Initiatives
Campus to Commerce Speaker Series
Campus to Commerce is a new Black Business Lunch & Learn series connecting Umoja students with inspiring Black entrepreneurs from the Riverside community to build professional connections through collaboration between Umoja, BFSA, and RCCD Distance Education.
Fabrice Alce
NOV 20, 2025
12:50 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.
Umoja Space @ RCC
Fabrice Alce graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, with a degree in Economics and Business. He began his career in hospitality in 2009, helping his parents open their first Caribbean restaurant before spending time in New York working in finance. That early experience reaffirmed his true passion for hospitality, where he has now spent the past 15 years building and leading restaurant brands.
He helped launch Dad's Creole Grill, a fast-casual concept at the Riverside Food Lab and is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of The Beignet Spot, a growing dessert franchise bringing the joy of made-to-order beignets to communities across California and beyond.
Fabrice lives in Riverside, California, with his wife and son, Miles. Outside of work, he enjoys working out, chess, reading, and cooking.
Troy & Truly Adams, Professional Drivers
DEC 4, 2025
12:50 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.
Umoja Space @ RCC
Campus to Commerce is a new Black Business Lunch & Learn series connecting Umoja students
with inspiring Black entrepreneurs from the Riverside community to build professional
connections through collaboration between Umoja, BFSA, and RCCD Distance Education.
Truly Adams is a 15-year-old rising star in motorsports from Riverside, California.
He began his racing journey in go-karts at the very young age of four. Truly has won
World Championships in karting and has since advanced to open-wheel racing, notably
becoming the first American to reach the podium in the Finals of France's elite FEED
Racing program. He is aiming for a professional Formula 1 career, building on his
foundation at the family-owned Adams Motorsports Park and under the mentorship of
his father, former NASCAR driver and coach, Troy Adams.
Troy Adams is a former NASCAR driver and the owner of Adams Motorsports Park (AMP), a historic racing facility established by his family in 1960. AMP was the first African-American owned racing facility in California. Troy is widely known as a world-renowned driver development coach, training racers from beginners to professionals.
They have starred together in the Discovery+ series, Baby Drivers. The Adams family represent generations of Black excellence, ownership, and leadership in a historically exclusive sport.
DEC 4, 2025
12:50 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.
Umoja Space @ RCC
Fall 2025 Welcome Events for Online Students
Welcome Day - August 30, 2025
Kick off the new school year with us at Back to the Grind – Student Parents Edition! This event is designed especially for student parents, offering a welcoming space to connect, enjoy refreshments, and learn about resources to help you thrive this semester.
📅 Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Location: Back to the Grind Coffee Shop, Downtown Riverside
Why Attend?
- Free coffee & light snacks
- Meet other student parents from across RCCD
- Learn about Basic Needs resources, childcare support, and family-friendly campus services
- Fun activities for kids while you connect and recharge
- Prize drawings for attendees
Whether you’re juggling classes, work, and parenting—or just looking for ways to make this semester smoother—this event is for you.
EV Test Drives - September 27, 2025
To Moreno Valley online students and the general public, here’s your chance to come to campus, plug in your electric car, and plug into valuable campus resources – all in one fun event!
Join us for Moreno Valley Plugged-In at the iMAKE Innovation Center on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Here’s what’s waiting for you:
- 🚗 Plug in your EV at our new charging stations and learn about rebates, maintenance, and cost savings
- 🛠️ Explore the iMAKE Center – hands-on EV technology demos, charging station models, and 3D-printed car parts
- 🥕 Basic Needs Pop-Up Pantry – FREE pantry items for RCCD students, plus info on food, housing, and financial resources
- 🎶 Enjoy the vibe – music, food, and friendly faces ready to welcome you to campus
- 🧒🏽 STEM Fun – “Build Your Own Electric Car” kits and coding activities for you or the kids you bring along
This is your perfect excuse to step on campus, see the innovative iMAKE space, and connect with people and programs that support your success.
📅 Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
On-Going
Soulful Circle is a supportive online community dedicated to fostering the mental well-being and academic success of African American women of the Riverside Community College District. We strive to create a safe, empowering space where members can share experiences, access mental health and other resources, and build meaningful connections. Through mentorship, peer support, and culturally relevant discussions, we aim to uplift one another as we navigate the challenges of higher education and personal growth, with a focus on resilience, self-care, and academic achievement.
Cosmetology and Dental services free for online students
The event is part of a growing effort within the Riverside Community College District to expand services and outreach to distance education students. By partnering with local businesses and nonprofits, RCCD continues to break down barriers and bring essential resources directly to the students who need them most.
The Say My Name program aims to foster a sense of belonging and respect within the educational community by ensuring the correct recognition and pronunciation of every student's name. By leveraging technology to support this goal, the initiative emphasizes the critical role that software can play in enhancing educators' cultural competence and promoting inclusivity in the classroom.
Technology Solution:
Integration of Name Coach, a name-recording feature within the educational institution's Canvas LMS. This feature allows students to record their names as they wish them to be pronounced and attach these recordings to their profiles and email signatures.
Campaign Launch:
Officially introduce the campaign through a kickoff event during Fall Flex, highlighting
the importance of cultural competency and the role of correct name pronunciation in
fostering an inclusive learning community.
References:
- Why Getting Someone's Name Right Matters [Harvard Business Review]
- Getting it right; why pronouincing names correctly matters [TEDx]
- Why do names and how they're prononuced matter? [BBC]
- How Names Shape Our Identity [The Week]
The Board of Trustees of Riverside Community College District has presented this Strategic
Plan in Objective 3.1:
Strategic Goal 3: Equity
The district will work with community, workforce, and education partners to reduce and eliminate equity gaps.
- Objective 3.1: Decrease equity gaps by 40% in 5 years and eliminate within 10 years.
- Objective 3.2: Increase RCCD’s workforce diversity to better reflect communities served.
Our mission is to unite all community college campuses within Region 9 to create a collaborative environment for sharing expertise, cultivating innovative ideas, and advancing the quality of online education. By leveraging collective knowledge and resources, we aim to empower our diverse student body with accessible, inclusive, high-quality online learning experiences. Through this collaborative effort, we aspire to shape a visionary 2030 landscape that meets the evolving needs of our online students, equipping them for success in an increasingly digital world.
Previous Initiatives
Join RCCD DE at these events in honor of African American Success Week. This state-wide,
weeklong celebration offers a vibrant mix of career exploration and educational pathways.
RCCD’s Distance Education Team will spotlight opportunities for our online students
in the rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) industry and the graphic artist careers,
bridging creative and STEM opportunities for our students. By blending digital and on-campus experiences, RCCD creates a more inclusive and connected
environment. This blended approach enriches learning and fosters a strong sense of
belonging, purpose, and identity for online students—regardless of their location.
Ultimately, it strengthens student ties to campus-driven equity efforts and highlights
RCCD’s commitment to being a supportive, inclusive, and forward-thinking Institution. The DE Team is excited to offer these opportunities to RCCD’s online students. We
hope you and your students will join us for these African American Success Week events.
Use the links provided above to get started. The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office will again be hosting a Black
Student Success Week in April. The focus will be on “building a better future together.” All Flyers for Black Student Success Week [PDF] Flyers preview: The Black Child Book Fair took place at Riverside City College Campus on February
24, 2024. RCC's Campus News documents the event in their article entitled Beyond Screens: Empowering RCCD’s Online Student Engagement through Literature at
the Black Child Book Fair. The Riverside Community College District (RCCD) Distance Education department organized
and hosted the Black Child Book Fair on Saturday, February 24th, at the Bradshaw Building
on the Riverside City College campus. This event was uniquely crafted to bridge the
gap between the virtual student population and campus engagement, offering RCCD students
enrolled in online courses a rare opportunity to interact with the campus community
alongside their families. From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, over 100 individuals, representing
diverse socio-cultural backgrounds, converged to celebrate African-American-focused
literary resources and community engagement. The ASCCC OERI had a back-to-the-basics OER series in February. Faculty attended the
following topics:
Black Student Success Week
Established by Darryl Harvey, the Black Child Book Fair serves as a guiding light
of advocacy, committed to enhancing the educational, emotional, developmental, and
social landscape for youth from diverse backgrounds. The fair boasted an array of
sixteen vendors, ranging from local bookstores like Cellar Door and Book Off to entities
such as the RCC Student Parent Club and The Allen Chapel AME Church of Riverside.
Notable independent authors such as Jennifer Ricketts, Edward Rice, Iman Hubbard,
and Vantavia were among the participants. Additionally, other notable vendors included
the Center for Social Justice, Scholastics, and the Riverside Public Library.
Attendees were offered many engaging activities and meaningful interactions with vendors
and community leaders. UMOJA volunteers curated family-friendly activities, fostering
an inclusive atmosphere. The contributions of the Student Parent Club, providing gently
used clothing, and JCSM Non-profit, distributing free books to children, showed the
event's commitment to nurturing environments.
Additionally, over 100 complimentary spaghetti dinners were funded by the church food
disparity grant, thanks to Allen Chapel AME Church of Riverside. Mama T’s Food for
the Soul was also present catering soul food. These contributions enhanced the familial
ambiance and ensured attendees departed with full hearts and stomachs.
Shawna Bú Shell, RCCD's Dean of Educational Services and Distance Education, reflected
on the event's impact, stating, "As we embark on fostering community engagement at
RCCD, the heartening presence of families at this academic event not only captivated
but also energized our online students, signaling the commencement of an exciting
series of interactive experiences for students in the future."
The overwhelming success of the Black Child Book Fair has inspired plans for future
events, with a commitment to offering even more opportunities for online students
to engage with the campus community. RCCD's Distance Education department remains
dedicated to ensuring that all students, regardless of their mode of learning, have
access to enriching experiences that foster a sense of belonging and support within
the RCCD community.