Sierra Writers Conference Celebrates 10 Years in 2025

This Year’s Conference Offers a Powerful Exploration of Writing Ecosystems

The Sierra Writers Conference proudly marks its 10th anniversary in 2025, continuing its tradition of fostering creativity, inspiration, and community among writers. This year’s theme, Ecosystems, highlights the interconnectedness of writers, their craft, and the environments—both natural and social—that shape their work.

The Sierra Writers Conference proudly marks its 10th anniversary in 2025, continuing its tradition of fostering creativity, inspiration, and community among writers. This year’s theme, Ecosystems, highlights the interconnectedness of writers, their craft, and the environments—both natural and social—that shape their work.

“Writers and creators require space, intellectual context, and community to thrive,” said the conference organizers. “Whether you are an aspiring writer, an expert, or simply an admirer of the craft, you likely seek environments that connect you to your interests, provide encouragement, and help you develop meaningful relationships. This year’s theme recognizes the importance of those ecosystems and serves as a call to action to care for them with kindness.”

The conference kicks off with Tahoe Truckee online and in person on Thursday, Feb. 27. A special free event, Celebrating Women Writers, will take place on Friday, Feb. 28 at the Grass Valley Museum, featuring local authors reading their works.

In celebration of this milestone year, the Sierra Writers Conference is honored to welcome acclaimed author Amy Tan as a featured speaker. Additionally, the conference will host Sands Hall, John Muir Laws, and many other remarkable writers in a hybrid format, offering both online and in-person sessions. John Muir Laws will lead a journaling workshop from 2 – 4:30pm on Tuesday, March 4, followed by a speaking engagement from 6 – 7:30pm that evening.

The conference concludes with Sands Hall, Amy Tan, and a variety of workshops at the Nevada County Campus on Saturday, March 8. Attendees can look forward to engaging workshops, thought-provoking discussions, and networking opportunities with fellow writers and literary professionals.

The 2025 Sierra Writers Conference invites all writers, creators, and literature enthusiasts to join this dynamic gathering and explore the rich ecosystems that nurture the creative spirit.

For more information and registration details, visit https://sierrawritersconference.wordpress.com.

Sierra College Community Packs in for Sneak Peek of New, State-of-the-Art Gym

The 81,000 Square Foot Facility Includes Competition, Training and Classroom Spaces

Hundreds of Sierra College students, employees and community supporters gathered to celebrate the first sports competitions held at the college’s new, state-of-the-art gymnasium on the Rocklin campus. The “Pack the Gym” event on Tuesday, Feb. 11 offered a sneak peek of the major modernization and expansion project. It includes new competition spaces, teaching classrooms, training and locker rooms. The event was capped off by the Sierra College women’s and men’s Wolverine basketball teams squaring off against the Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs – the first home games played by Sierra College at the Rocklin campus in two years.

“The new gym is a great example of how we’re transforming the experience on our Rocklin campus for students and the community,” said Sierra College President/Superintendent Willy Duncan. “Sierra College is on the rise and the level of investment and projects happening here is unprecedented since the college was first constructed 60 years ago. We are thrilled for our students and employees who will train, compete, learn and work in a more modern gym facility, as well as all students, employees and community members who come out to support our athletics programs.” 

The original Sierra College gym was constructed in the 1960s during initial development of the Rocklin campus. As part of the modernization and expansion project, the old gym has been turned into offices, classrooms, a cardio/weight room and a wrestling room. The newly constructed space includes the new competition gym with expanded stadium seating and the ability to divide the court into smaller courts for practice/volleyball games, new athlete locker rooms (in addition to separate PE and staff locker rooms), additional classrooms and a foyer which provides the perfect gathering space for students and student athletes. The new facility totals approximately 81,000 square feet (SF), which is made up of 34,000 SF of renovated space and 47,000 SF of new construction.

“To be able to be in our own home just really instills a sense of pride for our community here at the college,” said Sierra College Women’s Basketball Head Coach Brandie Murrish. “I’m so grateful to our Board of Trustees for being able to give our student athletes and all our students the opportunity to enjoy this facility. I foresee thousands of community members coming through this gym for decades to come.”

In addition to volleyball, basketball, wrestling and other sporting competitions, it will house the kinesiology and physical education classes for the Rocklin campus. The new gymnasium complex also connects seamlessly with the existing pool complex, football stadium, and newly renovated competition sand volleyball courts.

The gym is one of several modernization projects underway at the Rocklin campus.

The Applied Technology Center and the Student Union/Campus Center, also built in the 1960s, are scheduled for renovation, as well. The gymnasium project, along with the other new construction and renovation projects included in the Rocklin Facilities Master Plan Implementation will create an updated, modern, functional and attractive campus for our students and the community to enjoy now and into the future.

Many of the Rocklin campus projects are supported by the Measure E bond approved by voters in 2018. However, no Measure E funds were utilized for the gym modernization and expansion. The $59 million gym project was funded through a combination of $32.4 million from the State of California (through the California Community College Capital Outlay Program) and $26.6 million in direct funding from Sierra College.

Photos from the event are available here: Sneak Peek at the NEW GYM! Feb 11, 2025 | Flickr

More about the long-term facilities master plan for the Rocklin campus can be found at: https://www.sierracollege.edu/improvements

Sneak Peek Police
Sneak Peek Event M Bball

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu.  

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department Presents And Then There Were None

Then There Were None

Live Performances March 21 – April 13 in Rocklin

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department announces its spring musical production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None directed by Scott Adams. Members of the community are invited to attend any of the eight performances from March 21 through April 14 in the Dietrich Theatre on the Sierra College campus in Rocklin.  

Performance Dates and Times            

  • Friday, March 21 at 7:30 pm  
  • Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 pm 
  • Friday, April 4 at 7:30 pm 
  • Saturday, April 5 at 2 pm 
  • Sunday, April 6 at 2 pm
  • Friday, April 11 at 7:30 pm 
  • Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 pm 
  • Sunday, April 13 at 2 pm (closing matinee) 

Story

Ten strangers are summoned to a remote island. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. As the weather turns and the group is cut off from the mainland, one by one they are mysteriously murdered in accordance with the lines of a sinister nursery rhyme. 

Purchase Tickets

Tickets are available online from On the Stage at https://our.show/sierra/None. Tickets can also be purchased at the door one hour before curtain time in the Dietrich Theatre Lobby.

  • $20 general admission
  • $18 Seniors (65+)
  • $15 Sierra College Faculty/Staff
  • $10 All students and children

Venue

Dietrich Theatre (Building T) at Sierra College, 5100 Sierra College Blvd., Rocklin, CA 95677. View Rocklin Campus Interactive Map.

Contact (916) 660-8036 for more information.  

Accessibility and Sound

Dietrich Theatre offers:

  • accessible parking (Lot A-1)
  • wheelchair access
  • wheelchair accessible seating

Please note that this show has simulated gunshots.

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu 

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Live Performances from Oct. 10 – Nov. 3 in Rocklin

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department announces its fall production of the classic Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, directed by Scott Adams.

Performance Dates and Times

  • Thursday, October 10 at 7:00 pm
  • NO SHOW Friday, October 11
  • Saturday, October 12 at 7:30 pm
  • Friday, October 25 at 7:30pm
  • Saturday, October 26 at 2:00pm
  • Sunday, October 27 at 2:00pm
  • Friday, November 1 at 7:30pm
  • Saturday, November 2 at 7:30pm
  • Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 pm (closing matinee)

Story

Perhaps the most famous love story ever told, Shakespeare’s tragedy of the two star-crossed lovers from opposing enemy families comes to life at Sierra College this Fall!

Romeo Juliet Actors PR
Cedar Swagerty as Romeo and Kyra Iliana Obanil as Juliet.
Mercutio (Rownin Cooper) taunts Tybalt (Braden Delgado) before they come to blows in the play Romeo and Juliet.
Mercutio (Rownin Cooper) taunts Tybalt (Braden Delgado) before they come to blows.

Purchase Tickets

Tickets are $20 general; $18 Seniors; $10 students and are available for purchase online via On the Stage at our.show/sierracollege/rj. Processing fees apply.

Tickets can also be purchased at the door one hour before curtain time in the lobby of the Dietrich Theatre.

Venue and Contact Information

Dietrich Theatre at Sierra College
5100 Sierra College Blvd., Rocklin, CA 95677
View Interactive Rocklin Campus Map

Call (916) 660-8036 for more information. Or, visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sierracollegetheatre or Instagram at https://www.Instagram.com/sierracollegetheatrearts.

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu.

Sierra College and Partners Announce Workforce Summit

Sierra Workforce Summit: Future Proof Your Workforce

Business, Cities, Counties, and Education Coming Together on June 18, 2024 to Help Local Employers to Future Proof Their Workforce

Placer County’s major employers and education providers are coming together Tuesday, June 18 at the Sierra College Rocklin Campus to advance breakthrough strategies for preparing youth and working-age adults now for good-paying jobs.  

Sierra College and local partners are convening this first-ever Sierra Workforce Summit to address the needs of employers faced with a growing economy, changing skill demands, hard to fill positions, and new technologies revolutionizing how work gets done. 

“The needs of employers and the expectations of employees are changing fast with the advent of new technologies and evolving workplace expectations and demands,” said Willy Duncan, Sierra College Superintendent/President. “The Sierra Workforce Summit brings together those who know what the job market will need with those who will provide the necessary education and training. We hope everyone can join us for a dynamic conversation at Sierra College on June 18th.” 

The schedule will include: 

  • Opening keynote address by Ben Chida, Senior Advisor to Governor Newsom and Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Senior Advisor for Cradle to Career in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom 
  • Futurist Keynote by Todd Trotter, Senior Vice President for Human Resources, Kaiser Permanente  
  • Employer focused sessions with major local employers including Bosch, Trane, Placer County, and Kaiser Permanente 
  • Panel on the future of workforce development 
  • Roundtables of local education leaders on employer needs, and aligning the workforce pathways  

The Sierra Workforce Summit is powered by Sierra College and local business partners including:  

  • Placer Business Alliance 
  • Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce 
  • Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce 
  • Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce 
  • Valley Vision 
  • Greater Sacramento Economic Council 
  • County of Placer 

Who Should Attend 

Leaders from the private and public sector who are looking to participate in discussions on how we can work together to meet future workforce needs in our region. 

Registration 

Registration for the Sierra Workforce Summit is open at sierracollege.edu/sws. There is no cost to attend, but seating is limited. 

About Sierra College 

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information is at www.sierracollege.edu.  

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department Presents Guys and Dolls

Live Performances from March 29 through April 14 in Rocklin

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department announces its spring musical production of Guys and Dolls. The book is by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, the music, and lyrics are by Frank Loesser, directed by Scott Adams, musical direction by Kim Osteen-Petreshock, orchestra coordination by Greg McLaughlin, and choreography by Pamela Lourentzos. Members of the community are invited to attend one of the nine performances from March 29 through April 14 in the Dietrich Theatre on the Sierra College campus in Rocklin.  

Performances Dates and Times:               

  • Friday, March 29 at 7:30 pm  
  • Saturday, March 30 at 7:30 pm 
  • Friday, April 5 at 7:30 pm 
  • Saturday, April 6 at 2:00 pm 
  • Sunday, April 7 at 2:00 pm (director’s discussion at 12:00pm, Q&A with cast and crew after the show) 
  • Thursday, April 11 at 7:00 pm  
  • Friday, April 12 at 7:30 pm 
  • Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 pm 
  • Sunday, April 14 at 2:00 pm (closing matinee) 

Story

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys and Dolls is set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City. This oddball romantic comedy tells the story of gambler, Nathan Detroit who tries to find the cash to set up the biggest dice game in town, while the cops are breathing down his neck. Meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide pressures him to get married and settle down. So, Nathan makes a sure-thing bet with the high-rolling gambler, Sky Masterson that he can’t take the do-gooder missionary, Sarah Brown to Havana, Cuba. This show includes classic hits such as “Luck Be a Lady,” “Adelaide’s Lament,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” 

Purchase Tickets

Tickets are $20 general admission; $15 Seniors (68+); $12 Sierra College Faculty/Staff: $10 All students and children. Tickets are available online from On the Stage at our.show/sierraguysdolls. Tickets can also be purchased at the door, but there will be a $2 walk-up fee. The box office opens one hour before curtain time in the lobby of the Dietrich Theatre.  

Venue

Dietrich Theatre at Sierra College, 5100 Sierra College Blvd., Rocklin, CA 95677. View Rocklin Campus Interactive Map.

Contact (916) 660-8036 for more information.  

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu 

Ridley Gallery at Sierra College Presents the Work of Vincent Pacheco

Upstanding Citizen, Jan. 30 – Feb. 22, 2024

The Ridley Gallery is pleased to present the work of Vincent Pacheco: Upstanding Citizen.

Vincent Pacheco explores ancestral memories through an installation of hand-made piñatas. As a third-generation Mexican American caught between two worlds – an oppressed minority, and an upstanding citizen in white society – Pacheco uses this traditional craft to forge new cultural understanding. He embeds each piñata with familial memories, akin to a totem, and aims to forge new connections about his family’s crime-ridden past, his fading knowledge of ancestry, and his place in the world.  

Pacheco is a full-time faculty member in the Applied Art and Design department at Sierra College. He has exhibited his art nationally and internationally, and has recently completed artist residencies at MASS MoCA, and Verge Center for the Arts. He is the principal creative of Vincent Pacheco Design Co., a branding and illustration studio with a client list that includes Kinfolk Magazine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Elle Magazine, Disney, Hennessy, and the Nature Conservancy. 

Visitors should note this exhibition references gun violence and drugs. Please plan accordingly. 

Ridley Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 11am – 6 pm.    

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at  www.sierracollege.edu

Sierra College Hosts the 2024 Sierra Writers Conference, Feb. 5 – 15

Focusing on Finding Family: Connecting with Your Writing Community

Sierra College Press will host the 2024 Sierra Writers Conference to support and inspire area writers and Sierra College students. Virtual and in-person workshops (Rocklin, Nevada County Campus (NCC) in Grass Valley, and Tahoe-Truckee campuses) are scheduled from February 5 – 15, focusing on various elements of storytelling, writing and community. 

“We look forward to celebrating the craft of writing and the Sierra College Press with everyone joining us,” said Lynette Vrooman, managing editor of Sierra College Press and professor of English at Sierra College. “This is a great opportunity to collaborate and learn from our incredible guest writers.”

Workshops and Sessions

Monday, February 5 

5-6:30pm – Grant Faulkner, Creativity Under Constraint (Online) 

Tuesday, February 6 

5-6:30pm – Charles Hood, Subjective Nature: Trusting Your Voice as a Nature Writer (Online) 

Wednesday, February 7 

4-5:30pm – Nikki Shannon Smith, Letting Your Inner Child Guide Your Writing (Rocklin) 

Thursday, February 8 

1:30-2:50pm – C.E. Shue, Connecting with Community Through Your Authentic Voice (Rocklin) 

5-6:30pm – Open Mic Readings: On Ugly Ducklings and Cross-Eyed Hens (Tahoe-Truckee)

Saturday, February 10  

9:30-10:45am – Obi Kaufmann, Ecological Philosophy and California’s Past and Future History (NCC) 

11am-12:20pm – Workshops (NCC):  

  • Kim Culbertson, Unlocking the Magic of 100-word Stories
  • Catharine Bramkamp, The Fictional Family
  • Gary Noy, How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal 

1:20-2:35pm – Steve Wasserman, A Writer’s Space (NCC) 

2:50-4pm – Deborah Miranda, Writing Prompts from the Ancestors: Using Archives to Create a Hybrid Memoir (NCC) 

Monday, February 12 

5pm-6:30pm – Rosanna Xia, Lessons on Climate Storytelling from an Environmental Journalist (Online) 

Tuesday, February 13 

5-6:30pm – Misha Nogha, Integrating the Narratives of Nature into Your Writing (Online) 

Wednesday, February 14 

4-5:30pm – Sands Hall, Creating Effective Characters (Fiction, Playwriting, Memoir) (NCC) 

Registration

Registration and conference information is available at: https://sierrawritersconference.wordpress.com/

The 2024 Sierra Writers Conference is $65 to attend the full conference for the public, $25 for online only, and free to Sierra College and OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) students and staff.  

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at https://www.sierracollege.edu 

About Sierra College Press

The Sierra College Press is one of the very few academic presses operated by a community college in the United States. The Sierra College Press was formed in 2002, and since then has expanded its role and function to become a wide-ranging academic press and information outlet. Learn more at https://www.sierracollege.edu/press.

Come to Maker Faire Rocklin at Sierra College on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

Free Family-friendly Event Showcases Invention, Creativity and Resourcefulness from Engineers, Artists, Scientists and Crafters

The Rocklin community is invited to Maker Faire Rocklin at Sierra College on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Maker Faire is a free family-friendly gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these “makers” to show hobbies, experiments, and projects. 

Maker Faire Rocklin is a celebration for all ages featuring rockets and robots, digital fabrication, DIY science and technology, urban farming and sustainability, alternative energy, bicycles, unique hand-made crafts, music and local food, and educational workshops and installations.  

WHEN:  Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023  – 10am to 2pm 

WHERE: Sierra College, 5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677 in Quad near Dietrich Theatre (T Building). View Rocklin Campus Interactive Map

COST: Free Admission and free Parking (Parking garage)

CONTACT:  maker.faire@rocklin.ca.us or (916) 625-5200  

WEBSITE:  Visit the Maker Faire Rocklin website for more information.  

About Sierra College 

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department Presents Lend Me a Tenor

Live Performances Oct. 27 through Nov. 12 in Rocklin

Sierra College Theatre Arts Department announces its fall production of the outrageously funny farce Lend Me a Tenor directed by Scott Adams. Community members are invited to one of the eight performances in the Dietrich Theatre on the Sierra College campus in Rocklin.  

Performance Dates and times: 

  • Friday, October 27 at 7:30 pm 
  • Saturday, October 28 at 7:30 pm 
  • Thursday, November 2 at 7 pm 
  • Friday, November 3 at 7:30 pm 
  • Saturday, November 4 at 7:30 pm
  • Sunday, November 5 at 2 pm 
  • Thursday, November 9 at 7 pm (director’s discussion at 5:00pm, Q&A with cast and crew after the show) 
  • Sunday, November 12 at 2 pm (closing matinee) 

Story

Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world-famous singer Tito Merelli, known as Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only. Tito arrives late, and through a  series of mishaps, he is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. Saunders persuades his assistant, Max, to get into Merelli’s costume and fool the audience into thinking he’s Il Stupendo. Max succeeds but Merelli regains consciousness, and then the confusion and hilarity begin. A sensation on Broadway and in London’s West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter. 

Cast

The cast includes:

  • Matthew Quady as Max
  • Kyra Obanil as Maggie Saunders
  • Madison Dorty as Maggie Saunders
  • Paul Fearn as Saunders
  • Arie Knyazev as Tito Merelli
  • Leila Johnson as Maria
  • Analyse Gonzalez as Diana
  • Kaleigh Kirkpatrick as Julia Leverett
  • Gianna Conn as Bellhop

Purchase Tickets

Tickets are $17 general, $15 Seniors, $7 students; available online from On the Stage at our.show/sierracollege/tenor (processing fees apply). Tickets can also be purchased at the door one hour before curtain time in the lobby of Dietrich Theatre.  

Venue

Dietrich Theatre at Sierra College, 5100 Sierra College Blvd., Rocklin, CA 95677. View Rocklin Campus Interactive Map.

Contact (916) 660-8036 for more information.  

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu