Latest stories

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. [...]
Teacher with students in a classroom

Chevron’s Fuel Your School program looks to fund education projects in Orange County

Ian Hanigan
If you’re a local teacher in need of funds to buy classroom supplies and materials for hands-on activities and project-based lessons, Chevron’s Fuel Your School program wants to help. For every eight gallons of gas purchased at participating Chevron and Texaco stations in Orange County in October, the Fuel Your School program donated $1 to help fund eligible classroom projects ─ and those dollars have added up. [...]
An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

Mijares: Anaheim kindness campaign underscores the value of promoting character

Al Mijares
An initiative in Anaheim that challenged local students to complete one million acts of kindness could be a model for the rest of the county, writes Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares. "As our schools charge forward with new educational standards and funding models, we cannot lose sight of the fact that a 21st-century education must also be a values-based education." Click through to read the superintendent's latest column.