CommUniverCity San Jose is an event co-organizer.
Media contact: Pat Harris, 408-924-1748
SAN JOSE, Calif.— More than 400 neighborhood leaders and residents from across Santa Clara County with a shared interest in building healthy communities will gather Oct. 11 at the sixth annual Silicon Valley Neighborhood Development Training Conference. Held at San Jose State, the conference will sell out. Online registration ends Oct. 8. Admission is $10.
“Healthy communities start with civic engagements—and that requires both building networks and having hard conversations about the challenges facing our world,” said Manuel Pastor, keynote speaker and professor of Sociology and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. “With rapid demographic change and widening income gaps, such dialogue—and action—is more important than ever.”
Pastor’s research focuses on the economic, environmental and social conditions facing low-income urban communities in the United States. He will offer his perspective on the effects of demographic changes taking place in Silicon Valley and beyond.
This popular event is co-organized by CommUniverCity San Jose, San Jose State, Neighborhood Housing Services of Silicon Valley, United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County and the city of San Jose. The lead sponsor is Fremont Bank with other major sponsors including the San Jose Housing Department, U.S. Bank, Chase Bank and California Bank & Trust.
Through a wide range of interactive workshops led by local experts, the conference offers practical strategies and tips for creating great neighborhoods. Improving public safety, dealing with the drought, assessing the November elections, solving transportation problems, and addressing homelessness are just a few of the topics that will be covered.
Participants will be able to engage in an open conversation and networking with local government officials including San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel on how to strengthen relationships with police officers. The conference will also feature a large resource fair where participants can connect with a wide variety of local nonprofit service organizations and government agencies.
San Jose State — Silicon Valley’s largest institution of higher learning with 30,000 students and 3,740 employees — is part of the California State University system. SJSU’s 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation’s 10th largest city.