As we wrapped up Year 3 of our state-funded grant, the Sacramento K–16 Collaborative hosted the annual site visit with representatives from the Foundation for California Community Colleges and the Office of Public School Construction. Held virtually over two hours, the session served as a meaningful milestone—both a reflection on how far we’ve come and a look ahead to what’s next.

What We Shared

The site visit offered a platform to showcase key areas of progress, partnership, and planning:

• A spotlight on our Mechatronics Pathway, a powerful collaboration between Roseville Joint Union High School District (RJUHSD), Sierra College, Sacramento State, and Bosch, demonstrating how industry and education can work hand-in-hand to prepare students for high-demand careers.
• An overview of recent successes and challenges with our five key goals presented by workgroup chairs.
• Sustainability planning beyond the grant period, including alignment with the California Jobs First initiative (locally called We Prosper Together) and the Governor’s Master Plan on Career Education.

What We Heard

Our collaborative partners and the Capitol Impact team brought energy, insight, and commitment—and it didn’t go unnoticed. In a feedback session following the visit, the review team shared that they could feel the enthusiasm and strong buy-in from our regional partners. Special appreciation was expressed for Bosch’s engagement in the site visit and the high quality of data, presentations, and policy briefs shared throughout the session.

The team also commended our efforts around dual enrollment, citing the presentation as a standout. On the topic of sustainability, site visitors were inspired by the creativity and alignment in our planning—especially our exploration of a joint powers agreement as a vehicle for long-term impact and stability.

A Collaborative Effort

This successful visit wouldn’t have been possible without the thoughtfulness and contributions of so many. A heartfelt thank you to all the presenters who represented their institutions and our region with clarity, passion, and purpose:

Tu Moua-Carroz and Marc Buljan (RJUHSD), Amy Schultz (Sierra College), Nancy Shafer (Bosch), Tina Torres (Sacramento State), Manveer Bola (LRCCD), Thuy Thi Nguyen (Garcia Hernández Sawhney LLP), Sean O’Neil (LRCCD), Ebony Lewis (UC Davis), Annie Sterling (Capitol Impact), Janiela Bolds (Accenture), Evan Schmidt (We Prosper Together), and Brian Heller de Leon (Kaiser Permanente).

And as always, but never sufficiently, We’d like to express my deep appreciation to the K-16 backbone and operating team members who did the hard work of running the show and filling in details to round out all the presentations: Roxanne Luppino and Gabe Ross (LRCCD), Alex Taghavian, Cristina Puente, and Uli Smith.

Onward to Year 4

The momentum is real, and the possibilities are growing. As we look toward Year 4, we remain deeply committed to expanding equitable access, strengthening career pathways, and ensuring long-term sustainability through collaboration.

Thank you to everyone who continues to move this work forward. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together—and even more excited about what lies ahead!