Educators invited to OCDE’s Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum Conference in Garden Grove

Vicky Nguyen
Educators and community members listen to a speaker during the Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum Rollout Conference, held Sept. 27–28, 2024, at the Santa Clara County Office of Education in San Jose. The event introduced new classroom resources designed to support instruction on the histories and cultures of Vietnamese peoples in diaspora.
Educators and community members listen to a speaker during the Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum Rollout Conference, held Sept. 27–28, 2024, at the Santa Clara County Office of Education in San Jose. The event introduced new classroom resources designed to support instruction on the histories and cultures of Vietnamese peoples in diaspora. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Marika Manos)

Quick look: OCDE will host the Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum Conference on Sept. 26-27 in Garden Grove. K-12 educators can explore new curriculum resources, attend guest presentations and join sessions on Vietnamese American history and culture.

The Orange County Department of Education will host a free two-day conference this fall to support K-12 educators in teaching about the history, cultures and experiences of Vietnamese Americans.

The Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum Conference will take place Sept. 26 and Sept. 27 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Anaheim-Garden Grove, located at 12021 Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove.

VAEMC Garden Grove Conference Flyer

Open to teachers, administrators and instructional leaders, the event will offer an in-depth look at the department’s model curriculum project. This comprehensive collection of open source lesson plans, primary source documents, planning tools and professional development resources can be integrated into existing coursework or used to develop new courses spanning kindergarten through grade 12.

Developed by OCDE, the project, or VAEMC, was driven by state legislation with community input and guidance from the California Department of Education.

Participants at the Garden Grove conference will have the opportunity to learn how to navigate the curriculum and its companion resources, and attend presentations led by scholars, educators and community partners. They will also take part in sessions that explore key historical themes such as the fall of Saigon, the refugee experience and the development of Little Saigon communities, and gain insights into cultural practices within Vietnamese American communities.

The VAEMC, along with OCDE’s other curriculum projects focused on Cambodian and Hmong American experiences, is available at no cost through the UC Davis California Model Curricula platform at vaemc.ucdavis.edu. Additional details are posted on the OCDE model curriculum webpage.

To sign up, visit the registration webpage. For questions about the conference or registration platform, contact Tori Phu at tphu@ocde.us or email eventsandpartnerships@ocde.us.

Following this event, OCDE will bring the Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum Conference to San Diego on Jan. 16–17, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Diego – Mission Valley.