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Christopher Cabaldon
Former Mayor | West Sacramento, CA

The City of West Sacramento Kids’ Home Run

Idea Category: Education

Problem

Since its incorporation in 1987, West Sacramento has been a regional leader for infill housing and economic development. The city’s workforce development activities however, have yet to mature with the changing economic landscape. Once a blue collar city across the river from Sacramento, West Sacramento has developed tremendously in the past 28 years into a hub of research and development, advanced manufacturing, food processing, and logistics. The education system has yet to fully respond to the altered business environment, and the area has one of the highest unemployment rates in the region.

Solution

The Kids’ Home Run is an educational and jobs initiative that combines new and existing programs in the lives of children ages four to eighteen. The initiative supports improved alignment of the education system and workforce needs, providing classroom instruction and on the job training for entry level careers while ensuring high school youth enroll and complete community college, all through partnerships between the city, school district, community college, and local nonprofits. The initiative is composed of four programs: Universal Preschool for every four year old, a guaranteed $50 college savings account for kindergartners, guaranteed internships for high school students and a college promise program for one year of fee free community college. Voters approved funding the initiative in November through a sales tax initiative, and our business community, school district and community college district have all come together to support it.