Weekly roundup: Sports Illustrated highlights OC GRIP mentorship event at Angel Stadium, and more

More than 1,500 Orange County students participating in the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership, also known as OC GRIP, visited Angel Stadium this month for a day focused on mentorship, education and positive decision-making.

Jeff Joiner of Sports Illustrated reported that Los Angeles Angels players Jo Adell and Vaughn Grissom, along with broadcaster Mark Gubicza, spoke with students before the May 19 game against the Oakland Athletics as part of the event organized in partnership with OC GRIP.

The partnership is a collaboration involving the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Department and local schools that aims to support students through mentorship, counseling and academic encouragement.

According to Sports Illustrated, participating students earned the opportunity to attend the game through improved attendance, academic performance and positive behavior at school.

Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean addressed students during the event, emphasizing the importance of making positive choices and surrounding themselves with supportive mentors.

“We come together to really instill in our students — 430,000 students across Orange County — the idea that you can make right choices, and even if you make wrong choices, you can make better choices. And that nothing defines you other than the action that you take,” Bean told Sports Illustrated.

Adell, whose parents are educators, also stressed the importance of perseverance and education during the event.

“It’s not necessarily about who is the smartest,” Adell told Sports Illustrated. “But the idea that if you can accomplish something tough that you didn’t think you could accomplish, that is life — finding a way to get it done.”

Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:

• In a reflection on the 2027 Orange County Teachers of the Year announcements, County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean highlighted the impact educators have on students and school communities across Orange County.

• Several Garden Grove Unified School District campuses and OCDE ACCESS sites closed Friday following emergency response efforts related to an industrial chemical leak in Garden Grove.

• Orange County students earned a state-leading 36 awards at the National History Day-California competition, with 21 students advancing to the national finals next month in Maryland.

• The Anaheim Union High School District launched Orange County’s 2026 graduation season this week, beginning a series of commencement ceremonies taking place across local school districts through June 11.

• A student from the Connections at University High School Deaf and Hard of Hearing program was recognized by the OC Cappies for incorporating artistic American Sign Language into the school’s musical production of “Dreamland.”

• The Santa Ana Unified School District approved renaming Cesar Chavez High School as Dolores Huerta High School following a community input process and recent allegations involving Chavez.

• Nine classified employees from school districts and OCDE programs across Orange County are being recognized during Classified School Employee Week as the 2026 Orange County Classified School Employees of the Year.

• Laguna Beach Unified named former Palo Alto Unified Superintendent Don Austin as its next superintendent two days after the board approved a separation agreement with Jason Glass.

• Santa Ana Unified School District approved renaming Cesar Chavez High School as Dolores Huerta High School following recent allegations against Chavez and a community input process.

• A Newport Beach high school student urged California lawmakers to support a bill that would prohibit smartphone use during the school day for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

• More than 1,000 Orange County students participated in Kids Ocean Day at Huntington State Beach, creating a large sand artwork and helping remove more than 150 pounds of trash during a beach cleanup.

• OCDE recognized six school-based Peer Assistance Leadership programs and three advisors for promoting positive, inclusive and supportive school environments across Orange County campuses.

• Law enforcement officials, policymakers and families gathered at a Huntington Beach symposium focused on e-bike safety, enforcement and prevention following a rise in crashes and injuries involving electric bikes and motorcycles.

• A debate over transgender athletes in girls’ sports drew competing rallies and public statements during a CIF track and field event in Yorba Linda, as discussions continue over fairness, inclusion and student safety.

• California State University trustees approved plans allowing campuses to develop new bachelor’s degree pathways that could be completed in as little as three years and include credit for work experience.

• According to a Los Angeles Times report, two senior Los Angeles Unified instructional leaders are leaving the district as Superintendent Alberto Carvalho remains on paid leave during an FBI investigation tied to an AI project.

This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.