director of CTE Grants Michael Flowers.

News brief

– Compiled by Nick McNamara

In response to the closing of the Pierce College Farm Center, a petition created by Barbara Oliver on the site Change.org has called for an investigation into the motives behind the closing.

The petition, addressed to Gov. Jerry Brown, Attorney General Kamala Harris and the Los Angeles Board of Trustees, specifically Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez, claims there are “conflicts of interest that appear to lie at the heart of this action.”

As of Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m., 1517 people have electronically signed the petition. Signatures are not only from the Woodland Hills area or California, but from across the United States.

“It’s important because everyone has been talking about this type of partnership, communication and alignment,” he said. “But it has never really been put in a grant and had funding to back it.” still in high school.

“Employment is the ultimate goal,” Flowers said.

Incident Report

Sept. 5 - 18 – Compiled by: Seth Perlstein – Information provided by Sheriff’s Department

He said they earned the grant because their application to the state was “clear and well defined.”

9-5—Theft – A muscle massage tool called “The Stick” was stolen from the Athletic Department’s physical therapy office.

Flowers said the main focus is to work with local high schools, local businesses and to partner with community colleges.

Pierce is planning to partner with WorkSource Centers in Canoga Park, Chatsworth and other parts of the San Fernando Valley, according to community volunteer Jim Threat, who is helping Flowers connect Pierce with local businesses.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to get some interest and create some opportunities,” Threat said.

-Michael Flowers Director of

The students will learn specific skills that local businesses want, Flowers said.

The classes also will earn high school students college credit, and give them an opportunity to intern at a local business while they are

The other eight colleges in the LA HI-TECH consortium looking to create local opportunities are LA Valley College, LA Mission College, LA City College, West LA College, LA Southwest College, LA Trade-Technical College, Santa Monica City College and Pasadena City College.

Each school collected data, met with partners, developed relationships with high schools and ultimately wrote the grant together, Flowers said.

Pierce will use its $1 million share of the grant to pay for staffing, field trips, books, equipment and support services, Flowers said.

Earning the grant required letters of support from high school principals and industry leaders, according to Dean of Academic Affairs Jose Luis Fernandez.

“We’re so limited in resources,” he said. “We’re really making an effort to extend ourselves above and beyond the call of duty.”

He said Pierce is going deeper into the planning phase by figuring out who will collect data and track the students.

The project should officially begin sometime in the next 30 to 40 days, according to Flowers.

“A lot of times we don’t accomplish certain things because of funding,” he said. “There’s no excuse now.”

9-15—Downed Tree – A tree fell on three vehicles in Parking Lot 7 at 10:30 a.m.

9-18—Controlled Substance – A transient was arrested for possession of a controlled substance identified as heroin in the North Gym men’s locker room.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station

General Information: (818) 719 - 6450

Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Corn maze, haunts and rides entertain community

Halloween Harvest Festival opens for tenth and nal time at the Farm Center

maze called “Insane Reaction.” volunteers. honestly say that 10 years ago when we started we attracted a lot of families with young kids,” R. McBroom said. festival’s three different haunts.

“After Dark” offers a haunted corn trail called “Creatures of the

The Halloween Harvest Festival opened its doors Friday, Sept. 26, for its 10th and final year at the Pierce College Farm Center.

Farm Center Director Robert McBroom and Farm Center Manager Cathy McBroom have been the husband-and-wife team behind the Halloween Harvest Festival since day one. Together they transformed a “weed-baron,” vacant lot into the Farm Center.

“I smile and can sit here and

The festival features a variety of activities, rides, live entertainment and food options. The main features are the three Halloween haunts and the corn maze. There is also a petting zoo, carousel, arts and crafts tent, tractor rides, a hauntfree corn maze and much more.

“When I created this, the idea was to have something for everybody,” R. McBroom said.

Haunt General Manager Michael Keane worked year-round on the

Corn,” a haunted house called “Factory of Nightmares” and a

“In the scary maze, you’re kind of hesitant to whether you still want to go in it or not,” 16-year-old high school student Lauren Wageman said. “But then once you’re actually inside of it, it’s really fun.”

The haunted trail is a quarter miles long, lasts between 10 and 15 minutes, and has between 20 and 30 “scarers” inside.

“We only employ monsters and psychopaths,” Keane said.

Keane and McBroom said most of their 200-person staff are Pierce College students. But some of the make-up artists and scarers are

“We hire within the community and we create a lot of jobs,” R. McBroom said. “We’re proud of what we do. We’re proud of the Harvest Festival.”

The festival is open through Nov. 2. on Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Admission costs $5, while the various activities use tickets, which can be purchased individually or in packs. The haunt and mazes are priced at $13 each, or can also be purchased for a packaged price.