Author Ian Hanigan

Ian Hanigan
Ian Hanigan serves as chief communications officer for the Orange County Department of Education, overseeing the Communications and Media Services unit. Along with producing stories and videos for the OCDE Newsroom, this team facilitates copywriting, video production, media relations, graphic design, web design and event support for OCDE. Prior to joining the department in 2015, Ian spent eight years as public information officer for the 30,000-student Irvine Unified School District. Before that, he was a local journalist, writing for the Long Beach Press-Telegram from 1999 to 2003 and the South Bay’s Daily Breeze newspaper from 2003 to 2006. His beats included education, city government, business and aerospace.
An image of a student displaying her National History Day project

Top performers from National History Day-OC competition now headed to state finals

Ian Hanigan
The results are in from the 2015 National History Day-Orange County competition. Capping months of research and preparation, student projects were displayed and judged at OCDE’s main campus on March 14, and an awards ceremony followed two days later. A breakdown of all the medalists by division and category has since been published on OCDE’s National History Day webpage. [...]

Orange County teens to stage ‘Reality Party’ to spotlight the dangers of underage drinking

Ian Hanigan
Local prevention organizations are joining forces to raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking by staging a “Reality Party for Parents” in Lake Forest this Saturday. Teen actors from the Santiago de Compostela Church Youth Ministry’s Friday Night Live chapter plan to portray typical party scenes exposing the perils of underage alcohol consumption, as well as the culture of binge-drinking. Participants will also voice concerns about adults who host drinking parties for minors. [...]
An image of Westminster High School's Academic Decathlon team

Westminster High leads a pack of five OC schools headed to the California Academic Decathlon

Ian Hanigan
Marking a first in the 47-year history of the Orange County Academic Decathlon, five O.C. schools have been selected to advance to next month’s state decathlon in Sacramento. Cheers rang out in a packed Orange Coast College auditorium on Feb. 17 night as perennial powerhouse Westminster High was named the overall team winner with 50,981.8 points. Along with a special plaque, individual medals and local bragging rights, the school will receive a $4,000 travel stipend from the Orange County Academic Decathlon Association, which joined OCDE in announcing this year’s winners. [...]
An image of students at the Orange County Academic Decathlon

Academic Decathlon is all about teamwork, building 21st-century skills — and having fun

Ian Hanigan
They enter the gym dressed in matching outfits, some carrying pom-poms, others with painted faces. They look nervous and excited. Students spend months preparing for this day. In fact, the average Orange County Academic Decathlon participant reports spending about 20 to 25 hours a week practicing. Staged over two weekends in January and February, this year's Decathlon drew 41 high schools and more than 500 students who competed as individuals and teams for top honors -- and a chance to represent the OC at the state-level contest. […]

Human Trafficking Summit at OCDE draws nearly 200 educators and school-based professionals

Ian Hanigan
OCDE, in partnership with the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force and Vanguard University, hosted a Human Trafficking Summit for nearly 200 educators and school-based professionals on Jan. 29 at the department’s headquarters in Costa Mesa. The summit’s objective was to teach those working at the frontlines of education about human trafficking, how to identify it and how to report suspicious activities. Experts say that could be the difference in saving a life. [...]