Artesia awarded grant to send youth on great California adventure
The City of Artesia announced this week it has been awarded a $430,005 Youth Community Access Grant from the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to launch the Artesia Great Adventure Program, a new 15-month initiative that will expand opportunities for local youth to connect with California’s natural and cultural resources.
The Artesia Great Adventure Program is designed to immerse underserved youth, ages 8 to 18, in California’s natural beauty while fostering environmental stewardship and conservation values.
Over the course of the program, participants will participate in 30 trips and 40 days of educational camps during the winter, spring, and summer, providing immersive learning experiences. Together, these experiences will serve more than 1,200 youth participants, encouraging active conservation and deepening their appreciation of California’s environmental treasures.
“This grant allows us to create transformative opportunities for Artesia’s youth,” said Artesia Mayor Ali Taj. “The Artesia Great Adventure Program will provide hands-on learning and unforgettable outdoor experiences that inspire the next generation to care for and protect our environment.”
Funding for the Artesia Great Adventure Program comes through the California Natural Resources Agency’s Youth Community Access Grant Program, established by Proposition 68, the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018.
The program funds projects that expand youth engagement with natural and cultural resources, increase recreational opportunities, and support education and prevention efforts in underserved communities.
The City anticipates receiving the formal grant agreement in October 2025, with programming scheduled to begin in 2026 and continue through March 2027. The grant will fully fund program costs, including staff, transportation, supplies, and educational programming.
For more information, please contact Edith Guerra, Parks and Recreation Manager at eguerra@cityofartesia.us.
Pérez’s Safe Learning Environments Act gets Newsom’s signature
Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Altadena, Arcadia, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Upland) this week saw Governor Gavin Newsom sign the legislation she authored, The Safe Learning Environments Act (SB 848) into law.
This measure creates a comprehensive, standardized approach to preventing sexual misconduct by employees in K-12 schools, and strengthens student safety in California schools by requiring updates to Comprehensive School Safety Plans with clear procedures for preventing, detecting, and addressing school employee sexual misconduct.
This new law also broadens mandated reporting requirements, enhances training for employees and students, and revises relevant provisions in law to ensure stronger protections.
“This law will protect children from sexual misconduct committed by school employees. It is that simple,” said Pérez. “We all recognize most teachers, and classified staff are dedicated professionals, but even a tiny fraction of school employees who engage in child abuse can do catastrophic harm. SB 848 will create a system to protect our students.”
Specifically, the Safe Learning Environments Act will ensure egregious misconduct is reported and tracked by establishing an electronic database of misconducts for non-certificated employees. This law will extend work history verification to cover all school employees.
“I also must express my utmost appreciation to the group of survivors who bravely stood up and publicly shared their stories of trauma to protect students. The power of their collective voices and advocacy made the difference. Their commitment to pushing forward this vital legislation will help prevent future abuse,” said Pérez.
SB 848 will take effect on January 1.
Bass mourns the loss of Kent Wong
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass mourned the loss of labor and civil rights leader Kent Wong yesterday.
Wong was the director of the UCLA Labor Center for more than 30 years. Under his leadership, the center expanded from three staff members to 42. In 2021, with the support of state Senator María Elena Durazo, Wong’s advocacy secured funding from the California legislature to establish a permanent home for the UCLA Labor Center in the working-class neighborhood of MacArthur Park.
“Los Angeles has lost one of its greatest champions for justice. I am deeply saddened by the loss of Kent Wong, an esteemed educator, an attorney and advocate for working families of color across Los Angeles. Kent Wong’s passing leaves a profound void in our city’s labor movement and civil rights community,” said Bass.
“Kent understood that Los Angeles’s strength lies in its working people. As founding president of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, he ensured that Asian American workers — so often invisible — stood at the forefront of labor’s future. His work advancing immigrant rights, his partnership with Rev. James Lawson Jr. on nonviolent social change, and his tireless advocacy for fair wages and humane working conditions embodied the very best of what Los Angeles aspires to be.”
Long Beach to host youth-led opioid awareness showcase
The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Harm Reduction Program, in partnership with Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), will host a Youth Opioid Awareness Showcase at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library (5870 Atlantic Ave.) from 11 a, to 1 pm, Saturday, Oct. 18.
This free, all-ages event will center around the theme “Hear Us: Help Each Other and Redirect” and focus on education, advocacy, and youth-developed solutions to address the opioid crisis.
“Young people are leading the way in reshaping how we respond to the opioid epidemic – leading with courage, clear solutions and a commitment to ending stigma,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Their input and leadership exhibited through this program have been an essential part of building a healthier, more equitable Long Beach for everyone.”
The event is a culmination of the City’s Youth Opioid Awareness Campaign, launched in March 2025 in response to the increasing number of opioid-related overdoses across Long Beach.
The California Opioid Settlements, a fund established to provide cities and counties with funds to abate the opioid crisis in California, made both the campaign and showcase possible.
Additional information on the California Opioid Settlements is available at oag.ca.gov/opioids. For more information on the event, visit longbeach.gov/harmreduction.
