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Category: Education

  • Regenerative agriculture and the role of UC Davis

    Ministries-for-the-futureBy Roberta Millstein

    Yesterday, I attended a wonderful event on the UC Davis campus.  The purpose of the event was to celebrate the new Environmental Humanities Designated Emphasis at UC Davis, and it brought together in conversation two renowned scholars, Donna Haraway (a Distinguished Professor Emerita in the History of Consciousness Department and Feminist Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz) and Kim Stanley Robinson (an award-winning science fiction author who lives in Davis; the title of the event, “Ministries for the Future,” is also the title of one of Robinson’s recent books).  It was a wide-ranging, fascinating conversation – so popular that it was literally standing room only – that I can’t begin to summarize here (but you can watch online). 

    Instead, I want to highlight two important and related points that Robinson made: one was about the purpose of the University of California and one was about regenerative agriculture.[1]

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  • Davis youth represents in the Global Day of Climate Action

    Climate-march

    (From press release) On Friday, youth in Davis walked out of school to make their voices heard! On this Global Day of Climate Action, during a time when hundreds of thousands of youth marched for climate justice Davis youth joined them. Youth from Davis Senior High School, UCD Davis as well as adult allies of Fridays For Future Davis and Davis community members joined together to demand climate action and the end to fossil financing.

    Youth climate activists and organizers Eliot Larson, Mattias RowenBale and Desmond Beach led the march from E 14th & B Street down to Central Park where youth participated in a die-in. Youth between the ages of 13 and 25 years old staged a ‘death from climate change’ as a visual example of what will happen if our leaders continue down a path of inaction. 

    Die-in

    After the die-in youth were invited to speak and share their thoughts, concerns and hopes with the Davis community. There were powerful speeches and heart wrenching calls for action demanding our world and local leaders take action today.

    We were then led in song by freshman at UCD, Sam Saxe-Taller who brought our voices together as one before we gathered for a round table discussion with Davis City Council members Gloria Partida and Bapu Vaitla. Ms. Partida and Mr. Vaitla were led by youth in productive and inclusive conversation  discussing proactive ways the community can come together to fight the climate crisis as well as listening to the concerns of youth in this uncertain time.

    Going forward, Fridays For Future Davis will continue to strike every Friday at the corner of 5th and B Street from nooin-1. Today was their 176th week of striking on Fridays.

    A huge thank you to the many organizations and adult allies who join Fridays For Future Davis to help make this Global Climate Strike possible in Davis. And congratulations to all of the youth who bravely stepped up to take action!

     

  • Culture Wars in Education: March 12 Forum

    (From press release) Culture wars have been waged for decades in the U.S. but recently the battlefield has shifted dramatically to schools and education. Transgender children in school bathrooms and sports, critical race theory, the history of slavery, College Board AP course on African American history – – why are these topics suddenly so salient and controversial? What are the bounds of academic freedom and who decides school curriculum? We will explore these questions at the Contemporary Issues Forum at the Davis United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 12. The discussion will be led by Marty West, professor emerita from the UCD Law School. Marty also served on the Davis Board of Education for eight years. Come with an open mind to explore culture wars March 12 at 11:15 at Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road.

  • Eight faculty from UCD honored as AAAS Fellows

    UCD AAAS Fellows

    (From press release) The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has announced its most recent group of Fellows, and eight of them are from UC Davis.  From the AAAS website:

    AAAS Fellows are a distinguished cadre of scientists, engineers and innovators who have been recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching, and technology, to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.

    In a tradition stretching back to 1874, these individuals are elected annually by the AAAS Council. Newly elected Fellows are recognized for their extraordinary achievements at the ceremonial Fellows Forum, a time-honored event at the AAAS Annual Meeting where they are presented with a certificate and blue and gold rosette.

    Eligible nominees are members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished and who have been a continuous AAAS member for at least four years leading up to the year of nomination. Fellows have included Thomas Edison, W.E.B DuBois, Maria Mitchell, Steven Chu, Ellen Ochoa and Irwin M. Jacobs.

    Election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor and all Fellows are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

    They are:

    Danika L. Bannasch
    Professor, Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine
    “For contributions across the study of genetics and genomics for the benefit of animal and human health, and service to the profession.”

    Annaliese Franz
    Professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Letters and Science
    “For contributions to catalysis and synthesis emphasizing organosilicon chemistry and biofuel production, and for the championship of diversity, equity and inclusion among faculty and students.”

    Sarah B. Hrdy
    Professor emerita, Department of Anthropology, College of Letters and Science
    “For distinguished contributions to the field of evolutionary anthropology, particularly for understanding mammalian reproductive strategies and the evolution of human families and societies.”

    Lynne A. Isbell
    Professor, Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Wing, College of Letters and Science
    “For innovative scholarship and leadership in primatology and biological anthropology.”

    Pamela J. Lein
    Professor of Neurotoxicology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine
    “For exceptional contributions to research in environmental toxicity and for sustained activity in advising and mentoring.”

    Maeli Melotto
    Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    “For distinguished contributions to the field of plant biology, particularly for interactions between plants and both pathogenic and nonpathogenic microbes and plant breeding for crop safety and resilience.”

    Roberta L. Millstein
    Professor Emerit, Department of Philosophy, College of Letters and Science
    “For distinguished scholarship and service to the history and philosophy of biology.”

    Frank E. Osterloh
    Professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Letters and Science
    “For contributions to inorganic and materials chemistry with applications in energy conversion.”

  • Davis Farm to School awards $11,000 in garden grants

    Lettuce

    Students at Pioneer Elementary School plant lettuce in the fall that was harvested in winter and made into salads. (Meghan Covert Russell/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) Davis Farm to School recently awarded 22 garden grants ­– totaling more than $11,000 – to local schools.

    The grants, announced on Jan. 23, promote student learning about plants, insects, soil, composting and growing fresh and tasty food. Students plant in mosaic planters, raised beds, landscaped areas and more. The school gardens support California’s academic standards and provide important hands-on learning experiences.

    Funds for the grants were raised through its annual fundraiser, The Village Feast, which was in October at Great Bear Vineyards. The money enabled garden grants for every school in the Davis Joint Unified School District, as well as to private schools including Peregrine and Davis Waldorf.

    Strawberries

    Max Russell examines strawberries at the Harper Junior High School garden. His mom, Meghan, leads the Davis Farm to School program, part of the Davis Farmers Market Alliance. (Meghan Covert Russell/Courtesy photo)

    Meghan Covert Russell, executive director of Davis Farm to School, said, “This is the first year that we have been able to provide garden grants to every DJUSD campus, a step to helping all school gardens achieve equity in their maintenance and ability to serve students.”

    In addition to garden grants, Davis Farm to School offers farm field trips to DJUSD second graders, in cooperation with Fiery Ginger Farm; and Little Chefs Field Trips to third graders, in conjunction with The Davis Food Co-op.

    DJUSD Superintendent Matt Best said, “We are incredibly thankful for our close partnership with Davis Farm to School. Their support continues to provide our students with incredible hands-on learning experiences at our schools, as well as opportunities to explore our area’s farms, and learn about the ways to help preserve our planet.”

    Davis Farm to School supports garden-based education, farm visits for students, farm-fresh foods in school meals, and recycling and composting programs at all Davis schools, in partnership with DJUSD. DF2S is a project of the nonprofit Davis Farmers Market Alliance. For more information, visit https://www.davisfarmtoschool.org/.

  • Nonprofits: Apply for a Soroptimist grant

    (From press release) Soroptimist International of Davis is accepting applications from local nonprofit organizations for its annual Community Grant funding. The deadline is March 7.

    For 2023, the club has $3,000 budgeted for Community Grants, which give a boost to local projects that improve the lives of women and girls. Nonprofit organizations whose work supports the Soroptimist mission are encouraged to apply for up to $3,000. Awards will be distributed in late spring. Applicants will receive notice of their application’s status by May 1.

    Grant applications are evaluated for their alignment with the Soroptimist mission, vision, core values, community impact and feasibility. Any nonprofit, including previous recipients, can apply. Applicants are asked how the requested funds would address the needs of women and girls in Yolo County, and support Soroptimist core values of gender equality, empowerment, education and diversity.

    To apply, visit https://www.sidavis.org/grants. Questions may be emailed to Grants Chair Mary Chapman, Community at marechap29@gmail.com.

    Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Soroptimist International of Davis has several fundraisers a year, and reinvests all of its profits in its programs and projects. Signature programs include Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women, and Dream It, Be It: Career Support for high school girls. It also funds high school scholarships, anti-trafficking efforts, and these Community Grants to area nonprofits.

    The international service club was founded in Oakland in October 1921. SI Davis was chartered in 1954. A second club, SI Greater Davis, chartered in 1985. Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. For more information on the club, visit https://sidavis.org or like its Facebook or Instagram pages: @SoroptimistDavis.

  • Letter: Support Education in Davis

    Teacher2A good education is a human right. It is also a societal good, given human interdependence. These are basic moral truths, yet we don't always act like they are, as two recent happenings in Davis illustrate.

    As reported in the Enterprise, DJUSD teachers, backed by many supporters, have been asking for a salary increase, given the high cost of housing and the lower salaries that Davis teachers have as compared to neighboring cities. Teaching is extremely rewarding, but it is not reasonable to expect people to dedicate their hearts and souls only to find out that they cannot make ends meet. So teachers who can leave, do leave, and K-12 education is sacrificed.

    During the same time period, several groups of University of California workers have been on strike (two have now settled), including graduate student teaching assistants. Ostensibly, these workers work "half time," but that is misleading. In some (perhaps many) cases, these workers end up doing far more than 20 hours per week, given grading, assisting students during office hours and appointments, holding discussion sections, answering emails, etc. In addition, these grad student workers are expected to do their own coursework and research, making the position in reality a full-time one. (They are often not permitted to take outside work, or at least strongly discouraged from doing so). That these grad student workers cannot likewise make ends meet threatens their own education as well as the education of undergraduates.

    Paying these workers more is the obvious solution, but dedicated housing on DJUSD land and UCD land, respectively, should also be in the mix, as a way to buffer against the vagaries of inflation and rising housing costs.

    It is a moral imperative that we do more for our DJUSD teachers and our UCD graduate student workers.

    – Roberta Millstein is an Emerit Professor in the Department of Philosophy at UC Davis

  • Soup, shopping are stars of Soroptimist event

    (From press release) Soroptimist International of Davis invites community members to join its annual Soup Night and Silent Auction, Nov. 17 at Davis Odd Fellows Hall.

    Soroptimist International of Davis traditionally hosts the event a week before Thanksgiving. The service club provides free soups, desserts, lively conversation and pre-holiday shopping opportunities. Members are excited to bring the event back to an in-person gathering, in the upstairs hall of Odd Fellows Lodge, 415 Second St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The silent auction begins at 6 and closes at 7:30 p.m.

    Fill up on members’ best soups, breads and desserts while getting a jump start on holiday gifts. There will be themed gift baskets, experiences, gift certificates to local stores and eateries, and more. Beer and wine will be available for purchase, along with non-alcoholic beverages. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted.

    The evening’s proceeds benefit SI Davis programs and projects. Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Soroptimist was founded in 1921 in Alameda County. Soroptimist International of Davis was chartered in 1954. Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. Its core values are gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity and fellowship.

    It recently swore in new board members, including Lisa Adda, president; Phyllis Himmel, secretary; Lori Hansen, treasurer; Meredith Sweet Silberstein, coordinator of calendar; Nancy Mathews, director of membership; and Mary Chapman, director of programs. Katherine Hess is immediate past president.

    SI Davis offers cash Live Your Dream Awards to female heads of household seeking education or training (applications due Nov. 15), and assists King High students through its Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls program. It also funds high school scholarships, grants to nonprofits that align with the Soroptimist mission, and anti-trafficking efforts.

    SI Davis members meet twice a month on Wednesdays in downtown Davis – once at lunchtime and once in the evening – and connect for other fun activities and service. Learn more at https://www.sidavis.org/.

  • Soroptimists offer cash grants to women

    (From press release) Women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families and seek financial assistance to further their education or training are urged to apply for the Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women.

    The application deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 15. This year, Soroptimist International of Davis will present awards ranging from $1,000 to $4,000. The top recipient’s application will advance to regional and possibly the international level, where she could receive up to $15,000 more. Recipients may use the Live Your Dream Award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training. This includes tuition, books, childcare, transportation or other related expense.

    Applications are available at https://bit.ly/LYDA-apply.

    The Live Your Dream Award provides more than $2.8 million in cash awards to head-of-household women in need each year. Since the program’s inception in 1972, more than $35 million has helped tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. This past year, Soroptimist International of Davis awarded $20,000 in Live Your Dream Awards.

    A study conducted by The Fels Institute of Government, a research and consulting organization based at the University of Pennsylvania, confirmed the efficacy and impact of this program. It improves the recipients’ quality of life; builds their confidence; strengthens their self-determination and makes them want to, in turn, help others. Helping women in this way has the demonstrated effect of leading to stronger communities, nations, and the world.

    Besides the Live Your Dream Award, Soroptimist International of Davis provides local girls with tools to achieve their education and career goals through its Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls program at King High School. It also funds high school scholarships, annual grants to nonprofits that align with the Soroptimist mission, and anti-trafficking efforts.

    Local members join some 75,000 Soroptimists in 122 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls. Its core values are gender equality, empowerment, education, diversity and fellowship.

    Soroptimist International of Davis welcomes new members. Learn more at https://www.sidavis.org/

     

  • Learning from the anti-Semitic incident on 113 overpass

    Anti-Semitic bannersBy Roberta Millstein

    As most Davisites have learned by now, at least twice over the past two weekends, masked men displayed antisemitic banners from a highway overpass in Davis (see Davis Enterprise article for details).

    The banners said, “Communism is Jewish” and “The Holocaust is an anti-white lie.”

    Several local leaders issued responses.  These responses, although all were well-meaning, miss the mark a bit.  I want to try to explain why.

    Chancellor Gary May said: “We are sickened that anyone would invest any time in such cowardly acts of hate and intimidation. They have no place here. We encourage our community to stand against antisemitism and racism.”

    This isn’t false per se, but it’s incomplete.  This isn’t just an act of hate.  As I will explain further below, the banners replicate common tropes (repeatedly told stories) about Jewish people.  Without calling out those tropes, many will not understand, or fully understand, what the issues are.

    Chancellor May is correct that anti-Semitism and racism are connected, but he doesn’t say how.  Again, more on this below.

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