Bouncing from welding and auto body classes to AP and honors courses is all in a typical week for Maxim Yalch. The Thousand Oaks High School senior will be attending Cal Lutheran in the fall, but being on the college track didn't stop him from taking advantage of career-related classes in subjects he's passionate about. "I did an internship where I learned how to weld and I really liked it, so I decided to continue with it," he says.

Technology and art are two of Sabrina Stone's biggest passions. As a student at Oak Park High School, she found a way to combine those interests along with her desire to encourage more girls to pursue careers in technology. She came up with an idea teach computer coding and animation to middle school girls in a fun, friendly and supportive environment. Her proposal won a grant from the National Center for Women in Information and Technology which allowed her to start WonderCode, a coding cam...

Angeles Montalvo was fifteen years old when her father was kidnapped and robbed near their home in Mexico. That prompted her parents to make the difficult decision to uproot the family and relocate to Oxnard. Angeles had to say goodbye to the life she knew and make new friends at a new school in an unfamiliar community. "It took me a while because I didn't know anybody," she recalls. "I'm a kind of a shy person, so it was really difficult for me to make friends."

Career technical education (CTE) programs for Ventura County middle and high school students will continue thanks to a major new grant awarded to the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). In a highly competitive process, VCOE received a grant of $4,334,427 from the State of California. The grant is part of the “K12 Strong Workforce Program” administered through the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office – Division of Workforce and Economic Development in p...

Ventura County businesses and educators who are leading the way in advancing career-related education were honored today in Camarillo at the 2019 Pathfinder Awards. The awards were presented by VC Innovates, a program of the Ventura County Office of Education in partnership with the Ventura County Community College District. VC Innovates connects businesses and schools to provide career education opportunities for middle school, high school and community college students.Twenty-four award recipi...

The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce that Jan-Erik Sand of Isbell Middle School in the Santa Paula Unified School District (SPUSD) is the 2019 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. Sand and his students found out about the honor today when his family, local dignitaries and members of the media made a surprise visit to his classroom. (Video and photos are available here.) Sand currently teaches an innovative engineering course that uses project-based learni...

Teachers from throughout Ventura County are being honored with $10,000 in grants for developing innovative lessons for their students. At a ceremony tonight in Oxnard, the Ventura County Office of Education will present 14 IMPACT II grants to 23 teachers from nine schools in seven local districts. The grants are funded by local businesses and organizations that wish to promote unique and creative teaching practices. The winners were selected by judging teams comprised of educ...

The Ventura County Office of Education is proud to announce that Dianne Miller has been selected Teacher of the Year for VCOE-operated schools. As a teacher at VCOE's Phoenix School in Camarillo, Miller serves students with serious emotional and behavioral issues. In her 14 years as an educator, Miller has also worked to enhance the lives of students with special needs, including learning disabilities and autism. "She works daily to create positive learning environments for al...

Now is your chance to have a say in setting goals and funding priorities for the next school year. The Ventura County Office of Education is seeking your input as we create a plan that will serve as an education road map for the future. It's called the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and it will help ensure that funding for VCOE-operated schools gets to where it's needed most.Community input is a key part of the plan, so please take a few moments to complete the brief survey...

After an extensive search, the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce that Dr. Cesar Morales has been named the new Associate Superintendent of Student Services. Dr. Morales will be joining VCOE from the Oxnard School District, where he has served as Superintendent for nearly six years. In his new role, Dr. Morales will lead VCOE’s Student Services Branch, which is comprised of special education schools, alternative schools, charter school oversight, migrant ...