WHAT: Mountain View High School’s VISTA student podcast team will host a live event with two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and nationally syndicated cartoonist, Lalo Alcaraz to discuss his new animated short, “Taking a Healthy Ride on the Green Side.” The project focuses on how choosing green transportation options to get to school can improve community health and was produced for the El Monte Union High School District’s (EMUHSD) Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot Project with funding from the California Air Resources Board. It features the voices of EMUHSD students and administrators, which Alcaraz recorded in Mountain View High School’s podcast studio. Alcaraz will discuss the project as well as his work as an artist and illustrator, giving students valuable insight into careers in the creative industries.

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m. – noon

WHERE: Mountain View High School

Bobby Salcedo Student Union Cafetorium
2900 Parkway Dr., El Monte, CA 91732

DETAILS: In 2020, El Monte Union was awarded a $9.8 million grant by the California Air Resources Board to fund a menu of Clean Mobility measures that promote the use of zero-emission vehicles and clean transportation options for students, parents and staff, with the added benefit of a pilot career technical education curriculum that aims to engage students in clean energy career pathways.

“Taking a Healthy Ride on the Green Side” is a 90-second animation with companion 30-second PSAs in English and Spanish that focuses on green mobility options and benefits and was produced to spread clean mobility education to the community. It is available on the El Monte Union High School District’s Clean Mobility website, as well as their social media channels. The PSAs are being offered for broadcast statewide, amplifying the clean mobility message to communities across the state.

The Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot Project transformed mobility for EMUHSD by adding 11 new zero-emission buses to the fleet, 11 all-electric utility maintenance carts and four electric ride-share vehicles, allowing the District to serve more students and plan for more holistic, active transportation to ensure safety and improve congestion.