The Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative, encompassing agencies from six counties across the state including Santa Cruz, has secured $18.1 million from the state’s Regional K-16 Education Facilities Grant Program that will bridge educational inequities and dismantle structural barriers along the education-to-employment continuum, according to a Cabrillo College release. This collaborative effort aims to create and expand career pathways, with a specific focus on addressing long-standing equity gaps across a diverse six-county region. The participating counties include Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

Taking the lead in this initiative are Cabrillo College, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. The funding is earmarked for a strategic and data-informed implementation phase, centered around equity, which will engage partners across the region. The ultimate goal is to bring about transformative changes in the education-to-employment continuum, dismantling structural barriers and fostering high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand regional employment opportunities.

Following a thorough data analysis and collaboration with K-16 education organizations throughout the six-county area, the collaborative’s leadership has identified three key career sectors for the grant’s implementation: Engineering & Computer Science, Health, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education.

Maria Rocha Ruiz, UC Santa Cruz Assistant Vice Chancellor of Educational Partnerships and Chief Campus Outreach Officer, has been appointed as the Principal Investigator for this significant award. She emphasized the strength of the coalition partners, stating, “With educators, community leaders, and industry experts working together, we have an incredible opportunity to align our shared goals and forge lasting connections to make transformative, equity-centered change across the region. Together, we will ensure that every student in our region has access to the education, training, and resources they need to transition into a rewarding career.”

Cabrillo College will play a crucial role as the research and evaluation provider for the Central Coast K-16 Collaborative. Responsibilities include overseeing data-sharing agreements, managing and analyzing data files, and establishing standardized assessment protocols and instruments for formative assessments.

With educators, community leaders, and industry experts working together, we have an incredible opportunity to align our shared goals and forge lasting connections to make transformative, equity-centered change across the region. Together, we will ensure that every student in our region has access to the education, training, and resources they need to transition into a rewarding career.
Maria Rocha Ruiz, UC Santa Cruz Assistant Vice Chancellor of Educational Partnerships and Chief Campus Outreach Officer

Dr. Matt Wetstein, President and Superintendent of Cabrillo College, expressed pride in the college’s integral role, stating, “The state’s investment in the collaborative will result in robust, K-16 pathways that lead students to high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand regional employment that boosts the economic viability of our region.”

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE) will serve as a convener of activities in the tri-county area of Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey. Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools, highlighted the collaborative efforts, stating, “The K-16 Collaborative is enabling deeper partnerships between TK-12, higher education, and industry to create clearer pathways between the classroom and career. I am grateful for the engagement of the outstanding partners in our region, with whom we will continue working closely to address systemic inequities and open the doors of opportunity to all youth on the Central Coast.”

This grant initiative, forming a crucial regional component of a statewide strategy, aims to broaden educational and employment access for the 530,000 K-16 students across the Central Coast.

Murry Schekman, Interim Superintendent, Pajaro Valley Unified School District, shared that “PVUSD leadership and staff have been involved in the planning and launching of the Collaborative since its inception over 18 months ago. The intent is to ensure that all K-12 students are best prepared for economic mobility across this region.  This Collaborative will also enhance our existing Career Tech Ed pathways and their links to our local community colleges.  We believe that the grant will allow for more inclusivity and stronger connection to rigorous academic content and to important learning activities that will enhance all college, career and life outcomes.” 

Mario Castellanos, Executive Director of the Office of Education Partnerships at UCSB, emphasized the collaborative approach, stating, “By working together with our regional, K-16 educational partners, we are making the college degree more achievable and more closely aligned with the demands of our local workforce.”

The Regional K-16 Education Collaborative grant program, made possible by a $250 million appropriation to the Department of General Services (Budget Act of 2021), is administered by the California Department of General Services (DGS), Office of Public School Construction (OPSC), with the Foundation for California Community Colleges serving as the third-party administrator.

California Governor Gavin Newsom lauded the initiative, stating, “Every Californian should have the freedom to succeed by obtaining real-life skills and fulfilling careers — including those that don’t require college degrees. With today’s investment, California is yet again going further to prepare students and workers for high-paying, long-lasting, and fulfilling careers.”