Mar 9, 2022 | Newsletter
Provided by Mary E. B. Perry, public information officer, Desert Sands Unified School District
Safe Schools Desert Cities supports the youth of our community in so very many ways. As an active volunteer with SSDC, I have chaperoned and attended a number of the Harvey Milk Breakfasts where SSDC and Palm Springs Pride invite our GSA students to be honored guests. I have participated in several Rainbow Youth Summits. I have also attended (and yes, proudly ridden in) the PS Pride Parade. But the “bestest” and most “funnest” event of all is the annual Pride Prom!
Traditionally held at the Palm Springs Air Museum, this event is open to ALL students in our community from Beaumont to Blythe. Our GSA students are there to assist, as are such wonderful people as my former next door neighbor, Bella da Ball. Do you want to wear a tux? Okay. Do you want to wear jeans? Okay. Do you want to celebrate who you are by your choice of outfit? Okay. Just come over and enjoy! There is dancing, refreshments, games, photo booths, and just a feeling of inclusion, of warmth, and of affirmation.
See our online events calendar here.
Nov 22, 2021 | Newsletter
By Mary Perry, SSDC Communications Committee & 2021-2022 Champion of Youth
We’re back! After many months of what we see as inactivity for our students, there is lots of planning going on here at Safe Schools Desert Cities (SSDC). Our GSA clubs did their very best to stay connected and meet during virtual learning, but they are again meeting in person and their energy is travelling beyond their individual schools. This energy and excitement were evident during the Pride Parade and SSDC Youth Zone at Pride earlier this month. We at SSDC were blown away not only by the number of students who turned up to march, but also by the outpouring of love and support from the community. We look forward to the same amount of love and support for our upcoming events: Rainbow Youth Summit, Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, and Pride Prom.
My involvement with SSDC began as I became involved in the events for our students at Desert Sands Unified School District, and eventually as a SSDC communications committee member when my dear friends Eric Ornelas, SSDC president, and Tori St. Johns, SSDC board member, brought me into the fold. It was my great honor to be named Safe School Desert Cities’ 2021-2022 Champion of Youth.
I’ve attended, supported, and very much enjoyed being at all three of our upcoming events. The joy on the faces of our students as they take part in the Rainbow Summit, a day of seminars from keynote speakers; Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, celebrating Harvey Milk and others who have paved the way; and Pride Prom, a LGBTQ+ and ally-friendly valley-wide high school dance. Please consider committing to funding these amazing events. We need help with busing and refreshments and decorations and everything you can think of!
These activities allow students freedom to be who they are–kids!
- Saturday, March 5 Rainbow Youth Summit
- Thursday, May 12 Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast
- Friday, May 13 Pride Prom
See our online events calendar here.
Sep 8, 2021 | Newsletter
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will continue reimbursing schools for free meals to all students regardless of their income throughout the 2021-2022 school year. This is a continuation of the program that provided free meals to all students during both the 2020-2021 school year and the summer months.
Throughout the summers of 2020 and 2021 federally funded meals for all students were provided to children across the valley. Nutrition services teams from all three districts distributed meals to students in a “drive-through” setting. Coachella Valley nutrition services team provided almost 398,000 meals during the 2021 summer; Desert Sands passed out almost 333,000; and Palm Springs bagged and served almost 211,000 meals.
Safe Schools Desert Cities applauds the work of our education partners. School district meal distribution and our local food banks are committed to providing nutritious meals to our children. For more information on food distribution, reach out to the individual school districts or food banks.
The school districts are also providing vaccination clinics to our students and families and that information is available directly from Coachella Valley, Desert Sands, and Palm Springs unified school districts.
