​Santa Ana College Anticipates an Inspiring KinderCaminata on March 6

(Santa Ana, CA)—For the 21st annual KinderCaminata, over 1,000 kindergartners from Santa Ana Unified School District will march into Santa Ana College on Friday, March 6, eager to enjoy a festival of career booths and educational games. The kindergarten students will visit over twenty-five interactive booths between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. learning about money management, careers and personal growth.

After the career fair, the youngsters will be led on a march through the Santa Ana College campus during which they will chant the motto “Sí, se puede” (Yes,you can). The march this year will be led by the 2015 KinderCaminata Grand Marshal, Ava Steaffens. Steaffens has been the CEO of KidWorks for the past 14 years.

“KinderCaminata is a labor of love with the young children’s futures in mind,” said Santa Ana College President Erlinda J. Martinez, Ed.D.  “This is always a special event at Santa Ana College, and especially so during our centennial year. KinderCaminata shows these young students that Santa Ana College is a safe place to learn, grow and succeed as individuals; a college where they can evolve to become successful professionals within the community.”

This spring, KinderCaminata will take place at the following participating community colleges: Cypress, Fullerton and Santa Ana College (SAC). SAC’s KinderCaminata 2015 will feature a booth hosted by representatives from Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez’s 46th District Office, where kids will spin the “Congressional Wheel” for educational and informative questions to answer. The Comunidad Latina FCU will teach children how to use an automated teller machine and learn basic skills about money management. The Santa Ana Police Department, American Red Cross, State Farm Insurance, California Highway Patrol and many more supportive organizations will be joining in on the fun during KinderCaminata at Santa Ana College.

KinderCaminata is a non-profit organization and the event is traditionally held on or near March 31, which is the birth date of the renowned United Farm Workers leader, Cesar Chavez.  The organization, in partnership with the participating colleges, has created an opportunity for kindergartners to learn through hands-on experience about a variety of careers that they can achieve after receiving a college education.

Since 1994, KinderCaminata has exposed over 95,000 kindergartners to higher education and career opportunities. With an emphasis on low-income attendance areas participating each year, the event has succeeded through volunteer support at Santa Ana College and Santa Ana Unified School District including board members and advisors. KinderCaminata has created an avenue for young children to understand at the earliest possible age that higher education is within their reach.

About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which is turning 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit www.sac.edu to learn more. For information about Santa Ana College’s Centennial, please visit www.sac.edu/100.

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