O.C. Kindergarten Students Set Their Sights on College

KinderCaminata Gives Children Hands-On Experience

Press Release by Santa Ana Unified School District: March 14, 2008

(Santa Ana) — Hundreds of giggling kindergarten-age children is a rare sight on most college campuses, but not on local community college campuses this March and April. Busloads of children, accompanied by teachers and parents, will begin their annual pilgrimage to colleges on March 21.

This year, more than 5,000 Orange County youngsters will take part in KinderCaminata on five campuses. The outreach program was founded in 1993 by Los Amigos of Orange County, a service organization dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities in the Latino community. The 15th annual KinderCaminata will continue the tradition of inspiring youngsters by a visit to their local community college.

"The program plants the seed of higher education in young minds," said Dr. Juan Carlos Araque, president of KinderCaminata and vice president, community investments at Orange County United Way. "By targeting children of low-income families, KinderCaminata helps both the children and parents understand the value of higher education."

This "children’s walk" opens the door to future possibilities for area youngsters: career choices, a college education, and support for their cultural heritage. Besides smiles, the youngsters will arrive on campus sporting a name tag featuring their dream careers. The future teachers, firefighters, astronauts, and ballerinas will visit booths with displays and demonstrations designed to intrigue young minds.

"Education opens doors," said Araque. "This year, we rededicate ourselves to the children and their dreams of a happy, productive future that can be found through higher education."

At each college campus, the youngsters will walk past a series of career stations. At Santiago Canyon College on March 21, children will come face to face with a cow courtesy of the Dairy Council of California as they learn how milk is processed. The Orange County Probation Department’s booth will feature dogs and their handlers and the U.S. Border Patrol will show off a Humvee. Among the college’s more than 40 booths will be the American Red Cross, Caltrans, the City of Orange, the Discovery Science Center, the Edison Company, Orange County Superior Court, the Orange County Zoo, and Wells Fargo.

On March 28 at 10:15 a.m., Santa Ana College’s event will feature a children’s march from the central campus career stations to the college’s track for lunch and entertainment. The "KinderCaminata" will be led by Grand Marshal Assemblyman José Solorio.

Also On March 28, Fullerton College’s KinderCaminata will provide every participating classroom a library of children’s books collected through a campus book drive. The college’s 30 career stations include an oceanography booth with a reef tank showing the effects of global warming and an anthropology booth with a simulated archeological dig.

The dates and times of the Orange County events follow:

Santiago Canyon College Friday, March 21 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 am

Santa Ana College Friday, March 28 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Fullerton College Friday, March 28 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Cypress College Friday, April 4 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Golden West College Friday, April 11 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The annual children’s march is inspired by César Chávez’s perseverance and vision and is held near his March 31 birth date. On the day of the event, kindergarteners are given caps with Chávez’s motto, "Sí, se puede" (Yes, you can). KinderCaminata is a non-profit organization supported by its annual fundraiser,

Salute to Chancellors, Presidents, Superintendents, and is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of four Orange County community college district chancellors, university, business and community leaders.

For more information, please contact Teresa Mercado-Cota at (714) 480-7505.