Coachella Unincorporated

Coachella Unincorporated is a Youth Media Startup in the East Coachella Valley, funded by the Building Healthy Communities Initiative of The California Endowment and operated by New America Media in San Francisco. The purpose of the project is to report on issues in the community that can bring about change. Coachella Unincorporated refers to the region youth journalists cover but also to the unincorporated communities of the Eastern Valley with the idea to “incorporate” the East Valley into the mainstream Coachella Valley mindset.

Posts by Coachella Unincorporated:

California’s Prop 1 Gives East Valley Families Hope for Clean Water

Nov. 6, 2014 / By
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For years, lack of access to clean and reliable drinking water -- high levels of arsenic have been measured in the groundwater here -- has been a critical issue for families living in the east valley’s mobile home parks, including those located in the towns of Thermal, Oasis and Mecca, known collectively as Polanco Parks.

Undocumented, Uninsured And In Debt For Life

May. 16, 2014 / By
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Editor’s Note:  California Senator Ricardo Lara’s (D- Huntington Park/Long Beach) Health For all Bill (SB 1005) – it would make all Californians, regardless of immigration status, eligible to purchase insurance – advanced out of the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday, April 30, and will go to the Senate Appropriations Committee before being moved for a vote. ..

Coachella Valley Filmmaker Christian Sesma is “Living the Dream”

Mar. 20, 2014 / By
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JOHNNY FLORES JR/Coachella Uninc

COACHELLA — When Christian Sesma graduated from San Diego State University in 2003, he had no idea where his bachelor of arts degree in anthropology would take him...

Why Won’t My Friend Leave her Abusive Boyfriend?

Mar. 17, 2014 / By
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KARLA MARTINEZ/Coachella Uninc

When I spotted a bruise on my friend “Anna,” I didn’t need to ask her how it got there...

Esperanza Centers Offers Free After School Fun and Learning

Mar. 10, 2014 / By
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KARLA MARTINEZ/Coachella Uninc

COACHELLA — Tutoring, making new friends, and helping the environment are just a few of the reasons that students come to Esperanza Youth and Family Center (EYFC) every day after school...

Assemblymember Perez Joins Student Effort to Save Red Legged Frog

Mar. 2, 2014 / By
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IVAN VALENZUELA/Coachella Uninc

SALTON CITY, Calif. – Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez has joined the Sea View Elementary School student effort to save the California red-legged frog with the introduction of Assembly Bill 2364, which would establish this endangered frog as the official state amphibian...

Youth Commentary: Gay Athlete a Role Model for Truth

Feb. 22, 2014 / By
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JOHNNY FLORES/Coachella Uninc

COLUMBIA, Mo. — He’s 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, and an All-American football player who recently graduated from the University of Missouri...

Commentary: Why Does Diversity Spur Hate in a Diverse Nation?

Feb. 18, 2014 / By
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Editor’s Note: Coachella Unincorporated is not supporting Coca Cola products, simply expressing one point of view regarding the content of its recent television commercial...

A “Path to Health” for Uninsured ECV Residents

Jan. 31, 2014 / By
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Ivan Valenzuela/COACHELLA UNINC

 

INDIO — The Coachella Valley is eclectic in its array of residents and lifestyles...

CVHS Cheer Team Needs Community Support for Pro Bowl Travel

Jan. 23, 2014 / By
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ALEJANDRA ALARCON/Coachella Uninc

 

THERMAL — The Coachella Valley High School (CVHS) cheer team is set to perform at the 2014 Pro Bowl this weekend, but they still need community support to pay for travel to Hawaii, where the National Football League holds its all-star game every year...

Youth Mobilize for Day of Action in Coachella

Jan. 15, 2014 / By
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AURORA SALDIVAR and BRENDA R. RINCON/Coachella Uninc

COACHELLA – Three years ago Jose Rodriguez was more likely to be found vandalizing neighborhoods rather than cleaning one up...

School-Issued iPads: Distraction or Study Aid?

Jan. 12, 2014 / By
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The 2013-14 school year marked the start of Coachella Valley Unified School District’s 1:1 Mobile Learning iPad Initiative, which will eventually provide every student with an iPad and faculty members with an iPad and a MacBook Air laptop...