What’s Developing Within Economic Development

A Message from Stone James, Director

Would you like to make your life more interesting and more rewarding? Are you interested in making society a better place? If so, education is our community’s best opportunity to change everything from the quality of our roads and parks; to increasing individual household incomes; and to literally improving the quality, safety, and stability of our children’s childhoods ^{1 – 4}.

Incredible things can happen when people slow down, think about where they are, and think about where they’d like to be. When they envision the life they want to live, a life they are capable of living, and a life that, if they take those first critical steps and continue taking those steps, incredible things will result. Along the way, those who reach for more will experience new adventures, conquer new challenges, and find out they are more capable than they ever imagined. Those who set goals, and work to stretch their potential, will live more enriching lives and will make society a better place ⁵.

After envisioning where you want to be, setting goals, and identifying next steps; the first step for many is furthering their education. Education can take many forms. For some, a class or a series of classes on how to start a business, the basics of internet marketing, or a tune-up on a previous skill set are all that are needed to move forward. For others, a certificate program can yield big improvements in their career path, job satisfaction, and income levels. For many, a four-year degree or graduate degree(s) must be earned in order have the professional or societal impact(s) they envision.

Regardless of where you are on the spectrum, educational opportunities within the Coachella Valley abound. These opportunities are accessible, affordable, and attainable. Below are links to various educational resources you can immediately begin taking advantage of. Here are a few:

1. www.ccedd.org : Cathedral City’s Economic Development website listings a number of free or low cost classes offered by some of the Valley’s best organizations such as SBA, CVEP, SBDC, SCORE, Women’s Business Center, GCVCC, and DBA.
2. College of the Desert: College of the Desert (COD) won a 2018 Bellwether Award ⁶ for its innovative EDGE (Engage, Develop, Grow, Empower) Program. The Valley is fortunate to have this top-rated California Community College with multiple campuses. COD offers nearly 100 different certificates or Associate degrees.
3. University of California Riverside: “UCR ranks among the top 25 comprehensive research universities in the nation (Washington Monthly, 2017) and was included in the (August 2018) edition of The Princeton Review’s “The Best 382 Colleges.” (Source)
4. California State University San Bernardino: Money magazine has listed Cal State San Bernardino 67th in the nation’s top 727 colleges and universities in its annual Best Colleges for Your Money rankings. Money also listed CSUSB among the 50 Best Public Colleges (42) and Best Colleges Where More Than Half of Applicants Get In (18). (Source)
5. Brandman University: Brandman offers one of the highest graduation rates of any university of its kind, and 9 out of 10 of our students would recommend it to their friends. (Source)
6. University of Redlands: With a 100 year history, and a 13-to-1 student to faculty ratio, this Division III school offers other points of distinction to include: “Top 7% of four-year colleges, ranked by alumni earning above expectations” (The Economist); “Top 25% of America’s Top Colleges” (Forbes); and “Ranked #20 for “Lots of Race/Class Interaction.” (Princeton Review) (Source).

The Cathedral City Economic Development Department would also like to provide special thanks to the generosity of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, Natalie Orta at the Small Business Administration, and Scott Simmers at Palm Springs Motors. The City, along with these great organizations, is continuing to host free monthly bilingual workshops on a variety of business and professional development topics. The classes are held at the Palm Springs Motors dealership on the second Thursday of each month. Times, dates, and program topics, in addition to recordings of previous classes, are available on the Cathedral City Economic Development website (http://www.ccedd.org/). Be sure to check CVEP’s (http://cvep.com), SBA’s (https://www.sba.gov/) website for other valuable and free or low-cost services.

REFERENCES:

1. Frasquilho, D., de Matos, M. G., Marques, A., Neville, F. G., Gaspar, T., & Caldas-de-almeida, ,J.M. (2016). Unemployment, parental distress and youth emotional well-being: The moderation roles of parent-youth relationship and financial deprivation. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 47(5), 751-758.

2. Reinhardt Pedersen, C., Madsen, M., & Köhler, L. (2005). Does financial strain explain the association between children’s morbidity and parental non-employment? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 59(4), 316-321.

3. Dooley, D., Prause, J., & Ham-Rowbottom, K. (2000). Underemployment and depression: Longitudinal relationships. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 41(4), 421-36.

4. Friedland, D. S., & Price, R. H. (2003). Underemployment: Consequences for the health and well-being of workers. American Journal of Community Psychology, 32(1), 33-45.

5. LINK

6. The Bellwhether Award: “In more than 1,200 community colleges nationwide, this is one of the highest honors an institution can receive. The awards are similar to being selected by your peers, comparable to the Oscar or Emmy Award,” said Dale F. Campbell, Professor and Director of the University of Florida’s Institute of Higher Education.