Take 5 -November 2025

6 days ago
3 min read

Education at Work: CTE Programs Partner Directly with Employers

North Coast employers have told the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) that the most significant issue they face is their ability to find a ready, willing, and capable workforce. Over the past several years, HCOE has engaged in strategic work and partnerships to address many of these issues.

By actively supporting high school CTE programs employers can bridge the connection of what is taught in the classroom to compliment real work experiences. Early work-based learning experiences are critical while students are still in high school, or college, as they explore their career options.

HCOE's Education at Work and its associated programs like Trades Academy, Trades Academy Summer Institute (TASI), Health Careers Exploration Project (HCEP), Health Careers Exploration Summer Institute (HESI), and Technology Exploration Summer Institute (TESI) are the next steps towards building this solid foundation for the North Coast's future work force.

High school students in Humboldt County attend the Health Care Career Exploration Fair on November 18th. This picture is from one of the many hands-on activity stations for students to practice needle insertion.

Strategic Arts Plan Published in Spanish Opens Up More Possibilities

Learn More

The role that arts education plays in the school day has evolved over time, from being a subject with intrinsic value as a part of a well-rounded education, to being an instrument to improve school engagement and academic performance, to being a means of fostering social-emotional development.

The potential value of arts education lies at the crossroads of these roles. It is also shaped by a widely shared cultural understanding of art as being away to express emotions and ideas to others, as well as the emerging research consensus about the deep interconnections among cognitive, emotional, and social-relational aspects of human functioning.

Lake County Office of Education just expanded that reach even further, with the first Strategic Arts Plan translated in Spanish.

LA County’s Community Schools Initiative: Hear from Student and County Leaders

Learn More

When students and families have a real voice in their education, schools become more than classrooms, they turn into centers of community life. This is the vision behind Community Schools, fostering collaborative spaces that nurture not only academics but also a sense of belonging and opportunity.

Los Angeles County Office of Education's (LACOE) latest Ed Buzz episode takes you inside this movement across Los Angeles County. In this talk-show-style feature, Alicia Garoupa, LACOE’s Chief of Wellbeing and Support Services, Dr. Michelle Alferes, Director III of LACOE's Community Schools Initiative and Chinosom Okpara, an 11th-grade student at Hawthorne Math and Science Academy, share powerful insights on:

· How community schools are redefining education

· The role of families and students in shaping school culture

· Countywide efforts to support implementation

· What the future of community schools could look like

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Helps Launch Partnership with Orange County County Department of Education's Inside the Outdoors

Learn More Here

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, visited Thomas Edison Elementary School in Anaheim to announce a new collaboration between his Skyhook Foundation and Inside the Outdoors — the long-running environmental education program operated by the Orange County Department of Education. The initiative will expand outdoor STEM learning opportunities for students across Orange County.

To mark the occasion, more than 3,000 pairs of brand-new Adidas shoes and backpacks were donated to students in the Anaheim Elementary School District, thanks to Skyhook’s partnership with Adidas. All Edison students received gear, along with fourth- through sixth-grade students from six additional campuses.

An Orange County student receives a free pair of Adidas shoes from NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, founder of the Skyhook Foundation, a new partner for OCDE. Also pictured, Orange County Superintendent of Schools, Stefan Bean.

New Multi-County Initiative to Tackle Literacy Gaps Among Detained High School Students

Learn More Here

The range of literacy levels for students across California’s court schools is disparate, with some lacking foundational literacy skills and others taking college courses while detained. Until now, there has not been a coordinated effort to address their varied literacy needs, in part because counties independently determine the curriculum in juvenile facilities, which are locally controlled.

Alameda County is one of three California counties that is rolling out a literacy intervention program a year after it was piloted in San Diego County. The other two counties are Riverside and San Mateo. The program is the state’s first coordinated effort to tackle the lowest reading levels among high school students in the juvenile justice system.

Credit: EdSource.