By Cynthia Salas, Community School Coordinator, Ventura County Office of EducationThere is something remarkable happening in Ventura County, and those closest to the work will tell you it did not happen overnight.It was built conversation by conversation. Partnership by partnership. School by school.Now, that work is being recognized on a statewide stage.On June 10, educational leaders from Ventura County will travel to Monterey to participate in the Community of Practice and Technical Assistanc...

Teachers from throughout Ventura County are being honored with grants for developing innovative lessons for their students. At a ceremony on Wednesday in Camarillo, the Ventura County Office of Education presented Impact on Education grants totaling in $5,500 to twelve teachers. Photos from the event are available here. The winning entries cover a variety of subject matters, including history and science. Detailed lesson plans prepared by each of the ...

“It’s basically like having a built-in friend.” That’s how Diego Ruiz describes life with his twin brother Oscar. “Even though we have our differences, it’s easy to have someone to go to and who’s always there for you,” he said.Today, the twins are heading into promising futures as they prepare to graduate together from Westlake High School. As first-generation college students, they’re striving for success to make their parents proud. &ldquo...

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Valeria Novikova was only seven years old when her family fled to the United States in 2015. Recognizing the warning signs of rising political tensions with Russia years before the full-scale invasion, her father made a difficult decision. “My family could see where it was heading, and my dad made the decision to get out of there before things went bad,” Valeria recalls.Though she initially struggled with the language barrier and adapting to a new culture, her ...

Juan Garcia will soon walk across the stage at Fillmore High School to receive his diploma. For many of his peers, graduation is an expected milestone. For Juan, it is the hard-won realization of a dream that began thousands of miles away, fueled by sheer determination and an unwavering belief in himself.He was born in Camarillo, but his family returned to Mexico when he was just eight months old. He grew up on a remote ranch perched on a mountain peak in the Mexican state of Michoacán, s...

In 2014, a five-year-old girl boarded a plane in Haiti, bound for a country she had never seen, not knowing a single word of English. Today, Genese Bowers is about to graduate from Foothill Technology High School in Ventura. This fall, she’ll be headed to Cal Poly Pomona to study plant science and agricultural business. Looking back, Genese still marvels at the courage of her five-year-old self. “It was scary,” she recalls of her journey from an orphanage in Haiti to a new...

At the end of each school year, the Ventura County Office of Education takes the opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the remarkable students graduating from local high schools. Every year, we’re amazed by the stories we receive of students who have overcome great odds and achieved incredible things on the road to their high school diploma. This year is no different, and we’re excited to profile just a few students who demonstrate the resilience, dedication and drive of the Ve...

It was sixth grade, and Matthew Guerrero didn’t know what to expect at his new school. Triton Academy is operated by the Ventura County Office of Education and serves students with autism in third through twelfth grades. He soon discovered that Triton’s specially trained staff and customized educational programs were just what he needed, enthusiastically noting that “This school has a lot more special activities than at my previous school.” Matthew especially appreci...

Every summer before the start of the school year, Alison Jimenez would head to the Westminster Free Clinic in Thousand Oaks with her family to get a health checkup and a backpack filled with school supplies. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico and didn’t fully understand what their English-speaking doctors were saying. Because the clinic was short on Spanish-speaking staff, there was much lost in translation. Little did Alison know that one day she would be the one prov...

The Ventura County Math Council and the Ventura County Office of Education are pleased to announce the results of the 2026 Mathlete Challenge, which was held on April 25, 2026, at the VCOE conference center in Camarillo. This annual event brings 4th and 5th-grade students from throughout Ventura County together to participate in an exciting and challenging mathematics competition. Morning Session   4th Grade Place School District ...