OCDE Newsroom

Four education leaders pose at the Fullerton School District Board of Education meeting on July 27, 2026, holding a large ceremonial $525,000 check from OCDE’s Innovation Funding Initiative.

OCDE opens second round of Innovation Funding Initiative, offering up to $525,000 per project

Ian Hanigan October 7, 2026

From left, Lynne Pentecost, CEO of Schoolhaus Advisors Inc.; Sara Ludovise and Yarib Dheming of OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors; Orange County Board of Education Trustee Mari Barke; Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean; board Clerk Dr. Ken Williams; board President Tim Shaw; Inside the Outdoors Operations Manager Stephanie Smith; and Robert Demmond, associate principal with tBP/Architecture, gather for the Rancho Soñado groundbreaking.

Groundbreaking marks the return to Rancho Soñado for OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors

Ian Hanigan October 6, 2026

Saddleback High School students learn about plants and growing techniques during a Sept. 21 event celebrating the school’s $10,000 Future Innovators Initiative grant from Hyundai.

$10,000 Hyundai grant supports Saddleback High’s plans for outdoor STEM learning

Vicky Nguyen October 6, 2026

Attendees pose with Carl the Collector and OCDE Language Services Coordinator Natalia Abarca, in orange, during the department’s International Translation Day celebration at PBS SoCal studios in Costa Mesa.

OCDE celebrates International Translation Day at PBS SoCal studios

Vicky Nguyen October 5, 2026

Stacey Middle School students perform El Baile de las Cintas, or the dance of the ribbons, at the City's Fall Festival Culture Night on Sept. 24 honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. (Photos courtesy of Westminster School District)

Weekly roundup: Westminster students honor Hispanic Heritage Month through music and dance, and more

Madeline Gray October 2, 2026

Volunteers for Inside the Outdoors cleanup event

Inside the Outdoors to celebrate Earth Day with interactive community events

Vicky Nguyen April 2, 2024

Every day, Inside the Outdoors, a program administered by the Orange County Department of Education, embraces the spirit of Earth...

Voices of ACCESS with Tom Kostic and former students

WATCH: Annual gathering bridges past and present for ACCESS teacher

Vicky Nguyen April 1, 2024

Over the years, students enrolled in the Orange County Department of Education’s Alternative Education Division — also known as ACCESS...

Chapman University's 25th annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest second place winner

Weekly roundup: Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest recognizes 12 local students, OC spelling bee champ heads to Scripps, and more

Vicky Nguyen March 29, 2024

Twelve Orange County students were recently honored by Chapman University’s 25th annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest, an event that highlights creative responses to the lessons of one of history’s most tragic chapters. Hosted by Chapman University and The 1939...

Freddie Freeman Baseball Clubhouse unveiling OUSD

El Modena High unveils new clubhouse, thanks to generosity of Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman

Vicky Nguyen March 28, 2024

El Modena High School hit a home run when it received half a million dollars from Freddie Freeman, an alumnus...

OCDE invites community to shape future website with survey input

Staff reports March 27, 2024

The Orange County Department of Education is inviting you to take a brief survey that will help shape its new...

Westminster School District and Huntington Beach Union High School District launches Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion Program Pathway

Local districts launch the first preschool-to-high school Vietnamese-English bilingual pathway

Vicky Nguyen March 27, 2024

The Westminster School District’s inaugural cohort of students who learned both English and Vietnamese since kindergarten will seamlessly continue their bilingual education in high school through a partnership with the Huntington Beach Union High School District. The collaborators held a...

Fullerton School District teachers featured image

California League of Educators honors two Fullerton School District teachers

Jennifer Nguyen March 25, 2024

The California League of Educators, otherwise known as CLE, has unveiled its picks for 2024 Educators of the Year, with...

Fullerton School District staff help students prepare for a food art lesson at Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts in May 2023. (Courtesy of Fullerton School District)

Weekly roundup: Fullerton summer meal program earns national recognition, OC Classified School Employees of the Year named, and more

Madeline Gray March 22, 2024

Throughout the year, school nutrition services teams work to ensure students receive free, healthy and appetizing meals to help them...

William Allen Young and Paula Dunn 2023 crop

OC Arts and Disability Festival honors William Allen Young and Paula Dunn for their contributions

Vicky Nguyen March 22, 2024

The 48th annual Orange County Arts and Disability Festival is set to return to MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana on April 27, marking the beginning of a new era as longtime emcee William Allen Young and American Sign Language interpreter...

More than 100 scholars medal in National History Day-OC contest

Madeline Gray March 21, 2024

Approximately 60 historical projects created by 109 Orange County scholars will be showcased in Sacramento next month after earning top...