Director
Student Initiatives, Partnerships, and Events
714-966-4450
Student Initiatives, Partnerships, and Events unit provides programs and services to students, families, educators, and community members that focus on student engagement, academic achievement, youth development, leadership innovation, event management, and interpretation and language services. Our educator recognition programs honor exceptional certificated and classified employees who inspire and uplift students, while advocating for the positive impact of education in Orange County. The Williams Settlement Legislation, enacted in 2004, ensures equal access to quality education, with monitoring responsibilities falling on the county office of education. We believe in the power of health education to empower youth and offer comprehensive programs spanning various content areas, promoting physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In addition to health education, our team supports school safety, emergency preparedness, violence prevention, and community engagement. By creating inclusive and supportive learning environments, we foster a culture of connectedness and advance educational outcomes. Our Educator Events team provides professional learning opportunities, both in-person and virtual, while our Language and Translation Services team offers multilingual support and cultural awareness for interpretation and translation needs.
Youth Development and Recognition Programs
The ultimate goal of our youth development programs is to prepare students for college and careers by building academic content knowledge, supporting social-emotional learning, and developing competencies in the areas of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and character. The programs support student success by focusing on academic enrichment, mental health and wellness, youth leadership, and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention. Our youth development programs foster safe, supportive learning environments and build a strong sense of community on school campuses throughout Orange County.
Our educator recognition programs highlight and award the contributions of exemplary certificated and classified employees. The innovative and caring educators who are selected as Teachers of the Year and Classified School Employees of the Year motivate and inspire students on a daily basis and champion the positive contributions of the educational system in Orange County.
The Williams Settlement Legislation enacted into law in 2004 seeks to ensure that all students have equal access to the basics of a quality education. The California Department of Education (CDE) provides a list of schools throughout the state that are eligible for monitoring. County office of education monitoring responsibilities include: conducting annual school site reviews to inspect facilities and determine the sufficiency of textbooks and instructional materials, reporting data regarding teacher assignments and vacancies, verifying the accuracy of the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) relevant to instructional materials and facilities maintenance, and reporting findings annually to the governing board of each school district, the county board of education, and the county board of supervisors.
Health, Safety, and Prevention Programs
Health education is a powerful, comprehensive, theory-driven, evidence-based platform from which to educate, inform, and empower youth to make well-informed health decisions that lead to positive practices that promote a lifetime of good physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Our programs provide professional learning for educators, workshops for parents and guardians, lessons for students, and positive youth development opportunities across several content areas, including tobacco and substance use prevention, mental and social emotional health, nutrition and physical activity, growth, development and sexual health, healthy relationships and human trafficking prevention, as well as digital citizenship and bullying prevention.
Our team also supports school safety plans, emergency preparedness, violence prevention, and threat assessment efforts that include professional development, law enforcement partnerships, and policy and protocol development. Additionally, our Family and Community Partnership Network builds the capacity of districts and schools to create supportive and inclusive environments that include meaningful family engagement and community support.
Creating healthy, safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments for students, staff, and families ensures the success of the entire school community by fostering a culture of connectedness and belonging, advancing educational outcomes, and growing future generations able to thrive.
Educator Events and Partnerships
The Educator Events team provides event management and technical assistance to OCDE units implementing high-quality and sustainable professional learning opportunities in-person and virtual.
The Language and Translation Services team provides a variety of multilingual and multicultural services that focuses on providing support, coaching, and language assistance for interpretation and translation needs as it relates to cultural awareness and the latest state-adopted terminologies and glossaries in several languages.
