On the latest episode of Policy Chats, Coachella’s Mayor Pro Tem Neftali Galarza talks about the current education system, anecdotal reasoning for increasing support to tear down barriers, and what is to come for the future of education.

Galarza is also the Director of the Community Engagement and Partnerships Team within the Riverside County Office of Education. Additionally, he previously served as the Director of Community Outreach for the California Alliance for Renewable Energy Solutions and was Board Trustee for the Coachella Valley Unified School District.  

On the importance of education in removing socioeconomic and generation barriers from communities, Galarza said, “By focusing on education…we empower communities and we empower the individual.”

He also addressed the influence of technology on education. He said, “I think for education, classrooms look very similar as they did decades ago…  the investment in technology that's going to be very important, adapting to the new AI world, the new technologies that exist and how we can use those tools to empower communities.”

Listen to the episode here.

 ***
Launched in 2020, the UCR School of Public Policy podcast series explores current public policy issues with guests from throughout the policy world. Episodes are accessible via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify for Podcasters. More information is also available through the UCR School of Public Policy podcast page.

Media Contact:
Rachel Strausman
rstra020@ucr.edu