California’s most recent mathematics standards have changed what teachers and students are doing in the classroom.
As a result, teachers are faced with the task of assessing student learning in a way that aligns with the current standards. [...]
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.
There are now more than two dozen STEM ecosystems at various stages of development around the country -- and many of them are modeled after the OC STEM Initiative here in Orange County. [...]
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.
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. [...]
Teams of students from a half-dozen Orange County elementary schools participated in the latest Elementary Science Olympiad on Saturday, May 2.
Presented by the Orange County Department of Education, the Olympiad was established to promote STEM learning through hands-on activities that draw connections to the real world. [...]
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. [...]
Do you know a teacher, student or school that uses science, mathematics and technology in an innovative way? Nominations for the Project Tomorrow Innovation in Education Awards are being accepted now through May 15. [...]
Closing the rigor gap, increasing graduation rates, reducing college remediation and fortifying the American workforce will be the focus of a special conference for Orange County educators next month.
Hosted by the Orange County Department of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares, “Equipping an Emerging Generation” will feature presentations by renowned academic experts Michael Fullan and Trevor Packer. The conference will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County. [...]
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. [...]