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Students Gear Up for Second Year of Aspen Challenge: San Diego The Aspen Challenge returns to San Diego in February, empowering 15 student-led teams from public high schools to drive change in their communities and beyond. The Aspen Challenge, a program of the Aspen Institute and founded with the Bezos Family Foundation, is thrilled to announce the return of Aspen Challenge: San Diego for its second year. Partnering with San Diego Unified School District, the program empowers students from high schools across the city to address critical community issues through youth-led initiatives.On Tuesday, February 4 at Building 177, 15 student-led teams and educators will hear from “Expert Challengers,” leaders and innovators presenting challenges on key topics such as providing resources for the unhoused community of San Diego, combatting discrimination against LGBTQ+ population, ocean pollution, the way overuse of technology can negatively affect mental health and substance abuse. "We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Aspen Challenge, an incredible opportunity to elevate student voice, foster leadership, and inspire civic mindedness among our young people,” said Dr. Fabi Bagula, Interim Superintendent for the San Diego Unified School District. “This initiative empowers our students to tackle real-world challenges with creativity and innovation, reminding us all that the future lies in their capable hands. Together, we are building a generation of leaders ready to shape a better world. May the youth lead the way!"After the February forum, teams will have nine weeks to create and implement innovative solutions within their communities. They will reconvene on April 15 to present their projects at the Aspen Challenge Solution Showcase. A panel of judges will then select the Grand Prize winning team, who will travel to Aspen, Colorado in June to present their work at the Aspen Ideas Festival.“It’s wonderful to be back to San Diego for the Aspen Challenge,” said Katie Fitzgerald, Managing Director of the Aspen Challenge. "I hope the country watches as the youth of San Diego once again solve some real issues we see in all communities across the country. There will be 15 mini revolutions led by teams of high school students in San Diego that will transform their community and we can't wait to witness it."Expert Challengers and speakers include Jerry Troyer, Urban Street Angels; Aaron Ngan, The San Diego LGBT Community Center; Alex Ferron, Surfrider Foundation; Eisha Buch, Common Sense Media; Courtney Esparza, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Participating Schools:Canyon Hills High SchoolClairemont High SchoolCrawford High SchoolPatrick Henry High SchoolLogan Memorial Educational CampusMira Mesa High SchoolMission Bay High SchoolMt. Everest AcademyPoint Loma High SchoolSan Diego High SchoolSan Diego Metropolitan Regional and Technical High SchoolSan Diego SOAR Academy- Youth Transition CampusScripps Ranch High SchoolUniversity City High SchoolThe inaugural Aspen Challenge launched in collaboration with Los Angeles Unified School District in 2013. Since its inception, the Challenge has expanded to include partnerships with school districts in Denver, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Louisville, Miami, New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Boston.For more information on Aspen Challenge: San Diego or to attend as a covering member of the media, please contact: ben.berliner@aspeninstitute.org.The Aspen Challenge provides inspiration, tools, and a platform for young people to design solutions to some of the most critical problems humanity faces. For more information on Aspen Challenge, please visit www.aspenchallenge.org.The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.San Diego Unified School District is the second largest school district in California, with 175 schools, 95,011 students UTK-12, and over 17,000 employees. While the school district is largely influenced by its close proximity to the US-Mexico border, over 75 languages are spoken in schools situated in diverse suburban and urban communities. The district has a core focus on equity and belonging so all students and staff in San Diego Unified may thrive in school and beyond.The Bezos Family Foundation envisions a world in which all young people reach their full potential and meaningfully contribute to society. The Foundation pursues that vision by making grants and by operating their own programs, with the aim of fueling the science of learning and enabling its application in a variety of settings. The Foundation’s mission is to invest in the science of learning and the experiences that youth need from birth to high school to pursue their own path for success. For more information, visit www.bezosfamilyfoundation.org.

One of the largest tourism conferences in Latin America opened with great fanfare on both sides of the border.

Join us for a captivating evening with the Pacific Trio, featuring three distinguished masters of traditional Chinese instruments and repertoire—David Liu on zheng (a plucked zither), Celia Liu on pipa (a plucked lute), and Qi-Chao Liu on dizi (a bamboo transverse flute). Together, they bring the rich soundscape of traditional Chinese music to life, blending classical techniques and repertoire with their own unique artistry. From the delicate tones of the zheng to the vibrant melodies of the pipa and the expressive voice of the dizi, the Trio’s performance will provide a glimpse of the beauty and depth of the Chinese musical heritage.Stay after the concert for a Q&A with the artists and explore their musical journeys, instruments, and inspirations up close.About the artists:The Pacific Trio is composed of three Los Angeles-based artists, all among the finest Chinese musicians of their generation living in the United States.David Chu-Yao Liu (zheng) studied under famous zheng masters and graduated from the Taiwan National Academy of the Arts. He has performed all over the world and in 1989 founded the Zheng Hsin Chinese Zither Orchestra of Los Angeles.Celia Liu graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in China and worked at the National Orchestra in Beijing. She won the award for “Most Excellent Performance” at the Art Cup international competition. She was invited to perform with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded over a hundred soundtracks for movies and TV series with Warner Brothers Nickelodeon “Kung Fu Panda”.Qi-Chao Liu (dizi), musicologist, educator, and bandleader, is an accomplished performer on a wide variety of Chinese instruments. He graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Traditional and Western Music and, in 1997, was invited to attend the Asian Pacific Performance Exchange Fellowship Program through UCLA.Visit: Sounds of Dynasties: Living Traditions of China

For AAPI Heritage Month, San Diego’s Pac Arts Movement and MTS are unveiling a new Pronto card and bus wrap by local artist Koy Sun, celebrating the rich culture and community found in the city’s Asian grocery stores.

Jorge Lopez was among 15 men arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents during a workplace raid on March 27 at San Diego Powder and Protective Coatings.

Julianna Zachariou is making music in a world where streams pay pennies, forcing independent artists to get creative just to stay in the game. From crowdfunding to pushing for new legislation, she's fighting for change in the industry.

Writers Jennifer Crittenden and Gabrielle Allan discuss the world premiere musical at The Old Globe, which tackles women's issues through humor and a 19th-century England setting.

About 'Weekend Edition Saturday'

Saturday mornings are made for Weekend Edition Saturday, the program wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.

Drawing on his experience in covering 10 wars and stories in all 50 states and seven continents, Simon brings a humorous, sophisticated and often moving perspective to each show. He is as comfortable having a conversation with a major world leader as he is talking with a Hollywood celebrity or the guy next door.

Weekend Edition Saturday has a unique and entertaining roster of other regular contributors. Marin Alsop, conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, talks about music. Daniel Pinkwater, one of the biggest names in children's literature, talks about and reads stories with Simon. Financial journalist Joe Nocera follows the economy. Howard Bryant of EPSN.com and NPR's Tom Goldman chime in on sports. Keith Devlin, of Stanford University, unravels the mystery of math, and Will Grozier, a London cabbie, talks about good books that have just been released, and what well-read people leave in the back of his taxi. Simon contributes his own award-winning essays, which are sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant.

The Trees For Health garden in Balboa Park introduces San Diegans to the medicinal uses of plants growing all around them.

The 2025 Oscars start at 7 p.m. EST, 4 p.m. PST Sunday on ABC and Hulu. Conan O'Brien is hosting the show.