Next Meeting
- July 21
8:00
am
Mojave Airport
Agenda

ECA Project Reports (June)
1. Land Use Compatibility
(June Minutes)
James Welling said
several solar plants are being proposed for the
local area. The base has been contacted and has no
problems with the projects.
2. Education
(June Minutes)
Johnstone said the Lancaster University Center
Fresno Engineering Program is hosting a second
Engineering 11 program beginning in August. This
program is for high school juniors and seniors
enrolled in math, science, and pre-engineering. The
fifteen week semester begins 26 Aug and ends 9 Dec.
2008. Interested students should contact Dr. J.S.
Shelley at 661-723-6429 X 120 or e-mail: jshelley@csufresno.edu.
Les Uhazy said Antelope Valley College is working
with Victor Valley Community College in a joint
grant. AVC is also hosting a workshop on Supplier
Data Base this summer.
2a. Summer Internships
The invitation to participate in the
summer intern program has been sent out to AV and
east Kern County high schools. This month long
program is intended for math, science and
engineering students and includes field trips,
classroom work and internships with business and
industry. The program is on schedule for four weeks
beginning in July.
2b. Engineering 11
By popular demand, Fresno State
University will conduct another Engineering 11
session at the Lancaster University Center. This
program is open to qualified high school juniors and
seniors only and contains topics in engineering that
serve as an introduction to the field of engineering
and technology. Qualified students will have Junior
or Senior standing in high school, algebra II or
concurrent, GPA 3.0 (on a 0-4 scale) signature of
Councilor or Project Lead the Way instructor. The
class will be 3 hours, once a week on Tuesdays from
4-7 PM. The fifteen week semester begins 26 Aug and
ends 9 Dec. 2008. Interested students should
contact Dr. J.S. Shelley at 661-723-6429 X 120 or
e-mail:
jshelley@csufresno.edu.
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High Desert University Foundation
(June Minutes)
Johnstone presented
the High Desert University Foundation video which
was well received by those in attendance. Johnstone
said the Foundation wants to get the word out to the
community on the University and offered to present
the video at community functions. He also said the
High Desert University Master Plan can be down
loaded from the Board of Trade website at:
avbot.org.
Tehachapi Hospital Supports HDUF
(June Minutes)
At the last EKERN meeting in Tehachapi,
representatives of the Tehachapi hospital gave
strong support to the efforts to bring a University
to the High Desert. They also stressed the need for
medical and health care training in the University.
This training could be a part of the private
hospital on 56 acres on the western boundary of
Edwards Air Force Base being studied by the base.
Green Economy Echoes Industry Demand
for CTE
California Space Authority press
Release April 22, 2008. The California Space
Authority, as part of the Get Relevance in Education
and Learning (GetREAL) Coalition, voiced its support
for a robust career technical education (CTE) system
as a way to ensure economic development within the
emerging green economy. “If California is to take
advantage of new economic opportunities, restoring
respect to career and technical education courses
will be required. Innovation and creativity will
abound when we provide those who think with their
hands an outlet.” With an 84% growth in green
businesses since 1990, California’s economy is
dependent upon a skilled workforce capable of
meeting this multiplying demand.
Survey on Californians and Education
California Capitol Hill Bulletin, May
2, 2008. The Public Policy Institute of California
recently released the latest PPIC Statewide Survey:
“Californians and Education”. The study found that
education ranks as the second biggest concern for
Californians, after the economy. Following are some
key findings:
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More than half (53%) of the
state’s residents say the quality of K-12 public
schools is a major problem
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60% choose K-12 public education
as the area they would like to protect from
budget cuts
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49% are willing to pay more, and
48% are not, to improve education
-
Seven in ten (69%) say the
dropout rate is a big problem, followed by
teaching children with limited English skills
(46%) and teacher quality(28%)
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Aerospace Industry
Urges Congressional Support for Science, Math
Education (June
Minutes)
The Aerospace Industries Association has sent
several letters to Congress and the White House
encouraging support for full funding of federal
scientific research and education initiatives like
the Education Department’s Math and Science
Partnerships program.
Is the Local Workforce Ready for High
Tech Jobs?
Brook Stockberger, Sun-News Business
Editor Article Launched 5/12/08. Las Cruces - The
fact that southern New Mexico plans to attract more
high-tech companies is no secret. We are lacking
some critical skill sets that high-tech companies
want. They want to hire people that have 10-15
years experience, but many now work in southern
California or the D.C. area. It is important for
the business community to have continued cooperation
with the education and government sectors in the
region. One of the real strengths of this area is
the connection with the New Mexico State University
and the connection to the government laboratories
nearby. The US average wage per job was almost
$42,000 per year. In New Mexico we’re at $29,000.
Solar Industry Needs Workers
David R. Baker, San Francisco
Chronicle, May 10,2008; California’s fascination
with solar power has created thousands of jobs in
the state and will probably add thousands more,
according to a new survey of the industry. Solar
companies in California now employ between 16,500
and 17, 500 people and may hire another 5,000 in the
next year. “You don’t need a PhD or a B.A. to get
into this industry”. It’s an opportunity to rebuild
the working-class jobs that have been lost.”
Entry-level solar installers make a median salary of
$31,000 per year, their more experienced colleagues
earn $60,000. Experienced solar designers and
engineers earn a median salary of $83,000. Five Bay
Area community colleges already offer courses in
solar installation, and three others plan to follow
suit. Growth in the solar industry will depend on
government programs that have spurred interest in
solar power. If the federal government does not
extend a tax credit for solar installations, the
industry won’t add as many jobs as it otherwise
would have.
America’s Most Overrated Product: the
Bachelor’s Degree
Marty Nemko, The Chronicle of Higher
Education. A majority of students whom colleges
admit are grossly underprepared. Only 23 percent of
the 1.3 million high school graduates of 2007 who
took the ACT examination were ready for
college-level work in the core subjects of English,
math, reading, and science. The more prestigious
the institution, the more likely that faculty
members are hired and promoted much more for their
research than for their teaching. In the latest
annual survey of freshman, 44.6% said they were not
satisfied with the quality of instruction they
received.
The next EKERN Meeting is scheduled
for June 2nd in Tehachapi.
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