Who?
SoMoCoCAT is dependent on relationships and community support to succeed. Partners and collaborators include local leaders, non-profit and community organizations, businesses and schools, and individuals.
South County arts advocates and community leaders, Carla Grace Baldassari, Kira Carrillo Corser, Megan Heath, and Jacob Ruelas formed the first task force that made SoMoCoCAT possible.
What?
We’re a social enterprise and collaborative workforce investment initiative of the Monterey County Business Council's Creative Technology Competitive Clusters (C2).
Why?
South Monterey County is an agricultural region where the population is over 85% Latino. For many in South County, there are few education and employment options. A so-called 'digital divide,' lack of transportation, and limited English skills make it difficult for some residents to attend training programs that are located just 30 miles away. Therefore SoMoCoCAT brings digital media training with an emphasis on career development, directly to these communities at no cost to the students.
When?
SoMoCoCAT was created in 2008, inspired by a local community media project that explored the socioeconomic division between the rural Salinas Valley and the rest of Monterey County that is sometimes referred to as the 'lettuce curtain.’