Over 600 attendees, presenters and sponsors gathered at the second annual California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference in Long Beach on February 20-23. The conference featured pre-conference sessions, two full days of keynote and breakout presentations, and site visits to three high schools in the Los Angeles region. CLP co-hosted the conference with the Education Trust–West and the California Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships.
A very special addition to this year’s conference were the student emcees, Malachi Williams and Stephanie Ortiz. Malachi and Stephanie are seniors at Browning Early College High School in Long Beach and dual enrollment students at Long Beach City College. Both of them will be earning an associate degree and a high school diploma when they graduate this spring.
On the policy side, keynote panels brought together education leaders from across the state to address equitable dual enrollment expansion. One of the panel discussions featured Ben Chida, Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary to Governor Gavin Newsom; Dr. Aisha Lowe, Executive Vice Chancellor for the Equitable Student Learning, Experience and Impact Office of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office; and Dr. Mike Muñoz, Superintendent-President of Long Beach City College.
Relating his personal experience with dual enrollment, Chida said, “Dual enrollment saved my life, period. It validated me, it made me realize my dreams were still alive, and it was a concrete step–I was actually a college student.”
Check out the 2024 conference breakout session materials, and be sure to save the date for next year’s conference on February 23-26, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento. We hope to see you there!
