4th Quarter Meeting
Save the Date: October 17, 2023 4:00 – 5:00 pm via Zoom
The BayICT Partnership is a community of business and industry leaders, educators, workforce development boards, and community organizations in the greater Bay Area collaborating “to inform Bay Area community college ICT career education programs and to identify and provide work-based learning and job opportunities for students and skill-builders.”
The BayICT Partnership serves as a regional advisory for ICT career education programs at the 26 colleges in the Bay Area Community College Consortium. We’re looking forward to the first meeting of the 2023-2024 academic year, picking up from the Spring 2023 meeting where a decision was made to get focused on two key strategic areas that support the mission above:
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Paying students and skill-builders for work-based learning
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identifying tech job opportunities in non-tech organizations
During 2023-2024, the BACCC’s ICT Digital Media team is leading initiatives in the following career disciplines:
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AI and Data Analytics
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Cybersecurity
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ICT Infrastructure, Operations, and Support
At the October meeting, we want to learn what matters most to our partners and propose a plan for how we collaborate to address the two areas of strategic importance.
In preparation for the meeting, we are updating the roster. Over the past 4 years, the BayICT Partnership list has grown to over 140 members. We sincerely appreciate the interest, contributions, and support from our active participants and want to confirm intent to stay engaged. A short opt-in survey will be sent to the list for submission by September 30th.
We want to confirm that you still wish to engage in the community and which of the focus areas is of interest and value to you and your mission. If you choose not to opt-in or we do not receive a response, we will unsubscribe you from our roster.
See you on October 17th!
October is Cyber Awareness Month
📌 October is the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance that began in 2003.
The theme for 2023 is “It’s Easy to Stay Safe Online”. According to the Stay Safe Online website Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 will focus on four key behaviors all month long:
- Enabling multi factor authentication
- Using strong passwords and a password manager
- Updating software
- Recognizing and reporting phishing
Attacks on small businesses using social media are on the rise. According to LexisNexis Risk Solutions, the under 25 age group is most vulnerable to fraud attacks while the oldest age group is second most vulnerable and loses the most money. This year’s theme seeks to raise awareness of families and young adults on the cyber threats of social media. For events and insights follow CISA on LinkedIn and get involved using #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth.
Anything that connects to the internet is susceptible to attack. See details below about our October Tech Talk, where the topic is securing the Internet of Things.
RVPA Updates
📌 The Regional Virtual Production Academy continues to prepare for the launch of the six-college collaborative program in Spring 2024 with the VP Fundamental Certificate of Achievement.
Check the RVPA webpage for the course requirements because many students may be taking or have already completed many of them, positioning themselves with a head start on earning the certificate. In the meantime, Fall 2023 is off to a busy, eventful start.
During the summer, the project team and steering committee met for a full day of strategic planning focused on 3 areas; program curriculum, outreach & marketing, and structure and sustainability. Plans were outlined to
- Prepare the remaining certificates and plan the pathway to the AA
- Begin marketing & outreach during Fall 2023
- Propose sustainable collaborative processes and structure that will no longer require SWP funding after the Year 3 of the regional joint venture (RJV), currently in Year 2.
Program Curriculum
The project team completed the design and course articulation for the Advanced Virtual Production Certificate of Achievement and we’re in a sprint to gain advisory, local, and state approvals in time to begin offering it Fall 2024.
Marketing & Outreach
Significant updates to the RVPA webpage continue, most recently the addition of a student page. A RVPA Media Kit (RVPA flier, email & social templates, and a promo slide) is in development and we’ll have a booth at Fan Expo 2023 to showcase student work and promote the Academy.
Structure & Sustainability
As the largest collaborative ever undertaken, the project team is working with local and Chancellors Office administrators to put mechanisms in place that allow students to enroll in courses at any of the 6 member colleges, get financial aid, and receive credit for completions. We’re in new territory here and the project team is especially appreciative of the support we’re receiving.
Ongoing roles and responsibilities are being piloted and defined. This year, an Academy Technology Specialist was funded, and is already proving its value, given the rapid evolution of virtual production and real-time technology. As we define and document the student-facing processes of a collaborative program, the proposed role of Academy Program Coordinator is new priority to ensure student success.
Exciting News on RVPA Student Work Experience!
Through its industry connection with the IBC (International Broadcasting Convention), the RVPA was invited to participate in its Accelerator Project, a research project to showcase a proof of concept of the Real-Time XR Sport Edge at IBC 2023. The RVPA is taking advantage of the Film Internship Fund, a paid work-based learning program offered by the California Film Commission and the Foundation for California Community Colleges, to hire DVC student interns to participate in the research, alongside the Academy Technology Specialist.
The research being done by the RVPA team is to work with the IBC and a Bay Area company, MOVRS, on the motion graphics for the post fight analysis. The interns experimented with technology in DVC’s studio to visualize the fight data occurring between the two fighters. The goal is to be able to apply these effects in real time utilizing the data generated during the fight.
It’s a win-win-win-win!
- The student interns have made a significant contribution to the research project.
- The RVPA is on the industry radar as an education leader.
- The Film Internship Fund achieves its objective to provide student work experience in the film industry.
- Other Academy member colleges are applying to participate in the Film Industry.
Congratulations and kudos to the DVC ARTDM team members, Joann Dennings and Kevin Leeper, and the virtual production interns!
AIDA Updates
📌 Expanding AI Education Across Colleges
The AIDA RJV is making significant progress with curriculum development work at Laney College. We’re thrilled to share the successful launch of our initial AI program offerings, with 40 students enrolling in the “Intro to AI” course. “Foundations for Data Science” has also generated similar interest among students. Both programs are in full swing, so stay tuned for updates on our project webpage. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated faculty members, Tuan Nguyen and Kyla Oh, for their unwavering commitment to keeping the momentum going at Laney College.
Expanding Horizons
Mission College and Evergreen Valley College have enthusiastically joined the conversation about AI education. They are actively exploring the possibility of extending AI curriculum offerings to their students.
Google / Stanford Collaboration
Over the summer, our team collaborated with Stanford Digital Education (SDE) and Grow with Google to offer a professional development opportunity in data analytics. The goal was to empower faculty to support students in applying their technical skills in Data Analytics through Google’s Data Analytics Career Certificate. This program equipped faculty with the skills and knowledge to deliver asynchronous certificate content in a more active, hybrid format for community college learners in for-credit courses. We’re pleased to announce the successful conclusion of this program earlier this month, with participation from 10 faculty members from across BACCC colleges. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the faculty from Cabrillo College, Laney College, Las Positas College, San Jose City College, Hartnell College, Diablo Valley College, Skyline College, Canada College, and Los Medanos College.
AIDA in the News
In case you missed it, check out our esteemed Dean Angel Fuentes (Evergreen Valley College, formerly at Laney College), who recently joined CBS Bay Area News for an insightful segment on the AIDA project. This segment celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of our team and the pivotal role our project plays in introducing AI throughout the region.
While you’re there, don’t forget to read about the remarkable work being done by Tuan Nguyen and Laney College, recently highlighted in The San Francisco Standard under the title “AI Gold Rush: Can Bay Area Classes Help Students Cash In?”
Google Introduces New AI Training Course
Google has announced a new major training initiative designed to increase AI skills throughout the workforce.
Enhancing Customer Service With AI: A Human-Centric Approach
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and customer service, artificial intelligence (AI) offers businesses opportunities to enhance the way they interact with their customers.
AI EDU: Recapping the first-ever National Day of AI Literacy
On Friday, April 19, aiEDU was one of five founding organizations to launch and lead the first-ever National AI Literacy Day.
March 27, 2024 Quarterly BayICT Meeting
Thank you all who joined us for our Spring Quarterly meeting of the BayICT. If you weren’t able to attend, please check out the recording here!
Upcoming Events
9/20 @6PM AI Tech Talk (details here)
10/17 @4PM BayICT Quarterly Meeting (details here)
10/26 @6PM Cybersecurity Tech Talk (details here)
11/16 @6PM Virtual Production Tech Talk (details here)
12/07 @6PM Infrastructure of the Internet Tech Talk (details here)
1/4 & 1/5 2024 ICT Educators’ Conference (registration available 10/1)