<![CDATA[Meredith Curry Consulting - Events]]>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:58:41 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[August 28, 2024: An Overview of CA's Cradle to Career Platforms and Programs]]>Sun, 30 Jun 2024 17:45:29 GMThttp://www.meredithcurry.com/events/august-2024-an-overview-of-cas-cradle-to-career-platforms-and-programsRegister now!
This webinar is co-hosted by Emerge CA 2024 Alumnae Mer Curry Nuñez, Viveca Ycoy-Walton, and Samantha Jenkins and Emerge CA 2023 Alumna Stephisha Ycoy-Walton.

A statewide webinar for elected and appointed officials to strengthen their ability to advocate for equitable education policies while supporting the implementation of active legislation and statewide programs.
Date, Time & Location

Date & Time = Wednesday, August 28 from 6:00 - 7:00 pm PT
Location = Zoom
How to Register
Target audiences for this webinar:
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  • Appointed & Elected Officials
    • Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute (APALI)
    • Education Justice Academy (EJA)
    • Emerge CA
  • ​Partners & Advocates
    • NCCPC
    • SoCal CAN
    • Central Valley Community Foundation
Learning outcomes for attendees:
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  1. Ability to describe the state's free child savings account program, CalKIDS, and empower them to encourage constituents to 1) check their eligibility and 2) claim their accounts, ensuring they take advantage of this valuable resource.
  2. Knowledge of the complexity and challenges students and families face regarding college access, affordability, success, and economic mobility in California to support advancing more equitable policies and practices.
  3. Ability to support constituents in leveraging existing free programs and resources provided at the state, regional, and local levels. ​
Attendees will walk away with resources related to:

About the main speaker, Mer Curry Nuñez

As the Executive Director of the Northern California College Promise Coalition (NCCPC), Meredith "Mer" Curry Nuñez (she/her) brings to the table a wealth of experience from her 20-year career in college access, affordability, and success. Her expertise has been instrumental in supporting over 60 organizations and leaders in improving cradle-to-career outcomes for the region's multiply marginalized and underserved (MMU) students. Mer's leadership was also pivotal as the founding Director of Operations for the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) which manages the state's free college and career planning portal, CaliforniaColleges.edu. 

CaliforniaColleges.edu is the State of California's official college and career planning platform. Offering detailed information, curricula, and tools informed by students' transcript data, it acts as a one-stop shop to help students discover their college and career goals, make plans for how to achieve them, and launch into fulfilling futures. 

CaliforniaColleges.edu is an integral partner of the California Cradle to Career Data System (C2C), which brings together early education, K-12, higher education, and social service systems to create better futures for California students. It provides data-informed tools to help students reach their college and career goals and delivers information on education and workforce outcomes that can help shape policy and advance educational equity. Mer is an inaugural two-year appointed member of the C2C Community Engagement Advisory Board. She is also a Steering Committee member of the Bay Area K-16 Collaborative, which is one of several regional collaboratives statewide who have received funding to support their commitments to creating occupational pathways, including accelerated degree and/or credential programs that incorporate work-based learning in at least two of the following sectors: Healthcare, Education, Business Management, and Engineering or Computing.  

Mer is a 2024 Emerge CA graduate of the Northern California cohort. Through this program, Mer was introduced to dozens of women who are either already in appointed or elected positions or intend to run for office this year or in future years—several plan to run for seats in offices like college and school boards. Regardless of the position, all leaders should learn about the key topics the ULF fellows are learning. One of those fellows is Stephisha Ycoy-Walton (she/her), an Emerge CA 2023 graduate and leader. Viveca Ycoy-Walton (she/her) is Mer's Emerge CA 2024 Northern California leader, in partnership with the Southern California leader Samantha Jenkins (she/her). Patrice Berry (she/her), also an Emerge CA 2024 Northern California alumni, is a founding member of NCCPC and the founding Co-Chair of its Communities of Practice Committee.

Mer is also an Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute (APALI) Civic Leadership Program (CLP) graduate of the 2019 cohort. APALI alumni include elected leaders like Assemblymember Evan Low, San Jose-Evergreen Community College Trustee Wendy Ho, City of Saratoga Mayor Yan Zhao, and Foothill-De Anza Community College Trustee Patrick Ahrens.

By uniting the leadership of both NCCPC and Emerge CA 2023 and 2024, this collaboration holds immense potential. It has the power to educate dozens of former, current, and future appointed and elected & appointed officials, strengthening the political force that can drive systems change in education equity and financial inclusion. This promising alliance is a beacon of hope for a more inclusive and equitable future.
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