Things to do in San Bernardino County – Welcome to San Bernardino County

2nd Annual Spring into Action Scavenger Hunt and Resource Fair

The Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Spring into Action Scavenger Hunt and Resource Fair. The Spring into Action event aims to unite over twenty agencies, providing resources for San Bernardino County’s families and communities. Child Support professionals will be onsite to help San Bernardino County residents open a new child support case, negotiate a license release and answer any case specific questions. Children will have the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt and win prizes.

To meet the county’s families where they are, DCSS will have the Spring into Action Scavenger Hunt and Resource Fair in two locations on different dates. Mark your calendars – Victorville on April 13, 2024, and Loma Linda on April 20, 2024 – both events are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Any event, but especially the Spring into Action event, is a way for our department to show the community that we are reinventing the way we provide services. We don’t just care about child support needs, we want to make as many resources available by connecting the community to other organizations,” said Child Support Specialist Nancy Loza.

For more information, please visit https://childsupport.sbcounty.gov/.

For more information about the event, please visit https://childsupport.sbcounty.gov/events/

Children’s Network invites fathers and father-figures to Inland Empire Fatherhood Summit

The Children’s Network, through the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC), invites you to this year’s Fatherhood Summit on Saturday, April 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ontario City Library.

The Inland Empire Fatherhood Summit is a celebration of fatherhood in efforts to highlight fatherhood awareness as proclaimed by San Bernardino County’s Board of Supervisors. The summit aims to inspire, educate and equip fathers and father-figures to be actively engaged in their children’s lives.

The Children’s Network and IEFIC will connect fathers and families to the pipeline to success by sharing resources for father engagement, and opportunity drawings and prizes.

Fathers who are engaged make a real difference in their children’s lives. Children who are raised by involved fathers are “60 percent less likely to be suspended or expelled from school, 2 times as likely to go to college and find stable employment after high school, 75 percent less likely to have a teen birth, and 80 percent less likely to spend time in jail (Child and Family Partnership, 2017).”

Fathers who are present in their children’s lives are capable caretakers of their young toddlers who support the development of their children, collaborate in their partner’s positive parenting efforts, add to the overall health and wellness of the family, and experience beneficial improvements in their own developments and life (Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, n.d.). Fathers are irreplaceable!

To register for the event, please visit https://tinyurl.com/38vnen34.

Stimulate your imagination with Second Saturdays at Victor Valley Museum

Families can enjoy on-site themed art projects every month with Second Saturdaysat the Victor Valley Museum (VVM) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2024 Second Saturdays schedule:

April 13
May 11
June 8
July 13
Aug. 10
Sept. 14
Oct. 12
Nov. 9
Dec. 14

VVM is located at 11873 Apple Valley Road in Apple Valley. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military/senior), $7 (student), and $5 (children ages 6 to 12). Children 5 and under and museum members are free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov/events.

VVM’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

San Bernardino County Library hosts Cover to Cover Club

The San Bernardino County Library is partnering with In-N-Out Burger to promote reading among children this spring. The Cover to Cover program kicked off on Saturday, March 2 and will run through Saturday, April 13. This program will encourage students to read in all communities across the county.

To participate in this program, sign up online through Beanstack at sbclib.beanstack.org. For every five books or 300 pages read, an achievement award will be unlocked on Beanstack, and a voucher for a free hamburger or cheeseburger from In-N-Out Burger will be issued at your local County Library branch. Participants must be between the ages of 4 and 12 and must be present at the time of redemption to receive a voucher. Each child may earn a total of three awards for the duration of the program.

In support of the Countywide Vision’s Vision2Read literacy campaign as well as San Bernardino County’s Opportunity Campaign, this program will help to improve literacy rates among children ages 4 to 12, with the help of incentives, by inspiring an excitement to read, providing achievement goals and encouraging a reading routine.

The San Bernardino County Library System is a dynamic network of 32 branch libraries that serve a diverse population over a vast geographic area. The County Library System strives to provide equal access to information, technology, programs and services for all people who call San Bernardino County home.

The library plays a key role in the achievement of the Countywide Vision by contributing to educational, cultural and historical development of our county community.

For more information about the San Bernardino County Library System, please visit https://sbclib.org or call (909) 387-2220.

Find your furry best friend at our National Pet Day adoption event

Celebrate National Pet Day all week long with San Bernardino County Animal Care! From April 8 to 14, join the Devore and Big Bear Animal Shelters for a special adoption event! Find your new furry best friend and make every day feel like National Pet Day!

All pets come spayed/neutered, microchipped and receive most vaccines.

For more information about animals available for adoption, please visit San Bernardino County Animal Care at https://animalcare.sbcounty.gov/ or call (800) 472-5609.

To make a donation to assist animals at the shelter, please visit arffund.org.

County Museum celebrates Earth Day with planet-friendly activities

Get inspired, take action, be part of the green revolution on Earth Day! Join us on Saturday, April 20 at the San Bernardino County Museum for a full day of planet-friendly activities.

The San Bernardino County Museum, in partnership with the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, is excited to welcome renowned photographer, speaker and community scientist Krystle Hickman to speak on the topics of melittology, community science and photography as a tool for scientific discovery and ecosystem resilience.

The day will be buzzing with excitement as Hickman takes us on a journey to a deeper appreciation and understanding of nature’s charismatic creatures, native bees. Through her stunning macro photography, you will learn what makes them so special and recognize the signs of a healthy garden.

Following her presentation, visitors will have a chance to tour the museum’s water-wise garden with Hickman to try their hand at scientific photography and learn how to upload their observations for this years’ City Nature Challenge project on the iNaturalist app. She will share tips for photographing native bees for ID in your own backyard, city parks, or nature preserves with a camera or cell phone. Topics will include basic camera settings, how to use the histogram, and advice for choosing a lens. Visitors are encouraged to bring their cameras and cell phones! Those who participate will have the opportunity to win one of seven Hickman’s Native Bees of the Western United States flashcard decks, featuring her photography.

The fun continues in the afternoon where visitors will have the opportunity to learn how to make seed bombs with native plant seeds (while supplies last) and hang out with Curator of Integrated Biology, Mackenzie Kirchner-Smith, who will be outdoors in our courtyard talking about citizen science and teaching visitors how to use the iNaturalist app to document the wildlife in our local region.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under and Museum Foundation members are admitted free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to people with disabilities.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

For more information, visit https://museum.sbcounty.gov/events/ or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month symposium – protecting our children, taking a stand

Join the Children’s Network in April as we observe Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month.

Every child deserves a safe and nurturing environment free from abuse. This month, let’s come together to raise awareness and take action to prevent child abuse in all its forms.

The Children’s Network is hosting two Child Abuse Prevention symposiums that you won’t want to miss. The symposium will focus on crucial topics such as prevention efforts, addressing sexual child abuse and providing resources for those impacted. Sign up for the event on April 16 in San Bernardino at https://tinyurl.com/2p82sbzc and on April 23 in the High Desert at https://tinyurl.com/3pktnhad .

Together, we can make a difference and create a safer world for our children. Spread the word, share this article and flyer, and let’s work towards a future where every child is protected and thriving.

9th Annual Bucky Ball celebrates the County Museum’s mission of public service and education

The San Bernardino County Museum Foundation announced its 9^th Annual Bucky Ball Gala taking place on the evening of Saturday, May 18, 2024. The in-person gala will feature the opening of the exhibit, Holding History: 50 Years in Redlands.

This exhibit explores the evolution of the County Museum from its founding to now, with a special emphasis on the relationship between the institution and its community partners over the last 50 years.

The Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands and its branches, including the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley. The fundraising event supports the museum’s mission of developing appreciation and sparking curiosity in regional cultural arts, history, and natural and earth sciences through exhibits and educational programming.

This year, the lively event will be held in the outdoor courtyard of the San Bernardino County Museum where guests will be able to connect and engage in conversations celebrating the Museum’s service to Inland Empire families and support for increasing the number of youths pursuing art and science education and careers. As in the past, the event will include music, cocktails, live and silent auctions, dinner, and a program.

The 2024 Bucky Ball will also honor three regional partners with the Good Egg Award. The Good Egg Award recipients have been exceptional partners of the Foundation by supporting its efforts to assist the museum in increasing their impact in our region.

As the largest cultural and natural history center in the region, the San Bernardino County Museum plays a vital role in our children’s education. Named in honor of the science innovation of Buckminster Fuller, an engineer, poet, and environmentalist, the Foundation’s Bucky Ball event highlights the mission of the museum, as well as the museum’s iconic architectural dome, inspired by Fuller’s geodesic domes, and visible from Interstate 10 since 1974.

“This is our most important event of the year. The support the Foundation raises at the Bucky Ball provides vital resources for the Museum and ensures they can meet the educational needs of our region,” shared Brandon Mulder, the foundation’s executive director.

Museum Director David Myers said, “We are grateful to benefit from the fundraising efforts of the San Bernardino County Museum Foundation. This long-standing partnership is a key part of the Museum’s ability to develop excellent exhibits and programming. I look forward to a successful 2024 Bucky Ball and thank all the donors that appreciate the meaningful service the Museum provides the community.”

Guests are encouraged to fill out an interest form if they would like to attend. Tickets are $150 per person, $125 for members. A non-member table for ten can be purchased for $1,500 or $1,250 for members. Guests who are unable to attend are encouraged to consider donating or becoming a sponsor. Sponsorship opportunities include a $15,000 Presenting Sponsor, $10,000 Titanium Sponsor, $5,000 Platinum Sponsor, $2,500 Gold Sponsor, $1,000 Silver Sponsor, and $500 Copper Sponsor. For more information on attending, donating or sponsoring, visit the San Bernardino County Museum Foundation’s website or call (909) 798-8626.

ARMC to hold annual 5K Walk/Run and resource fair

Join Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) for a free 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, May 4. Come out and enjoy a healthy day with the community. The ARMC 5K Walk/Run aims to encourage exercise while also promoting the services that San Bernardino County and ARMC offers to the community. Everyone is welcome!

Participants can register online at https://register.chronotrack.com/r/78732 (please note that the link may take a few seconds to load). The walk/run starts at 8:30 a.m. The race will take place at ARMC located at 400 N. Pepper Ave. in Colton.

Stimulate your imagination with Second Saturdays at Victor Valley Museum

San Bernardino County Library hosts Cover to Cover Club

9th Annual Bucky Ball celebrates the County Museum’s mission of public service and education

Additional County Update News – April 11, 2024