Camarillo, Calif., March 8, 2007 -- The Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement at California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI), in co-sponsorship with many campus and community organizations, is hosting a week-long celebration to honor César E. Chávez's legacy of service to humanity. Events reflecting Chávez's core values are scheduled for Monday, March 26, through Thursday, March 29, at locations throughout the community and on the campus of CSUCI. The César Chávez Day holiday is observed on Saturday, March 31.
Central to this celebration is a traveling art exhibit featuring a CSUCI service learning project that captures the oral histories of several families who recently moved into the Villa César Chávez Apartments. The establishment of the housing complex resulted from a 1996 civil rights case involving evicted Ventura County farm workers and substandard housing.
Throughout the week of March 26 to 29, the exhibit will be on display at the Café on A/Acuna Art Gallery; on the campus of CSUCI; and at the Villa César Chávez Apartments in Oxnard. University officials, community members, students and faculty will use this week-long celebration to promote educational opportunities and Chávez's core values of: community, knowledge, determination, service to others, as well as Chávez's dream for a better life for the underserved and disenfranchised in our society.
A list of event times, dates, and descriptions are listed below. For more information about the week-long celebration honoring Chávez visit http://www.csuci.edu/servicelearning/News_and_Events.htm or contact Pilar Pacheco, assistant director for the Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement, 805-437-8851 or pilar.pacheco@csuci.edu.
March 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Community reception celebrating the unveiling of the traveling Villa César Chávez Narratives Service Learning exhibit and existing Farm Worker Art Show titled: “From These Hands: A Tribute.” Hosted at Café on A/Acuna Art Gallery, 438 South A Street, in downtown Oxnard. Music will be performed by Gil Valencia and Friends, and Xavier Montes.
March 27 from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
“César Chávez's Early Connection to Ventura County,” presented by Frank Barajas, assistant professor of history at California State University Channel Islands, on the campus of CSUCI in Malibu Hall 140. The Villa César Chávez Narratives Service Learning Exhibit will be on display.
March 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
University celebration honoring Ms. Barbara Macri-Ortiz, an attorney who represented the farm workers in the 1996 civil rights case that resulted in the development of the Villa César Chávez Apartments. The reception for the unveiling of the traveling Villa César Chávez Narratives Service Learning Exhibit will include guest speaker Luis J. Rodriguez, a leading Chicano writer and international bestselling author, and recognition for the families, students, and faculty that participated in the project. The event will be held on the campus of CSUCI in Malibu Hall 100. Parking will be available in Lot A10.
March 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
A celebration for the community of Villa César Chávez with several activities planned including: art projects and story telling for children, ballet folklórico performances presented by Inlakech, a film about Chávez's legacy, and presentations about pursuing college education. The Villa César Chávez Narratives Service Learning Exhibit will be on display in the community room. The Villa César Chávez Apartments are located at 381 E. Hueneme Road in Oxnard.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.