Getting some press....

Sol Summer Nights makes CityBeat's to-do list..

The kids are alright

Ray at Night in North Park, Kettner Nights in Little Italy—seems like every ’hood’s starting up a night. But Sol Summer Nights, happening at Colina del Sol park in City Heights (54th and Orange streets, just off University Avenue) is something different. It’s a big celebration where hard-working community organizations will show off the products of their efforts. And we’re not talking strictly feel-good stuff—some of it’s pretty cutting-edge. Take Heads on Fire: Fab Lab’s “Fab Tag” project, for which the City Heights media-arts organization worked with a group of students from Crawford High School to create a virtual graffiti-art program that allows people to “tag” their surroundings using a laser-light stylus. We’re also looking forward to checking out the work of Media Arts Center San Diego’s Teen Producers Project in a showcase of documentaries by young filmmakers about issues affecting their communities. There’ll also be free food, dance performances and more. It all happens from 4 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, June 13.

Sol Summer Nights at Colina del Sol Park

Join neighbors and friends at Sol Summer Nights on Saturday June 13, 4-9:30pm at the Colina del Sol park. The evening is filled with community-produced entertainment - dance performances, teen documentaries, public art displays, and interactive light-art. Free food too!

Early Action Projects

What are early action projects???

They are quick wins - projects that respond to the community planning process and can be achieved in less than six months. They aren't the final product, but they are an important first step toward getting there.

The community panel recently selected the following four projects for early action grant funding!

Colina Park World Cup: Imagine 80 Colina Park elementary school students learning the fundamentals of soccer by Colina Park teenagers. That's what's happening at Ibarra Elementary on weekday afternoons. Saturday's are game day!

Smart Start Fitness: Who thinks Martial Arts is about fighting? Not in Colina Park. Unity Tech Fitness is working with more than 50 Colina Park youth to teach fitness, nutrition, discipline and RESPECT through martial arts.

Light@Night: Can graffiti be a good thing? It can be if it is drawn with light. Light@Night is teaching Colina Park teens how to create light-based art that will be on display at events in Colina Park.

Crawford 3-D: This one's too complicated to describe. But Crawford High School students are developing science, technology, math and engineering skills as they design and FABRICATE 3-D models at the City Heights Fab Lab. Since we didn't do a good job at explaining this one, we included a picture. See, it's for real.

Neighborhoods First Documentary Screened at Latino Film Festival

In March, the Neighborhoods First documentary was featured at the San Diego Latino Film Festival! The 10-minute documentary, produced by youth from Colina Park and Logan Heights, was screened as part of the Youth Visions program at the Hazard Center theater in Mission Valley.

Stay tuned for a community screening later this year. Also, keep an eye out for the next teen-produced Neighborhoods First documentary focusing on housing issues in our communities! Thank you to Media Arts Center of San Diego for their support of Neighborhoods First.

In the meantime, check out the video here:

Neighborhoods First Partner Featured in Voice of San Diego!

Read this feature story on Colina Park's Eugene Johnson, founder of Unity Tech, in today's Voice of San Diego. And check out the photo collage below!

Planting Roots in Colina Park

Planting roots in Colina Park will soon have literal meaning. While residents have been talking about making Colina Park a place to put down roots through new housing and improved quality of life, the International Rescue Committee has been working to bring the New Roots Community Farm to the neighborhood. They moved one step closer earlier this month - the project was heard and approved at a Land Use Hearing at City Hall. The New Roots Community Farm will be located on more than two acres of land (see picture) just outside the Colina Park neighborhood, providing opportunities for community members to grow healthy and culturally-appropriate foods on 85 plots ranging from 225 to 600 square feet.

Through our Neighborhoods First discussions over the past few months, we have come to appreciate the potential of community gardens to do more than provide healthy food for our community - we also see the opportunities to honor culture, bridge differences, and build community.

Union Tribune Recognizes Colina Park Neighbors

Others are beginning to recognize the power of what is happening in Colina Park. Check out this article from the Union Tribune.

Sidney Michael, Colina Park resident, summed it up well:

“Once you get everybody working together, you can keep the trouble out,” Michael said. “Once everybody's committed, that's when the strength comes in.”

What do you think?