Narr: Coming up on Inside California Education: Imagine earning a full bachelor's degree at an affordable California community college.

That's the opportunity more and more students are discovering across the Golden State, like this dental hygienist program at a college in West Los Angeles.

Dr. Dones: It's going to change everything for them, you know, on a financial level, on an educational level, just in so many different ways.

It changes society.

Narr: These Bakersfield students will graduate not only with a high school diploma, but an Associate's degree from their local community college.

It's all part of a growing dual enrollment effort called early College, where high schoolers can start earning college credits starting as early as ninth grade.

David: I keep it all the same, the same standards, the same learning outcomes for my Bakersfield college students.

I apply it on my students here at McFarland High School to make sure that they're both getting the same quality of work.

Narr: The sky's the limit for well-paying job opportunities in the burgeoning drone industry.

That's why this community college in San Diego County is offering training that fast-tracks students into new careers.

Jonathan: It is a young industry and it is evolving very quickly.

So people are getting new ideas, people are getting new capabilities and people are getting more comfortable with them.

Narr: And we've all heard about the teacher shortage.

But what about child care providers?

See how this Sacramento Community College is part of a leading effort to prepare the next generation of child care workers and early education teachers while providing actual child care to student parents.

It's all coming up next on Inside California Education.

Annc: Funding for Inside California Education is made possible by The California lottery has been reliably raising additional money for public education for decades.

More than $41 billion since voters created the lottery in 1984.

And that's the reason why California lottery exists.

It's why we do what we do and work so hard to do it.

Thank you, California.

Our schools appreciate your support.

Annc: Imagine a credit union where school employees are treated like the heroes you are.

At SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, everything we do starts with helping school employees and their families live better today and plan for tomorrow.

Learn more at schoolsfirstfcu.org.

Annc: The Stuart Foundation: improving life outcomes for young people through education.

ScholarShare 529: Californias state-sponsored, tax advantaged 529 college savings plan designed to help pay for the cost of higher education.

Additional funding for Inside California Education is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.

♪♪♪ Instructor: You're going to work on the lower right, and the upper right.

Narr: These students at West L.A. College have a lot to smile about.

Thanks to a rare opportunity from one of the most respected dental hygiene programs in the country where the soon to be dental hygienists will earn a bachelor's degree and be prepared to enter the workforce, all from a community college.

Susan: Very unique to West Los Angeles College.

We get hands-on experience, different variety of patients we see from children, um, to patients in convalescence centers.

It allows us to be well-rounded once we enter the work field.

Narr: Susan Mendoza is in her last semester at West L.A. College.

This is final exam day inside West L.A.s state of the art training lab for soon to be dental hygienists, located on one of the nine campuses within the Los Angeles Community College District.

LACCD is a massive academic institution, the largest community college district in California, among the biggest in the nation, more than 200,000 students.

And enrollment is on the rise.

Impressive, no doubt, especially when you consider the challenges of going to college in L.A. Half of all LACCD students live near or below the poverty line, something these students and their leaders are determined to change.

West L.A. College is renowned for its dental hygiene program and has been since 1971, when the first class of dental hygienists graduated with an Associate of Science degree.

But in 2017, leaders here successfully lobbied the state to offer a baccalaureate program, a four-year full-time Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene.

Dr. Dones: For me, it means the world to me.

Dr. Carmen Dones is the dean of Academic Affairs at West L.A. College and is a graduate of the same dental hygiene program she now leads.

As administrator, shes on a mission to get all California community colleges on board with the dental hygiene baccalaureate progression.

As a student, she learned the reasons why.

Dr. Dones: It means the world to me because I see myself in a lot of the students that are here today, and I see them having opportunities, having lifelong opportunities, building communities, and then being role models for their children, for their family members, and letting them know that it's possible.

This is possible.

You can do this.

If I can do this, you can do this.

And it's going to change everything for them, you know, on a financial level, on an educational level, just in so many different ways.

It changes society.

Narr: One of the many perks to the program - student savings and cutting college costs.

Dr. Rodriguez: Imagine receiving a four year baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene that will cost you a total of just over $10,000 and earning an interim salary of about $70,000.

That's a wonderful return on investment that we want to make sure that our public knows about.

That's why we have a waiting list and more students apply than we can accommodate.

That's why we're very interested statewide as well as here to expand the number of opportunities and slots for students to take advantage of this wonderful degree program at their local community college.

Narr: It's already happening.

At LACCD, students can now earn a bachelor's degree in aviation and respiratory therapy.

Dr. Rodriguez: It's California.

Diversity is our secret sauce.

If we embrace this beautiful richness of language and culture and identity, that's what makes us stronger.

That's what makes California strong and the ability we choose to live, work, teach, study in California for very specific reasons.

Narr: Which takes us back to Susan Mendoza and the very reason she wanted to do this in the first place.

Susan: Seeing a disparity in the Latin American community, especially amongst children, um, it really hit home because I was raised by my grandparents and I would be their translator at dental offices.

And I would see that there is a disconnect between the providers and the information they're receiving.

So, I wanted to be that link between the dentist and the patient to help them realize what effects we can make as preventative, um, health care providers.

I will graduate, not in debt.

It's an amazing feeling.

I feel like I'm already ahead.

Narr: The dental hygienists graduating from this and other training programs can likely expect quick job offers.

Experts say there's a nationwide shortage of hygienists, a trend that started around the pandemic and continues today.

A 2022 survey by the American Dental Association found that 40% of all dentists were looking to fill hygienist positions, and more than 80% of dentists say they'll increase salaries and offer more flexible work schedules to attract and retain them.

♪♪♪ Narr: Kern County in the southern San Joaquin Valley is one of many economically challenged regions around the Golden State.

Students here often face steep barriers to earning college degrees.

Educators are trying to break down those barriers by offering students like Daisy and Sarah the chance to take college classes.

Sarah: When I first heard about the program, I initially thought scary and exciting because a freshman in high school doing college courses, that's like taking a really big step.

Daisy: I told my parents about it because I thought it was like, such a great idea that I could already start with my college career at the same time with like, doing high school.

Kylie: In our rural areas of Kern County degree attainment for adults under the age of 25 is as low as 2%.

We knew that that was a metric that we need to move the dial on and Early College is doing just that.

Narr: The goal of Early College, also called dual enrollment, is to save students time and money towards earning a college degree.

Romeo: Some of the issues that folks encounter as they're pursuing their higher ed, you have issues with access, you have issues with the economics, the financing of an education.

What better way to knock out two years of college credit with no cost while you're in high school?

Narr: McFarland High School Early College, works with the Kern Community College District to place all incoming ninth grade students on pathways to earn between 12 to 60 college units at Bakersfield College.

Those units will count towards Career and Technical Education certificates, General Education certificates, and associate degrees by the time they graduate from high school.

Aaron: For a lot of the students that we serve here and their families who are involved in agriculture, uh, the 28 miles between McFarland High School and Bakersfield College might as well be 100 miles.

Romeo: Hence comes early college, where we create a ha-hard rail system where students entering high school are going to go not just to high school, but they're also college students.

David: So, what you guys were required to do was create a 16-slide presentation, choosing an entrepreneur of your choice.

David: I'm a Business Pathway Dual Enrollment instructor for McFarland High School.

I am also a Bakersfield College adjunct professor.

My job here is to make sure that the students are getting the same rigor, the same learning outcomes, the same standards that are in line with Bakersfield College.

Narr: Dual enrollment instructors like Cisneros provide rigorous, fully aligned and identical college courses like this one, to their high school students, many of whom are children of farmworkers and first-generation college students.

George: The entrepreneur I chose is Virgil Abloh, and that's his photo right there on the slide.

He started “Off-White ” in Milan, Italy, in 2012.

He built a fashion brand so he can express his creativity and it did well.

David: I keep it all the same, the same standards, the same learning outcomes for my Bakersfield College students.

I apply it on my students here at McFarland High School to make sure that they're both getting the same quality of work.

Romeo: Introducing these students to the college going culture, bringing Bakersfield College essentially to them, they're now starting to have conversations about careers.

Sarah: This year I will graduate with a high school diploma as well as an Associate of Art with Bakersfield College.

I plan to attend CSUB, uh, California State University of Bakersfield, and major in Nursing.

I feel very prepared for what's to come, especially in my future plans.

Annika: After hearing only positive things and really amazing things about the program, I... saw no other choice but to, you know, go through with it.

I'm hoping to take all of the experience and the credits and the associate degree with me to a four year college, hopefully to pursue a degree in business analytics where I hope to later become an entrepreneur and hopefully start my own company.

Kylie: With McFarland High School as the example well graduate up to 70 students this coming May with an associate degree.

And as we continue to scale up, as we double these numbers of graduates every year and bring this opportunity to every single high school, not just McFarland, we will see graduates across the county going off to four year universities.

Narr: There are 60 high school partnerships throughout the Kern Community College District participating in the program with an almost 90% course success rate.

Romeo: Adopting an early college program and incorporating it into a high school is not an easy task.

But, you know, really there are no problems, just only solutions.

The only thing that you're really required to be is bold, innovative, intentional.

Aaron: What it takes is takes courage.

It takes good partnerships, and it takes the willingness to be able to, to roll up your sleeves and get the work done.

-Good job, George.

[clapping] Narr: There are several kinds of early college programs across California.

Some called middle college high schools are located right on college campuses.

There are at least two dozen others where college instructors teach right on high school campuses.

In many cases, students can earn both high school and community college credit for the same class.

And a few graduate from high school with a full associate's degree, allowing them to go straight to a four year college as a junior.

Narr: Still ahead on Inside California Education: Visit a college tackling the dual shortage of child care providers and early education teachers.

With an innovative new degree program.

But first, job opportunities are sky high in the growing drone industry.

See how this community college is training the next generation of drone operators.

♪♪♪ Narr: That buzzing noise you hear could be the sound of the future.

With more businesses than ever using drones for everything from rooftop inspections to farming to cinematography.

Job opportunities are, well, flying high.

George: Society is changing.

Drones are gonna come, uh, become a big part of our everyday life.

George Foster is an instructor at Mira Costa College, a community college in San Diego County.

It offers a drone pilot and technician program and certificate.

George: You could come in here not knowing anything about flying a drone and we would baby stop you from seeing a drone sitting on a table to operating in a simulator, to flying a beginner drone, to flying a drone with an advanced payload system on it.

If you need glasses.

Student: Yeah.

George: And it also adjusts for the eye space... George: The other aspect of the course is for them to learn the technical skills - the components of a drone, how to solder and repair your drone, how to build your own drone, or to get hired on as a technical advisor to build and repair drones for a company.

Jonathan: We're learning to fly.

We're learning where not to fly.

Um, the basics of if something goes really wrong, we can troubleshoot it.

Say, Oh, this battery's dead.

Oh, this sensor needs to be replaced or this wire came unplugged, I just need to solder it and the training of how to do that.

Narr: Student Jonathan Moore says he was searching for career opportunities when he discovered the drone program.

Jonathan: I just have a history like in my life of being around robotics, being around aerospace stuff.

My dad was an aerospace engineer, so honestly, drones have been on the fringe of my life for like a long time.

And so, when I saw this was available, it just seemed like I would probably love to do that.

Narr: The program is an intensive 335 hours, but by the end, students are fully prepared to take the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Drone Knowledge test.

That allows them to fly drones for commercial purposes.

Jaroslav: My like, dream job would be to, uh, get hired by some, uh, media company where I would be either a technician or a pilot for flying the drones that have the big cameras on them.

And yeah, just doing that fun stuff in movies.

Narr: Even though Jaroslav already passed the FAA test before enrolling in the program, he says he's gaining real-life experience.

Jaroslav: So this is like a great way to get started because you get hands-on training from people who have been in the industry.

George: You never want your props on unless you're about to fly.

Narr: People like George Foster, who also flies drones for a roofing company to perform inspections and those industry jobs are growing as companies and public safety organizations find new ways to use the technology.

George: Currently, right now, the big companies UPS, Amazon, they're working on drone delivery.

The medical fields.

Uh, we happen to live in Southern California.

Chula Vista PD uses drones for their advanced eyes on site at a location before officers arrive.

So we're on the pulse of the next generation of the big, big things thats happening in society.

Jonathan: It is a young industry and it is evolving very quickly.

So, people are getting new ideas.

People are getting new capabilities and people are getting more comfortable with them.

And so, it's just a lot is moving very quickly.

The rules we're learning this year are different than the rules that we would have learned last year.

Narr: In this fast-paced environment where the technology changes every year and new regulations are frequently introduced, students say they're excited about being part of an emerging industry.

[drone buzzing] On this day, they're racing on an indoor obstacle course, using goggles with first person view, also called FPV.

They can see what the drone sees as they zip through the classroom.

George: So, it's an immersive drone experience that allows you to travel inside the drone as if you were like a bee or hummingbird around the course.

And in the professional world, that skill set transcribes into drones used for inspection purposes.

Jonathan: The real fun stuff is the hands-on, like we're using state-of-the-art equipment here.

So having the newest toys to play with is really interesting.

Narr: Interesting, fun, and technical - a combination that these students say they can't wait to bring to the job market.

George: Having drone knowledge and technical skills, it gives you a plethora of op-options.

You know, if youre on Indeed or Glassdoor, its job's coming up every day.

And literally, if you have a drone and are willing to travel, the world is your oyster.

Narr: According to recent studies, the average annual pay for a drone pilot in the United States is just under $100,000 a year.

As the commercial drone industry continues to grow, so does the demand for pilots.

Industry experts say some 100,000 drone-related jobs will be created over the next two years.

♪♪♪ Jeannette: Many people know about this shortage we have of teachers, but we haven't really thought about the shortage of who's taking care of our youngest children.

Narr: For Jeanette Mulhern, it is one of the biggest challenges facing California public education.

The Golden State has a dramatic shortage of both educators and childcare providers.

That's why the department chair of the Early Childcare Education Department at Sacramento's Cosumnes River College is leading the school's effort to prepare the next generation of childcare workers.

Cosumnes is also expanding its effort to meet the workforce need for and access to early childcare education.

Jeannette: Our focus is really looking at can we provide a program that they move through beyond just the minimum number of units to work at a commercial based, um, childcare setting.

Narr: The childcare workforce has changed dramatically over the last four years.

Even prior to the pandemic, there weren't enough providers.

Since COVID, the problem has grown.

There aren't enough childcare workers or early childhood education teachers.

Opportunities are few for effective training, and the pay is often inadequate.

Not just in California, but throughout the country.

Jeannette: Everybody knows there was huge impacts, um, all around for COVID, but in particular, um, those health safety, um, precautions, families were home with their children, so they pulled children from programs.

And so, we've really had a concerted effort of reaching out to a lot of specialty populations.

So that's been a new thing for us, um, post-COVID, um, is that we've been working to figure out how can we wrap around students in all of their identities they have?

And our most recent identity that we're, um, focusing on is student parents.

Eddie: As an educator or as a student as well, I think flexibility is a big piece of it.

Um, it's hard for parents, uh, for families to figure out how they're going to work out transportation, childcare and, and all of the education, work, all of those things.

Um, and being on a community college campus or college campus in general can provide you a good number of those, if not all of those.

Vanessa: As a teacher, as a, as a preschool teacher, I think that providing the quality care that children need, uh, is kinda like the most essential, you know, like part of it.

So, providing the quality care for the children, but also helping train the next teachers that are going into the workforce.

Jeannette: And so, were doing things like more online classes.

Um, were working on, um, the idea of High Flex, which is kind of this flexibility where we could be physically there and students could be with us or they could be at home.

Narr: This renewed effort includes incentives, grants, per unit completion stipends, zero text book cost options, tuition reimbursement and more.

Its all provided directly to early childhood education students, through the Child Development Training Consortium.

Students also receive hands on, peer to peer training at the onsite childcare facility.

Shontaye: I started taking courses a long time ago and I, I felt like I was kind of just moving about, but I, I feel like, um, I dont know what this change has been, but I feel, um, supported.

Jeannette: We really wanted to make sure that, um, students understood that identity and that here at Cosumnes River College, like, were gonna fit you in.

Were going to work, and were continuing to work to be more family friendly.

Um, and thats policies, practices that were starting to really look at now.

Narr: While addressing the need for quality childcare for student parents, this campus also offers an onsite childcare facility for Cosumnes River College student parents, faculty and staff, providing students the resource of affordable, quality on campus childcare.

Eddie: Um, theres, theres no replacing that at all.

Um, and, and truly finding a place that cares about your, your child and, and their development and has the capacity and, and the capabilities to, uh, to nurture that development is, is something special.

One of the great things about Los Rios is its such a broad community college district, so you have so many capabilities of how you can fulfill your programs and really meet your needs that meet your schedules.

Narr: Early childhood education courses and child development courses are aligned throughout the state of California.

Students can work towards achieving one of 5 certificates within early childcare education from an infant specialist, assistant teacher or school-aged specialist.

They can also obtain an early childhood associate of arts degree or transfer to a university of higher education.

Jeannette: probably the, the best example of when we see impact, um, it doesnt always come through, um, with grades or final scores or some of those things, but it comes through when we see our students in the workforce and thriving.

Um, when we see our students who are advocating for children and families.

Narr: That's it for this edition of Inside California Education.

If you'd like more information about the program, log on to our website insidecaled.org.

We have videos from all of our shows and you can connect with us on social media.

Thanks for joining us.

We'll see you next time on Inside California Education.

Instructor: You're going to work on the lower right and the upper left.

George: The entrepreneur I chose is Virgil Abloh and thats his photo right there on the slide.

He started “Off-White ” in Milan, Italy in 2012.

He built a fashion brand so he can express his creativity and it did well.

[drone buzzing] ♪♪♪ Annc: Funding for Inside California Education is made possible by The California Lottery has been reliably raising additional money for public education for decades.

More than $41 billion since voters created the lottery in 1984.

And thats the reason why California Lottery exists.

Its why we do what we do and work so hard to do it.

Thank you, California - our schools appreciate your support.

Annc: Imagine a credit union where school employees are treated like the heroes you are.

At SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, everything we do starts with helping school employees and their families live better today and plan for tomorrow.

Learn more at schoolsfirstfcu.org.

Annc: The Stuart Foundation: improving life outcomes for young people through education.

ScholarShare 529: Californias state-sponsored, tax advantaged 529 college savings plan designed to help pay for the cost of higher education.

Additional funding for Inside California Education is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.