City Receives Prestigious CALED Award for Innovative Elevate MoVal Program
The California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) bestowed the Award of Excellence for Collaborations and Partnerships to the city of Moreno Valley for the city's Elevate MoVal program.
An innovative collaboration with Moreno Valley College and local businesses, the Elevate MoVal program fosters educational attainment and workforce development in the city and surrounding communities. Elevate MoVal's array of programs benefits individuals by providing access to educational materials and technology, financial assistance, workplace apprenticeships, and other helpful resources and support.
“Empowering our youth and enhancing economic prosperity are top priorities for the city of Moreno Valley,” Mayor Ulises Cabrera said. “Receiving such a high honor from CALED is a testament to our local workforce development efforts and constitutes a very meaningful acknowledgment for the Elevate MoVal Program."
Elevate MoVal is comprised of five initiatives:
- College Promise: facilitates high school-to-college transitions by providing gap funding to offset first-year college expenses, access to counselors, and student support services, ensuring retention and success for vulnerable first-generation college students;
- MoVaLEARNS: Provides universal basic student income to help second year Moreno Valley College students overcome the earn vs. learn dilemma, resulting in higher course success and persistence rates;
- Career Day Academy: Interactive virtual sessions four times a year, providing local high school and college students with insights into the city’s major employers and various career pathways;
- Apprenticeships: Provides hands-on experience within local government and regional industries through the employment of apprentices and by hosting the annual Apprenticeship Expo in conjunction with Moreno Valley College that engages over 700 high school students from across the Inland Empire;
- College Corps: Part of the CaliforniaForAll State Volunteer Corps program, where the city employs fellows from Moreno Valley College. Students in the program do volunteer work through community work/engagement with residents in climate action and K-12 education support. Students who successful complete the program receives $10,000 from the state.
CALED is the premier statewide professional economic development organization dedicated to advancing its members’ ability to achieve excellence in delivering economic development services to their communities and business clients at the local level across California.
The CALED Award of Excellence for Collaborations/Partnerships honors development Projects between various partners that exemplify the spirit of collaboration in economic development in 2023. Examples include cross-jurisdictional programs with regional benefits, initiatives between nonprofits and the public sector to further economic development, and successful economic development collaborations involving multiple departments within a jurisdiction. Visit caled.org for more info on CALED and its awards.