More than 140 community members, educators and students gathered on Tuesday, Dec. 2 for the K-16 Collaborative Engagement Exhibition.
Hosted by OC Pathways, the event highlighted innovative strategies to strengthen work-based learning opportunities for Orange County scholars. County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean kicked off the exhibition, introducing attendees to OCDE’s efforts to launch new career education partnerships and expand dual enrollment opportunities.
During the exhibition at Orange Coast College, the community had the opportunity to explore a range of over 37 regional projects and connect with representatives from 15 local school districts and nine community colleges, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and local businesses.
These initiatives — funded by OC Pathways through the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program — aim to increase workforce development countywide. By creating partnerships with education, industry and community organizations, the program focuses on creating equitable pathways for students in high-demand sectors like business, engineering, computing, education, and healthcare.
After attending the event with his SpyderLab work-based design program, CEO Joe Bloomfield said this networking opportunity allowed for his team to build relationships that “sparked ideas for future collaborations.”
Since 2014, the OCDE-led countywide consortium has collaborated with regional schools, colleges, universities, businesses and ROPs to provide work-based learning experiences that prepare students from kindergarten through college for career success.
“The K-16 Exhibition showed the power of teamwork in action. Seeing our partners showcase their innovative projects highlighted the great work happening across Orange County to create opportunities for students,” said Kathy Boyd, director of career education. “The energy and excitement throughout the event was inspiring, proving what we can do when we work together toward common goals.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- Fullerton College students will soon be able to reach new heights while enrolled in a newly-announced drone and autonomous systems bachelor’s degree program — the first of its kind for the community college and the region.
- On Thursday, a dozen Orange County education programs — including OCDE’s Language Services unit — were awarded the distinguished Golden Bell Award for their work on initiatives that meet a variety of student needs from career technical education to visual and performing arts instruction.
- On Feb. 12, 63 teachers and administrators who help students tap into their artistic potential will be recognized at the 2025 Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Awards Ceremony.
- The OC Counselor Recognition Program, led by OCDE, has recognized 10 dedicated education professionals as the county’s top school counselors and counseling advocates of 2025. The honorees will be celebrated during a symposium next year.
- Due to their exceptional efforts to offer inquiry-based STEM learning opportunities, 12 teachers were named Outstanding STEM Educators by the OC STEM Initiative during a Dec. 3 ceremony.
- Each Thanksgiving, students and school staff unite to collect essential food items to ensure no one goes hungry during the holidays. The OCDE Newsroom has compiled a collection of the food drives and community events hosted by local schools, inspiring compassion and spreading cheer across Orange County.
- Congressman Lou Correa from Anaheim has recently declared November as Family Engagement Month, giving credit to Orange County family and community engagement liaisons for their impactful role in supporting students and caregivers.
- In San Clemente, students and families volunteered to pack 30,000 meals for children in Uganda as part of a project created by Empower Education, a local organization.
- Corona del Mar High senior Max Douglass recently became his school’s first athlete to secure a California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section title in the Division 4 boys’ final cross-country championship. In the Division 3 boys’ final, Dana Hills High School senior Evan Noonan clinched his third cross-country win.
- In other CIF Southern Section news, Edison’s football team took their high school to victory with a Division 3 championship win over Simi Valley. Representing Fountain Valley High School, a pair of student tennis players made history for the Barons by advancing to the 16th round of the Girls’ Tennis Individuals tournament.
- CBS News reported two kindergarten students were wounded in a shooting Wednesday, Dec. 4 at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Butte County, California.
- Vanguard University President Michael Beals and fellow administrators hosted a ceremony Monday to congratulate 37 students for their completion of the college’s new six-week Leadership and Latina or Latino Identity program.
- Capistrano Unified School District students joined the YMCA of Orange County to help stuff hundreds of stockings with treats and gifts that will be delivered to military personnel for the holiday season.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.