About Us

Vision

Central Coast California will provide a new model for supporting identity development of African heritage youth.

Mission

Second Saturday Education and Culture Network (dba Second Saturday Network) provides a community based program of educational resources aimed at promoting African cultural awareness and informed appreciation of the Black heritage experience.

Overview

We began as a grassroots community initiative, and our events and activities are primarily intended to provide identity enrichment for families of Black and African heritage youth. Our organization also seeks to improve and enrich intergroup relations by enlisting local community involvement in projects that promote global learning. We are a duly registered California nonprofit and have been officially recognized by the IRS as a tax exempt public charity since 2002. Federal Tax ID: #77-0551387

Program Highlights

Second Saturday Network continues the work of Second Saturday School, which began in 1993, when local community members first offered monthly learning and activity sessions for children at Louden Nelson Center in downtown Santa Cruz. Our program outreach now includes a racially diverse group of concerned educators, youth workers and community leaders as well as over three hundred households where Black and African heritage children have grown up or are currently being raised. Since 2006 we have been providing young people in both Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara County with valuable opportunities to expand their cultural competencies. Our educational youth retreats and travel experiences are designed primarily for high school and community college students. Our Community Service Internship Program prepares college students and recent college graduates to work more effectively with African heritage youth and their families.

Board Members 2010-2011

Barbara Berman, PhD
Nubra Elaine Floyd, PhD
Maureen Littlejohn
Madlyn Norman-Terrance
Kristine O’neil
Valerie Victoria Shepherd

Board Advisory Group

James Craft
Tony Hill
Kenneth Lyons
George Ow, Jr.
Michael Podorson
Robert Terrance