By Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District - A 10-Year Live Well San Diego Recognized Partner 

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District recently released its annual report featuring highlights, accomplishments, and initiatives from 2023.

The district is made up of many communities, all interacting and connecting with each other. Both Cuyamaca and Grossmont colleges offer students the chance to find their own community, whether it is on a sports team, in the performing arts, or becoming a member of the many varied clubs and organizations representing a wide range of backgrounds and interests.

Economic Impact

A 2023 economic impact report found that the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District had a $1.3-billion economic impact on San Diego County, enough to support almost 13,500 jobs. The study found the district's economic impact is the equivalent of San Diego hosting the World Series 193 times. The study was conducted by Lightcast, a leading provider of economic impact and labor market data to educational institutions and workforce planners.

The study also found that for every dollar that students spend on their education, they will receive a return of $7 in higher future earnings.


Cultivating Community

Cuyamaca and Grossmont colleges opened their campuses to the community, and celebrated the diverse range of communities that make up the students and employees at the colleges. 

1. Cuyamaca College held a Celebrating Black Excellence event as one part of Black History Month in February. The event hosted by the Cuyamaca College Umoja Scholars program and the college’s Student Affairs Office featured a performance by Lyrical Groove and a step show performance by the Black fraternities Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma and the Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta. The event also included a discussion by a panel of Black entrepreneurs who spoke about their businesses and how they give back to the Black community.
   
   
2. Hundreds of students, families and community members came to Grossmont College for an open house to learn more about campus programs and resources, including tours of the forensic lab, Stagehouse Theatre, demonstrations of the ceramics lab, and more.
   
   
3. The Cuyamaca College hosted a celebration in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Open to the public, a display of Kumeyaay artifacts and animal hides was on view in the library. In front of the library, a social gathering was held including dancing, singing, and drumming, highlighting the cultures, traditions, beliefs, and customs of the Native American people. Participants were able to immerse themselves in the rich culture and contributions of the Kumeyaay and Native American culture.
   
   
4. Grossmont College’s celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month included a showcase of Arab countries in the Main Quad featuring food, music, a fashion show, and local vendors.
   
   
5. Students and employees from throughout the district participated in the parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights icon who was assassinated in 1968. It was the first time the parade had been held since the pandemic.
   
   
6. The Grossmont College Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale hosted the Concert for Kidz/Musical Petting Zoo at the Performing & Visual Arts Center, which featured an orchestra performance of children's favorites and symphony classics. The children got to touch and play the orchestra's instruments as part of the concert's "Musical Petting Zoo". Attendees were able to go on stage during the performance to feel the vibrations of the instruments, and one student was also invited to conduct the orchestra for a special performance.

This is truly only a snapshot of what makes these universities special. Read more in their Annual Report here.