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Welcome to the City of Rancho Cordova's news page. Read current and archived news, and access media contacts and press announcements.

City of Rancho Cordova Awarded $175,000 DOJ Grant to Advance Community Policing Through Arts and STEM Integration for Underserved Youth

Post Date:11/22/2024

The City of Rancho Cordova has been selected as a recipient of a $175,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The grant will support an innovative initiative aimed at strengthening community-police relations through educational programs focused on arts and STEM integration for underserved youth at the Rancho Cordova Youth Center (RCYC).

The project will incorporate local artists into the existing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming at RCYC, expanding it into a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) model while fostering meaningful interactions between youth and law enforcement through hands-on, collaborative activities. Led by the City in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento, Rancho Cordova Police Activities League, Rancho Cordova Arts, and the Cordova Community Council, the new STEAM programs aim to boost educational engagement, reduce juvenile delinquency, and strengthen community connections for kids at the youth center.

“This grant is an incredible opportunity for our city to further invest in the success and future of our youth,” said Mayor David Sander. “By integrating arts and STEM education, we are providing young people with the tools they need to thrive, while also strengthening the connection between our community and law enforcement.”

With its scalable design, the program has the potential to expand beyond Rancho Cordova, serving as a model for other communities looking to implement innovative approaches to youth engagement and community policing. This award not only recognizes the immediate benefits for local youth but also highlights Rancho Cordova's forward-thinking approach and elevates Rancho Cordova as a national model for community policing.

With the help of partners like the Cordova Community Council, the initiative will also leverage local resources, including the Mills Station Arts & Culture Center (MACC), to enrich the educational experiences offered to youth.

For more information about RCYC and the free youth programs offered year-round, please visit https://www.cityofranchocordova.org/residents/new-businesses-and-projects/rancho-cordova-youth-center.

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Press Announcements

Media Contacts

Maria Chacon Kniestedt
Communications & Public Affairs Director
916.851.8791
916.200.6181 (cell)
mkniestedt@cityofranchocordova.org

Samantha Mott
Senior Communications Officer
916.851.8796
916.579.0671 (Cell)
smott@cityofranchocordova.org

Danielle Hale
Communications Officer
916.851.8792
916.809.0465 (cell)
dhale@cityofranchocordova.org

Lauren Burke
Communications Officer
916.851.8723
916.247.2587 (Cell)
lburke@cityofranchocordova.org

City of Rancho Cordova Opens $8.4M Youth Center

On November 3, 2022, the City of Rancho Cordova opened the Rancho Cordova Youth Center, the first youth center in the community. The Youth Center will provide a welcoming, central and safe environment for year-round youth programs, build relationships with local youth, and show local youth how much the community cares about their success and future in Rancho Cordova.

City of Rancho Cordova Breaks Ground on Citywide, Ultra-High-Speed Gigabit Broadband Network

On February 28, 2022, the City of Rancho Cordova, SiFi Networks and GigabitNow announced the launch of Rancho Cordova FiberCity®, a revolutionary infrastructure project to bring a fast, affordable, and reliable all-fiber internet network to every home, business, and institution in Rancho Cordova.

For more information, please contact Danielle Hale at 916.809.0465 or dhale@cityofranchocordova.org.

Mather Veterans Village Dedication Event

On October 12, 2021, Mercy Housing California, Nation’s Finest, the City of Rancho Cordova and the County of Sacramento celebrated the completion of all three phases of Mather Veterans Village, the first permanent supportive housing development for homeless and disabled veterans in the Sacramento region.

These documents are password protected. Please contact Danielle Hale at 916.809.0465 for access.

Crime Drops in Rancho Cordova by 61%

The City of Rancho Cordova is proud to announce that violent crime and property crime combined has decreased by 61% from 2004-2019 when adjusted for population. Since the city incorporated and established the Rancho Cordova Police Department 18 years ago, the city has implemented creative and proactive policing programs that have led to this significant drop.

Media Advisory about Crime Drop in Rancho Cordova
Fact Sheet on Programs
Speaker Bios from Crime Drop Announcement
B-Roll, Photos and Crime Statistics (This is password protected. Please contact Ashley Downton at 916.542.3875 for access.)
News Release: Crime Drops in Rancho Cordova by 61%

Rancho Cordova Breaks Ground on Rio Del Oro Development

Elliott Homes, Inc. and the City of Rancho Cordova are breaking ground on Rio Del Oro, the largest development in the city’s history. Rio Del Oro spans 3,800 acres in Rancho Cordova and could fit Downtown Sacramento in its footprint. The development will feature thousands of new homes, over 7.6 million square feet of commercial, professional and industrial space, one of the largest parks in the region at 130 acres, and the city’s next high school.

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