Out & About
By Jessica Laskey
April 2024
Space Calls
Girl Scouts communicate with NASA astronaut
On Feb. 22 at 10:26 a.m., a group of Girls Scouts had an out-of-this-world experience. They spoke with NASA astronaut Lt. Col. Jasmin Moghbeli aboard the International Space Station with a ham radio they made.
Each year, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program conducts 60 to 100 amateur radio contacts between students and the space station.
Girl Scouts Troop 1089 was selected as one of 11 organizations in the U.S. for this cycle. To prepare for the chat, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California partnered with River City Amateur Radio Communications Society, led by the society’s club coordinator Jen Garland.
Six educational sessions included building and using radios and telescopes. The sessions were open to all high school Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts in the Sacramento area.
“Making radio contact with an astronaut in space was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Girl Scouts Troop 1089 member Ainsley Fong says. “For the astronaut to be a woman was particularly inspiring to me as a Girl Scout, as it demonstrated that such a career path was truly possible for us.”
For information on Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, visit girlscoutshcc.org.
BLACK HONORS COLLEGE
Sacramento State will launch the country’s first Black Honors College this fall.
Students in the Black Honors College will have specialized coursework, including seminars, experiential learning opportunities, internships, and dedicated advisers and counselors.
“We are creating an institution within the institution that is specifically designed to serve the academic, co-curricular and psychological needs of Black students,” Sac State President Luke Wood says.
Sac State enrolls more Black students than any other institution in the 23-school California State University system and all but one of the University of California’s 10 schools.
Applications are open to incoming first-year students. For information, email bhc@csus.edu.
PHOTOGRAPHY MONTH
It’s time for Photography Month Sacramento. The program, led by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center on J Street, celebrates the art of photography through events across Sacramento, Placer, Nevada, Yolo and El Dorado counties.
Museums, galleries, schools, clubs and businesses create exhibits, receptions, lectures, workshops and fieldtrips to celebrate everything photography. Events are posted on the Photo Month website.
For information, visit photomonthsacramento.org.
WINNING DREAMER
The Dreamland Cinema is the winner of Downtown Sacramento Foundation’s 11th Annual Calling All Dreamers business incubator program.
The microcinema operates in a 23-seat theater in Midtown offering indie, international, arthouse and cult films. With a prize package of $20,000 in cash and in-kind services, the cinema plans to expand to a new space in Downtown Sacramento, introduce new programming and concessions, and offer a community space for film-related events.
“Winning Calling All Dreamers is a game-changer in helping to jump start the next phase of our business and set us up to thrive for many years to come,” says Lauren Hess, co-owner and general manager of The Dreamland Cinema.
Second-place winner Ecojoyous, a refillery and local artisan goods store, will receive $10,000 in cash. The three other finalists—Capital Tuk-Tuk, Nouvelle Healing and Planted Foods—are eligible to receive $5,000 if they lease a Downtown storefront by March 1, 2025.
For information, visit callingalldreamers.org and thedreamlandcinema.com.
NEW ZOO LION
A new 3-year-old lion is roaring at the Sacramento Zoo.
“The arrival of this lion not only adds to the Sacramento Zoo’s rich history with these majestic animals, it underscores the evolving role of zoos in today’s conservation landscape,” zoo CEO Jason Jacobs says.
The lion is part of the zoo’s long-term planning toward a larger, modern zoological park in Elk Grove.
The zoo’s longtime resident lion, 18-year-old female Cleo, and the young male will rotate in the exhibit habitat. For information, visit saczoo.org.
THEATER APPRENTICE
Capital Stage is accepting apprenticeship applications through April 30 for its 2024–25 season.
The professional company known for bold, thought-provoking theater seeks recent theater graduates and young theater artists for hands-on training in theatrical operations, including casting, directing, technical production and design, dramaturgy, marketing and public relations, and administration.
Apprentices take classes with Cap Stage associate artists, participate in producing the annual Apprentice Showcase, get complimentary tickets to productions and receive a $350 weekly stipend.
For information, visit capstage.org/play-a-part/apprenticeships.
ARTISTIC SWIMMING
Registration is open for youth artistic swimming programs at Clunie Pool in McKinley Park.
Formerly known as synchronized swimming, artistic swimming is a combination of dance, ballet and swimming performed to music in solos, duets and teams.
For information on 2024 Spring/Summer Youth Artistic Swimming Programs, visit sacartisticswimteam.com.
AQUATICS JOBS
The city’s Aquatics Division, part of the Department of Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment, is hiring for the summer season.
Positions include lifeguards, senior lifeguards, assistant pool managers, pool managers and cashiers at the city’s 17 aquatics facilities.
Applicants must be at least 15 years old by June 1; cashiers must be 16. Lifeguards must be American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR-AED/First Aid certified. Not certified? Apply for the job and sign up for a lifeguard certification class.
Scholarships are available. To apply, visit governmentjobs.com and search by job title and city.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
