Career technical education

An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

Mijares: JPL internship exemplifies collaborative efforts to create college and career pathways

Al Mijares
A paid summer internship that has eight talented Santa Ana students working with JPL scientists and engineers is "precisely the type of experience that was envisioned when the state Department of Education awarded our own OC Pathways initiative a $15 million grant to expand career pathways for students from kindergarten through college," writes Dr. Al Mijares, Orange County superintendent of schools. Click through to read the superintendent’s latest column.
OC Pathways logo

OC Pathways partners with OpTerra Energy Services, which will sponsor 10 paid STEM internships

Ian Hanigan
We’ve received word this week that OC Pathways, the countywide initiative that’s working to expand career pathways for students from kindergarten through college, has a new partner. OpTerra Energy Services, a national leader in alternative energy solutions, is joining the effort by sponsoring 10 paid summer STEM internships for high school students in the Santa Ana Unified School District. It’s part of the company’s continued focus on building educational opportunities and workforce development strategies. [...]
An image of the Cerro Villa Middle School STEM lab

Classroom of the future at Orange’s Cerro Villa Middle School boosts career exploration in STEM fields

Staff reports
Students at Cerro Villa Middle School in Orange have the opportunity to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through a hands-on elective course that began in March and takes place in the school’s new on-site STEM lab. Utilizing the Paxton ActionLABS program, the lab contains 16 stations stocked with hardware, software, tools and instructional materials that students can leverage to conduct hands-on experiments in the STEM fields through project-based lessons. [...]
A screenshot from a video showing educators taking part in the University of California Curriculum Integration (UCCI) Institute

Orange County teachers look to merge core academic content with career technical education (video)

Ian Hanigan
Last week, high school teachers from core subjects including history, math, science and English gathered with their counterparts in career technical education for three days of intense research and collaboration at National University. The group’s mission? To develop new secondary courses that combine real-world technical training with core academic subjects and meet UC and CSU admissions requirements. [...]
A photo of students looking through telescope

STEM and the Arts Career Showcase connects student talents to future jobs

Staff reports
More than 4,000 students and families from middle school through college will learn about careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the arts at the 2015 STEM and the Arts Career Showcase April 24-26. Organizers say the goal is to help students see how their interests and passions align with real-world jobs – and to motivate them to pursue higher levels of education. [...]
OC Pathways logo

OC Career Pathways Partnership will prepare students for the 21st-century workforce

Ian Hanigan
We already know that Orange County is a diverse and dynamic region with the human and economic potential to lead the nation in college and career readiness and success. Well, a sizable grant from the California Career Pathways Trust is poised to advance that vision. Last year, the California Department of Education awarded the Orange County Career Pathways Partnership a $15 million grant to create a countywide infrastructure to expand career pathways for students from kindergarten through college. Led by the Orange County Department of Education and Saddleback College, OCCPP represents the largest regional consortium in the state. […]