The Program will Bring Together Seven of the Region’s Premier Leaders to Honor Don Shalvey’s Commitment to Cross Sector Collaboration in Education San Joaquin A+ is proud to announce the launch of the Better Together Initiative (BTI) - a new, transformative leadership program honoring Don Shalvey’s legacy of collaboration. BTI will bring together senior leaders from education, business, government, and nonprofits to strengthen youth outcomes and drive regional economic vitality across San Joaquin County. University of the Pacific will partner to launch the program by hosting all sessions at their business school campus. “On behalf of San Joaquin A+ and the entire Better Together Initiative team, I am thrilled to welcome this group of leaders to our inaugural BTI cohort,” shared Kai Kung, CEO of San Joaquin A+. “We launched this initiative because we believe that the most significant challenges facing our region—from educational gaps to economic disparities—cannot be solved in silos. We are bringing together this group of leaders to foster the trust-based, cross-sector relationships necessary to drive systemic change for our youth and the long-term vitality of San Joaquin County.” In its first year, eight leaders will come together through five in-person sessions where participants will deepen their relationships, learn from national and local experts, and co-create solutions that expand career-connected learning opportunities for young people in our region. Costs for participants will [...]

San Joaquin A+ and Improve Your Tomorrow Partner with LAIC to Provide Hands-On Enrichment Trip as part of Career Connected Learning Program  Stockton, CA — Tuesday, October 7— San Joaquin A+ (SJA+), in partnership with Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) and the Lodi Appellation Inclusion Collective (LAIC), is proud to announce an upcoming two-day Enrichment Trip designed to introduce Stockton high school students to the diverse career opportunities within the Lodi wine and agriculture industry. Taking place October 8–9, 2025, the Wine Industry Career Opportunities Experience will give students from Stockton’s local IYT schools hands-on exposure to the science, innovation, and career pathways behind one of the region’s most influential industries. The experience is part of San Joaquin A+’s year-round programming that connects students with real-world learning opportunities to prepare them for summer internships and future careers. This Enrichment Trip is one of several experiences that SJA+ integrates into its Career Connected Learning model. Just as other students may attend site visits, resume workshops, and trainings, IYT students will leave with skills and insights to better prepare them for SJA+ summer internships and future professional opportunities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kR1jPk3Oso “Our goal is to open doors for students and expose them to opportunities, showing them the wide range of careers available in industries they may never have considered,” said Tony Gladney, Senior Director of Partnerships, SJA+.  “With partners [...]

Lodi Unified School District (Bear Creek and Lincoln Technical Academy), and Denair High School will each receive $100,000 grants to Integrate Career Connected Learning into their School Curriculums [Stockton, CA] - On Thursday, June 5th, San Joaquin A+ presented $200,000 to three local school districts to create a Career Connected Learning (CCL) Integrated Program of Study at their high schools. The grants were first announced at a workshop of schools involved at the Tri-County Learning Collaborative, and then both winning schools were recognised at the Stockton Ports Games on Thursday and Friday evenings. Lodi Unified School District (Bear Creek High School and Lincoln Technical Academy) and Denair Unified School District (Denair High School) will each receive $100,000 grants to develop a Career Connected Learning program that blends hands-on career exploration with everyday classroom learning. “We really appreciate all the schools who applied to this opportunity, and are excited to get to work with those selected to make this grant a reality for students,” shared Kai Kung, CEO of San Joaquin A+. “At San Joaquin A+, we are focused on ensuring students can do what they love and earn what they need after they leave our public schools in the San Joaquin Valley. We hope to work with these schools to do just that in the coming years.” Career-Connected Learning (CCL) is a framework for a [...]