Business

Tell a California College Student to Apply for a $10,000 Stipend

“We enacted the most comprehensive economic stimulus program in the nation last year, getting billions in immediate relief to millions of Californians. But many folks are still struggling, especially with high costs due to inflation, so we’re leveraging this historic surplus to get money back into the pockets of Californians,” said Newsom when he announced the relief package. “This inflation relief package will help offset the higher costs that Californians are facing right now and provide support to those still recovering from the pandemic,” the governor continued.

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2022

Oakland Post

To apply, go to https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/californiansforall-college-corps-for-college-students/.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday and other education advocates around the state are encouraging college students to apply for financial assistance through the Californians for All College Corps program.

Over the next two years, 6,500 California students who qualify will receive stipends of $10,000 each year to pay for college expenses. In return, the students will be required to participate in community service projects tackling issues related to climate change, education, food insecurity and more.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in January that the state was investing $146 million in the work service effort that his office says would help low-income students graduate on time and with less debt. Selected students will also receive academic credit for the work they do in their communities.

“Students are graduating with crippling debt. This service and career development program helps create a debt-free college pathway while promoting service. If you are willing to serve your community and give back in a meaningful way, we are going to help you pay for college,” said Fryday.

Fryday, who Newsom appointed in 2019 to oversee volunteering, civic engagement and service initiatives in California, was speaking at the launch of the “College Corps” program in Merced earlier this month.

Officials from the University of California Merced, California State University Stanislaus, and California State University Fresno joined Fryday at the kickoff event.

“This is a win-win-win: Helping to pay for college, gaining valuable work experience, and having a meaningful impact on your community,” Fryday continued.

Universities across the state will collaborate with local government, community service organizations and non-profits to assign students to projects that are priorities in their region.

The College Corps program is being launched at a time Newsom is initiating several programs organized to address skyrocketing inflation as Californians recover from economic challenges brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 12, Newsom announced an $18.1 billion package with relief funding in tax refunds, childcare assistance, a minimum wage increase, help with utility bills, health insurance subsidies, stimulus payments for health care workers, and more.

“This inflation relief package will help offset the higher costs that Californians are facing right now and provide support to those still recovering from the pandemic,” the governor continued.

The College Corps program requires students to complete 450 hours of community service over the course of the school year to receive the funding.

“The College Corps initiative is not only an important way for California to show that it values the efforts of our students, but also another significant advancement in helping more students complete college without financial stressors that can follow them into their early careers,” said Juan Sánchez Muñoz, University of California Merced Chancellor.

To apply, go to https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/californiansforall-college-corps-for-college-students/.

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Google’s New Deal with California Lawmakers and Publishers Will Fund Newsrooms, Explore AI

Gov. Gavin Newsom, California lawmakers and some newspaper publishers last week finalized a $172 million deal with tech giant Google to support local news outlets and artificial intelligence innovation. This deal, the first of its kind in the nation, aims to invest in local journalism statewide over the next five years. However, the initiative is different from a bill proposed by two legislators, news publishers and media employee unions requiring tech giants Google and Meta to split a percentage of ad revenue generated from news stories with publishers and media outlets.

Published

1 week ago

October 1, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

This deal, the first of its kind in the nation, aims to invest in local journalism statewide over the next five years. However, the initiative is different from a bill proposed by two legislators, news publishers and media employee unions requiring tech giants Google and Meta to split a percentage of ad revenue generated from news stories with publishers and media outlets. Under this new deal, Google will commit $55 million over five years into a new fund administered by the University of California, Berkeley to distribute to local newsrooms. In this partnership, the State is expected to provide $70 over five years toward this initiative. Google also has to pay a lump sum of $10 million annually toward existing grant programs that fund local newsrooms.

The State Legislature and the governor will have to approve the state funds each year. Google has agreed to invest an additional $12.5 million each year in an artificial intelligence program. However, labor advocates are concerned about the threat of job losses as a result of AI being used in newsrooms.

Julie Makinen, board chairperson of the California News Publishers Association, acknowledged that the deal is a sign of progress.

“This is a first step toward what we hope will become a comprehensive program to sustain local news in the long term, and we will push to see it grow in future years,” said Makinen.

However, the deal is “not what we had hoped for when set out, but it is a start and it will begin to provide some help to newsrooms across the state,” she said.

Regina Brown Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, said the deal is a commendable first step that beats the alternative: litigation, legislation or Google walking from the deal altogether or getting nothing.

“This kind of public-private partnership is unprecedented. California is leading the way by investing in protecting the press and sustaining quality journalism in our state,” said Brown Wilson. “This fund will help news outlets adapt to a changing landscape and provide some relief. This is especially true for ethnic and community media journalists who have strong connections to their communities.”

Although the state partnered with media outlets and publishers to secure the multi-year deal, unions advocating for media workers argued that the news companies and lawmakers were settling for too little.

Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) proposed a bill earlier this year that aimed to hold tech companies accountable for money they made off news articles. But big tech companies pushed back on bills that tried to force them to share profits with media companies.

McGuire continues to back efforts that require tech companies to pay media outlets to help save jobs in the news industry. He argued that this new deal, “lacks sufficient funding for newspapers and local media, and doesn’t fully address the inequities facing the industry.”