Sunburst Youth Academy, a partnership between the California National Guard and OCDE, celebrated its 35th graduating class on June 20, honoring 171 cadets — including 15 who earned high school diplomas.
Featuring more than 350 pieces by transitional kindergarten through 12th-grade students, the 2025 Junior Art Exhibit at the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach opens July 2 in Partnership with OCDE and Arts Orange County. Selected from nearly 1,800 submissions, the display includes works by students with disabilities and 13 student-created films, showcasing creativity, inclusion and the importance of arts education.
Through original lyrics and a familiar tune, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School fifth-grade students used music to share what they learned about saying no to drugs and making healthy choices as part of OCDE’s Youth Substance Use Prevention program.
Tesoro High School student Isaiah Medina and Laguna Beach High School student Lauren Norrix will represent Orange County at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, the nation's top celebration of student talent in musical theater.
OCDE hosted its first State of the Student Forum on June 12 to review the latest data on student outcomes with educational and community partners. The report highlights key successes and areas for growth, with the goal of driving positive, data-informed change.
Laguna Beach Unified has named Dr. Jason Glass as its next superintendent starting July 1. Orange and Irvine Unified School Districts also recently hired new superintendents, while Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified is actively searching for its next chief.
From Anaheim to Aliso Viejo, graduates from more than 100 public high schools in Orange County are stepping onto commencement stages that represent more than just the end of their secondary education — they mark the beginning of exciting new...
