Donation drive
The 14th annual Movers for Moms event began March 30 and runs through May 3, collecting donations in support of Father Joe’s Villages. The campaign aims to benefit those experiencing homelessness and poverty by collecting 10,000 items. The group is looking for items including toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, shaving razors, diapers, baby wipes and socks.
Donations can be dropped off at the following locations: Barre 3 North Park; Barre 3 Mission Hills; Yoga Six Scripps Ranch; San Elijo Cyclebar; Club Pilates Oceanside; Yoga Six North Carlsbad; She Fit PT; and Body Bar La Jolla UTC.
Artist recognized again
After finishing third the previous month, Jane Mitchell of Carlsbad won the second place award in the San Diego Watercolor Society Member’s exhibition called “Paradise on Earth.” Mitchell’s piece “Storm Horizon” was among 287 entries.
“This painting has such a big sky effect that you are swallowed up into the landscape, with its soft colors,” said Susan Keith, the artist who made the selection. “The cool colors against the warm colors work together so well. I love the abstract effect that she has gotten with the brush strokes, and the layering of color.”
Educator and author
Stuart Grauer, founder and head of school emeritus of the Grauer School, held a launch party at the school for his new book “The Way to Pancho’s Kitchen: A Trail Guide for Small School Leaders.”
“Seven years in the making, this book grew out of an epic journey of reflection, writing and conversation with educators around the world,” said Grauer.
House art party
The Junior League of San Diego’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Council hosted its second annual “Artists in the House” event showcasing works of art centered on themes of DEIB, community and social impact.
“It felt like stepping into a tapestry of voices and experiences, where through art we weren’t just exhibiting—we were witnessing one another,” said Suchita Rathi Jhawar of Encinitas about having art featured in the event. “The event reminded me how creativity can hold space for diversity, spark dialogue, and connect people in ways words alone cannot.
“Contributing my own artwork while being part of such a supportive, vibrant community was an honor, and it reinforced the power of art to bring joy, meaning, and connection to everyday life.”
Donald Darling of Oceanside said, “Through my photography, I hope that viewers leave with a sense of hope, an appreciation for diversity, and an overall feeling of positivity.”
University recognized
Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences received high marks in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report. It tied for first with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Biological Sciences and ranked seventh in a tie with Northwestern University in Chemistry. Skaggs ranked ninth in 2022, the most recent time the rankings were published.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to see the work of our students and distinguished faculty recognized in these rankings,” said Keary Engle, the John and Susan Diekman Dean of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and a professor of Chemistry at Scripps Research. “We train our students to be independent scientists who think critically, question the status quo and fearlessly tackle some of the most important and intractable problems facing human health and society today.”
Disney hosts student
Kiana Lee, an 11th grader at Westview High School, was selected to attend the 2026 Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort. She was among 100 students selected from thousands nationwide who applied. Lee said that she was recognized for her “interest in engineering and accessibility for disabled communities, something that is especially meaningful to me as a Deaf/Hard of Hearing student, as well as my commitment to my community.”
At the Dreamers Academy, she connected with Dolby Laboratories where she has been selected for an internship. “This next step will allow me to further explore my passion for engineering and accessibility in a real-world setting,” Lee said.
Local student volunteers
Specialized Transition Adult Resources Training, START, students from Escondido Union High School District, under the leadership of teacher Courtney Coffin, volunteer weekly at the Escondido location of Feeding San Diego.
It was one of several such teams throughout the county that sorted and bagged 2,964 pounds of apples for distribution to people and families in need. The group combats regional food insecurity.
Surfing exhibit
The California Surf Museum in Oceanside has opened a new exhibit called “Surfriding: Hawaiian Royalty’s Gift to the World” chronologicaling the origins. Waveriding was developed over 600 years before European contact.
Three Hawaiian Princes attending St. Matthews Hall military school in San Mateo fashioned surfboards from redwood trees and became the first to surf in California along the waves of Santa Cruz. Other key names to the development of surfing featured in the exhibit include Princess Ka’iulani and Duke Kahanamoku.
