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.
Astronaut Leland Melvin

OC Pathways Showcase demonstrates the sky is not the limit for Orange County students

Ian Hanigan
Astronaut Leland Melvin, who voyaged to the International Space Station in 2008 and 2009, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural OC Pathways Showcase, held in Hangar 244 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. The event, featuring innovative displays from local schools, colleges and businesses, drew about 300 educators and business leaders to celebrate the first year of OC Pathways.
OC Pathways Showcase invitation

OC Pathways Showcase will highlight college and career partnerships on Dec. 2

Ian Hanigan
A limited number of seats are still available for an upcoming showcase to celebrate the first year of OC Pathways, an initiative that's paving the way to college and career success and strengthening the 21st-century workforce. Open to educators and industry leaders, the inaugural OC Pathways Showcase on Dec. 2 will feature innovative displays from local schools, colleges and businesses, as well as a keynote address from NASA astronaut Leland Melvin. “Equipping Students for the Global Innovation Economy” is the theme of the event, which will be held from 7:30 to 10 a.m. inside Hangar 244 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. [...]
Attendees of the STEM Communities Convening event

Local leaders share strategies for building ‘STEM ecosystems’ at national conference

Ian Hanigan
Leaders from 27 education groups that focus on the advancement of science, technology, engineering and math have gathered in Washington, D.C. this week to exchange strategies for building STEM education. Specifically, they’re exploring ways to increase the number of STEM networks or ecosystems, which promote learning in these fields by fostering collaboration among schools, businesses and community organizations. [...]
#DRIVE 2N2 logo

Two OC high schools compete for $100,000 prize in national State Farm video contest 

Ian Hanigan
Voting is now open for the State Farm Celebrate My Drive video contest, which has a pair of Orange County high schools in the running for its $100,000 grant prize. Canyon High School and El Modena High School in the Orange Unified School District are both in the final 100 after producing safe driving videos promoting "2N2" – short for two eyes on the road and two hands on the wheel. [...]
Santa Ana Superintendent Rick Miller

A call for ‘purveyors of hope, champions of change’ at Santa Ana’s State of the District breakfast

Ian Hanigan
The Santa Ana Unified School District continues to create new learning opportunities and educational options in alignment with the interests and aptitudes of its students. That was among the key takeaways from the Superintendent’s State of the District and Partners Breakfast, which was hosted Friday morning by the district’s Board of Education and the Santa Ana Public Schools Foundation. [...]