Nichole Pichardo

Weekly roundup: The power of esports in schools, reversing reopening plans, and more

September 18, 2020

Need some convincing about the power of esports in schools? In a recent article authored for District Administration, OCDE Executive Director of Educational Services Tom Turner explains how esports is connec... Read More

Inside the Outdoors offers virtual field trips and traveling scientist programs; registration now open

Nichole Pichardo

September 15, 2020

A lot has changed since March, and while OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors may be shifting its “hands-on” approach to environmental education to a virtual format, the program remains committed to providing science lea... Read More

Q&A: OC Children’s Book Festival director inspires families to find joy in reading

Nichole Pichardo

September 9, 2020

As reported in the OCDE Newsroom last month, the 17th annual Orange County Children’s Book Festival kicks off virtually on Monday, Sept. 14, featuring a pretty impressive line-up of popular authors, illustrator... Read More

Weekly roundup: Tustin Unified partners with OC Rescue Mission, local districts plan for reopening, and more

Nichole Pichardo

September 4, 2020

The Orange County Rescue Mission is gearing up for another school year, albeit with distance learning, thanks to the continued partnership and support of the Tustin Unified School District. Pre-pandemic, chi... Read More

Santa Ana Unified rolls out new ‘Wi-Fi on Wheels’ program

Nichole Pichardo

September 3, 2020

Santa Ana Unified School District this week rolled out a new “Wi-Fi on Wheels” program aimed at providing 5G wireless access points to densely populated neighborhoods where students have been struggling to conn... Read More

OC students embrace an untraditional start to the 2020-21 school year

Nichole Pichardo

September 2, 2020

Going back to school may look a little untraditional this year, but that has not stopped Orange County students, staff, teachers and families from making the best of these still uncertain times. Although mo... Read More

5 best practices to keep virtual classrooms safe from unwanted attendees

Nichole Pichardo

September 1, 2020

While many districts across Orange County are preparing for the safe reopening of schools, distance learning and virtual classrooms are here to stay for the foreseeable future. And as tens of thousands of Orang... Read More

OCDE’s FCP network builds family engagement through relationships, partnerships and resources

Nichole Pichardo

August 26, 2020

For nearly 15 years, OCDE’s Family & Community Partnerships network, or FCP, has been building relationships between school, home and community. With the common goal of finding the most meaningful ways to s... Read More

Anaheim High School is home to a new ‘Beast’

Nichole Pichardo

August 24, 2020

The Anaheim Union High School District, in partnership with Waste Not OC and Impact the Change, has unveiled the world’s first off-the-grid, fully sustainable, 100 percent solar-powered freezer unit to store th... Read More

Weekly roundup: Two Tesoro High School teens make a difference, COVID-19 monitoring list countdown, and more

Nichole Pichardo

August 21, 2020

Two high school students from Tesoro High School in the Capistrano Unified School District have come together to offer online tutoring for students who are struggling with distance learning. Suki Chandok and... Read More

Author Nichole Pichardo