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Thursday, April 13, 2023
FREE CERTIFICATE Project Management Essentials FOR HUMANITARIAN & DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS
California. Disaster Mitigation Funding Webinar. April 26, 2023
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Tuesday, April 11, 2023
California. Free money for post-COVID job training programs for College Students. Up to $1,000 Stipend, and $2,500 Training Grants.
To
help ease the financial distress brought on by the COVID-19
pandemic, the federal government sent billions of dollars to the states for healthcare, unemployment benefits, internet connections and many other
services.
California received so much, it’s had a tough time making use of
it all. A case in point is the roughly $500 million it received to help cover
the training costs faced by people who lost their jobs during the pandemic. Two
years after the grant program started, less than 5% of the money has been
awarded to grantees.
The Foundation for California Community Colleges and the
California Student Aid Commission announced a new push Wednesday to get the grants into the hands of
more students. One part of the effort is offering stipends of $1,000 or
more to student “ambassadors” who help other students apply for the
job-training funds. Larger amounts will be available to community groups that
can connect workers affected by the pandemic to the training grants.
Who is eligible for the job training grants?
The Golden State Education and Training Grant program
targets low- and moderate-income people who lost their jobs because of the
pandemic. To qualify, you must:
- Enroll in a regional K12 adult education program,
college, grad school or one of more than 110 approved community colleges
and training programs. You will not be eligible, however, if you were
enrolled at the time you lost your job.
- Attest that you were
unable to find work at the same or better wages as your pre-pandemic job.
- Earn less per year
than the income limits set by the
state, which range from $42,800 for a single person with no dependents
to $135,000 for someone with six or more dependents.
- Have less than
$90,400 in household assets if you are dependent on someone else, or if
you have dependents other than a spouse. If you are independent and have
no dependents of your own, the limit is $43,000.
If you meet all these criteria, you’ll be eligible for a one-time
grant that will be paid directly to the school or training program you enroll
in. The grant is almost enough to cover the in-state tuition for an associate’s
degree at a community college, which requires 60 units at $46 per unit. (The
grant can be used for fees and other education-related purposes, not just
tuition.)
Students face thousands of dollars in other
costs, including fees, books, food, housing and transportation. But there
are other aid programs available to make
degree and training programs more affordable for low- and moderate-income
students, whether they be citizens or undocumented students. That includes the
state’s Promise Grant program, which
waives community college tuition for low-income Californians.
Enough money remains in the program to support more than 150,000
grants. And given how little of the training grant money has been spent, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget calls
for extending the program though June 2027
Who
can be an ambassador?
The Foundation for California Community Colleges already enlists
students to help spread the word about financial aid, CalFresh and other
support services. Now it’s looking for ambassadors to promote the $2,500
training grants among their peers and in their communities, in the hope of
doling out more funds.
According to the commission, student ambassadors must be at least
18 years old and enrolled in at least one unit in both the spring and fall
semesters at a state community college, California State University or
University of California campus. If accepted, they will be trained on the grant
program, its eligibility requirements and the application process. They’ll also
be given wireless devices to help the students they recruit fill out
applications.
These ambassadors will do outreach from May through September,
devoting 10 to 12 hours a month and earning a $1,000 stipend. Those who
continue on through the fall and spring semesters will earn an additional
$2,000.
To apply, you’ll have to fill out an online form that asks a
number of questions related to your ability to recruit grant applicants,
including what “techniques and strategies” you’d use and what relevant work or
volunteer experiences you’ve had. If selected, you’ll be required to attend two
virtual training sessions in May and one in-person session in June.
The foundation encourages interested students to apply by April
28, with ambassadors selected in early May. For more information, send an email
to EdTraining@foundationccc.org.
The Conquest of the Aztec Empire by the Spaniards & the Story of "La Malinche", traitor of her people
Climate Impact. Uganda turns to bamboo farming to combat deforestation
Growing bamboo on farmers’ fields was something unheard of a few years ago, as
the plant was mainly seen growing in the wild
-
Copyright © africanews
2023
By Africanews with AP
Last updated: 21 hours ago
UGANDA
Some 65 kilometers north of the Ugandan capital Kampala, a lush green bamboo
forest, it's the brainchild of former journalist-turned farmer, Andrew Ndawula
Kalema.
Kalema switched from journalism to bamboo farming in order to contribute to
the reversal of environmental damage being seen in the East African country.
In 2010, Uganda had 6.93 million hectares of tree cover, extending over 29%
of its land area.
In 2021, it lost 49,000 hectares of tree cover, equivalent to 23.5 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the East African country
has lost over a million hectares of tree cover, nearly a third of the country’s
total.
With Uganda losing hundreds of hectares of forest cover due to population
pressure and illegal logging, both public and individual efforts have become
key to restoring degraded land.
Ndawula Kalema says bamboo, which is fast-growing and can adapt to different
weather conditions, is key to mitigating the effects of climate change in
Uganda.
“It can do the job of restoring our environment much faster. It can absorb
30% more carbon dioxide and generate 30% more oxygen and it can create the
green effect very fast and it will take pressure off our precious trees,"
he says.
"Bamboo, you cut it down, it takes one season, it is back, it grows
back, so it is a magic bullet of sorts that we need to use in our fight to save
our environment.”
In recent years, Ndawula Kalema has been upgrading his bamboo farm, which he
started in 2009 as a hobby.
Growing bamboo on farmers’ fields was something unheard of a few years ago,
as the plant was mainly seen growing in the wild.
That's no longer the case, as increasing numbers of farmers adopt bamboo
planting, due to its income-generating benefits.
But bamboo seedlings are costly, which Ndawula Kalema says can deter
farmers.
“The challenge we are seeing the price of a seedling is still very high, one
seedling is about 1 dollar. There are others that are even more expensive
costing up to 10 dollars one seedling - it is a put off," he says.
"People are now becoming aware of the value bamboo has as in
conservation work, in conserving our soils, conserving our environment, and
they want planting material, but they can't afford the planting material."
To help spread knowledge of bamboo farming around the country, Ndawula
Kalema has opened his farm to learners from different institutions.
He says students will act as ambassadors for bamboo farming.
Julius Ssebigajju, a student intern at the farm, says his views about bamboo
farming have changed since he started working with Ndawula Kalema.
"When bamboo drops these leaves, they leave there down after all they
decay and decompose so it adds nutrients in the soil, so it will not need much
manure or fertilizers to apply on,” says Ssebigajju.
Another intern studying landscaping, Elizabeth Kiwummulo, is impressed by
the versatility of bamboo.
“It is good for digestion and you can make herbal soap from it," she
says.
Bamboo is best known for its strength and durability. Ndawula Kalema. says
there's thousands of potential products, even bicycle frames.
“One frame costs 500 dollars and you need about 3 to 4 poles to make that
bicycle frame," he says.
"So, there are many high value products, however the export market
comes with standards and volumes, we don’t have the volumes yet, we need to
encourage more people to grow bamboo.”
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BAMBOO AGRICULTURE
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