The red carpet was recently rolled out for middle school students at Palm Springs Unified School District, thanks to its inaugural Young Creators Student Film Program. Over eight days this summer, the young filmmakers produced 25 short films in total, which culminated in a massive premiere on Thursday morning at the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City.
"Young Creators has provided our students with invaluable hands-on experience from Hollywood," said Amber Gascoigne, PSUSD's director of expanded learning, "and we look forward to continuing this partnership in the years to come."
Also in this week's education roundup: College of the Desert's EDGE/plEDGE program is accepting applications from recent local high school graduates for free tuition; COD is converting its single-use restrooms to gender-neutral facilities for inclusivity and accessibility; a tribute to John Norman, a founding instructor at COD; and an internship spotlight for college students with the Riverside County Office of Education.
Did we miss a noteworthy education story? Raise your hand and send it my way: jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
Young filmmakers from Palm Springs Unified School District make their debut on the silver screen
Lights, camera, action: Following the 2024 Palm Springs International ShortFest, Palm Springs Unified School District unveiled the Young Creators Student Film Program, designed to foster the next generation of filmmakers.
Filmmaker Christian Sesma — who has teamed up with some famous stars over the years, from Val Kilmer to Mickey Rourke to Richard Dreyfuss — founded Young Creators, which is part of PSUSD's after school and summer enrichment program.
Under Sesma's guidance and his handpicked team of instructors, students had eight days to produce their own short films. Young Creators aims to prepare for careers in the film industry.
"I am thrilled to provide Palm Springs Unified School District with the opportunity to learn about the basics of true Hollywood filmmaking," Sesma said in a press release. "(The middle school students') creativity and enthusiasm has been truly inspiring."
The young filmmakers — from fifth to eighth grade — premiered their short films on Thursday at the Mary Pickford is D'Place theater in Cathedral City, complete with a red carpet. Sesma, as well as Academy Award-winner Nick Vallelonga, hosted the event.
"Young Creators has provided our students with invaluable hands-on experience from Hollywood," said Amber Gascoigne, PSUSD's director of expanded learning, "and we look forward to continuing this partnership in the years to come."
EDGE/plEDGE program at College of the Desert continues to offer free tuition to high school grads
Paying for college can be challenging, but since 2017, College of the Desert has provided tuition-free education for two years through the EDGE/plEDGE program for full-time students who graduated from a local high school in the Coachella Valley that spring.
To qualify for the program, students must participate in the three-week summer bridge courses designed to prepare them for COD, including college-level math and English courses. Students have the option to enroll in one, two or all three classes to get ready for their first semester at COD.
For more information: Visit collegeofthedesert.edu/students/edge/sign-up.php
College of the Desert moves forward with gender-neutral restrooms
On the heels of Pride Month, College of the Desert announced it is converting its single-use restrooms to gender-neutral facilities and expanding its distribution of free menstrual products — moves to ensure inclusivity and accessibility.
By July 1, the gender-neutral restrooms will also be marked on COD's maps so that students know how to access those resources. Currently, the college's student health center provides free menstrual products. However, the school is transitioning to also stocking these products in dispensers located in the gender-neutral restrooms. This change aims to ensure that students of all gender identities, including transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals, have access to these essential items.
"At this college, in particular, I think we do a great job of supporting and helping our LGBTQ+ communities," said Laura Hope, COD's interim president/superintendent at the most recent board meeting. "It's very important that we have the infrastructure that supports their needs."
The student health and wellness center is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the summer.
Remembering John Norman, College of the Desert's first choir and vocal ensemble director
The College of the Desert community is mourning after one month without John Love Norman, professor emeritus of music and one of the original eight professors hired to teach at the then-newly established College of the Desert in 1962. Norman died on May 23, 2024 at the age of 96.
Affectionately known as "Doc" by thousands of his music students that he mentored through the decades, Norman brought international acclaim to the college, which received invitations to sing in notable places of worship in Europe and England.
As The Desert Sun previously reported, his legacy extends well beyond any concert or notes on a page, but in his students.
“A couple years after I left high school, I was in a dark place,” John Shoemaker told The Desert Sun in 2019. “My personal life was (in) shambles and I locked myself in my room and didn’t come out. Then I heard about the music program at COD and made an effort to go out and see about it. I signed up for music classes, and so began a new chapter."
He retired from COD in 1999, after 37 years of service.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert.
Internship Spotlight: Riverside County Office of Education seeks college students for paid yearlong internships
The Riverside County Office of Education is currently accepting applications for its 2024-25 school yearlong internships in its Indio, Riverside, Murrieta and El Centro offices.
Prospective candidates must be enrolled in college and will be able to intern flexibly around their class schedules (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) from Sept. 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. The temporary internship position offers a salary of $17 per hour for a typical workweek of up to 19.5 hours. Applications are due by 3:30 p.m. on Monday, July 1.
Interns will train across various departments within RCOE, including:
- The Office of Riverside County Superintendent of Schools;
- Educational Services;
- Early Learning Services;
- Governmental Relations;
- Informational Technology Services;
- Personnel Services;
- Student Programs and Services.
RCOE supports the county's 23 school districts that serve nearly 430,000 students.
For more information: Visit go.rcoe.us/InternFall24
Previous reporting by Ema Sasic was used in this report.
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
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