OCDE Newsroom

Students at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Students participating in summer JPL internship program featured on EdSource

Ian Hanigan July 24, 2015

In June, we told you about eight young men and women from high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District who were selected to be summer interns at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. It was an opportunity made possible through OCDE’s emerging OC Pathways project, along with generous community partners like OpTerra Energy Services, which contributed stipends for each student. [...]

An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

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

Al Mijares July 13, 2015

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.

In the news: A new state budget deal, JPL interns from Santa Ana, inspiring graduates and more

Ian Hanigan June 19, 2015

It’s Friday, June 19, and that pretty much closes the books on the 2014-15 school year in Orange County. We don’t have much in the way of pomp and circumstance here, but we do have a handful of education stories from the past week. Click through to catch up on recent articles you may have missed.

Eight high school students from Santa Ana have the right stuff for summer JPL internship

Ian Hanigan June 16, 2015

Thanks to the countywide initiative known as OC Pathways and community partners including OpTerra Energy Services, eight high schoolers from Santa Ana are embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime research experience as summer interns at NASA’s famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Click through to read the story and watch a brief video.

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

Ian Hanigan May 13, 2015

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. [...]

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 April 1, 2015

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. [...]

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

Ian Hanigan September 30, 2014

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. […]