Weekly roundup: OCC to build on-campus housing, local students spread kindness, and more

In a region increasingly defined by high housing costs, Orange Coast College is poised to become the first community college in Southern California to provide on-campus housing for students.

A 323-unit complex designed to accommodate 814 residents is expected to be ready by the fall of 2020, according to Wednesday’s report on the Orange County Register’s website.

Cluttered deskSpokesman Juan Gutierrez told the Register that OCC has discussed the project for years as housing costs have soared around the Costa Mesa campus, putting the squeeze on local students.

“It takes a little bit of burden off of students … trying to find a place to stay,” he told the newspaper. “That’s where the needs start to creep up. It’s just the nature of where we live.”

While there are some community colleges with on-campus housing, they tend to be found in urban areas.

The project will occupy a vacant lot along Adams Avenue. Though bonds will be issued up front to finance construction, the $84 million cost will ultimately be paid for through rents, which will be kept at below-market rates, the Register reports.

And here are some more education stories from the week ending Oct. 12:

  • What began as a one-month assignment to write about kindness has become a kindness movement for teacher Mandy Kelly’s class of sixth-graders at Trabuco Mesa Elementary School.
  • With Gov. Jerry Brown signing off on a flurry of new state laws, the OCDE Newsroom updated its list of the bills that could impact local schools.
  • For more than 35 years, OCDE’s Project Glad® has shared strategies to help educators build literacy and language skills for students, particularly English learners. The OCDE Newsroom recently sat down with program manager Nicole Chavez to talk about the history of Project Glad®, how it works today, and its capacity to assist educators at all levels.
  • OC Pathways, which connects educators and industry leaders to prepare students for college and careers, has been nominated for a Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Award by the Orange County Business Council. The program recognizes local government agencies that have cut through red tape and eliminated barriers to economic growth.

This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroomsubscribing for emailed updates or following us on FacebookTwitter or Instagram.