Bella Vista High School, from the San Juan Unified School District, is the winner of the Sacramento County Academic Decathlon competition. Bella Vista now advances to the California Academic Decathlon, which will be held in March 15-18, 2012 in Sacramento. California's winning team will be eligible to advance to the U.S. Academic Decathlon April 25-28 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon announced individual and team winners of the 32nd Annual Sacramento County Academic Decathlon, held February 4 at Inderkum High School.  The top scorers were honored February 8 at an awards banquet presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) at the Woodlake Hotel Sacramento (formerly the Radisson). Kevin Riggs, Senior Vice President for Randall Communications, served as banquet emcee.

SAFE Credit Union provided $10,000 in scholarships to be distributed among top-scoring students. SAFE President Henry Wirz was on hand to personally congratulate all participants.

Twenty-five high schools in Sacramento County sent teams to compete February 4 in written and oral exams at Inderkum High School.  To prepare for the Academic Decathlon, students devoted months of study to the 2012 theme, "The Age of Empire."  Questions asked at the live Super Quiz, the day's final event, covered the topic "The Age of Imperialism: The Making of a European Global Order." Fox40 LIVE Morning Host Paul Robins served as the Super Quiz Master.

Students competed for awards in 10 demanding academic events: Mathematics, Art, Music, Language/Literature, Economics, Science, Essay, Speech, Interview and Super Quiz. Contestants represented 25 schools in Sacramento County. Students received gold, silver or bronze medals for their efforts.

Each high school Academic Decathlon team is comprised of nine students—three with "A" grade averages, three with "B" averages and three with "C" averages—who compete against those with the same grade average. Coaches are local high school teachers. Academic "Decathletes" not only grow in academic achievement; they learn about teamwork, goal-setting, planning and leadership.

Top-Scoring Teams:

• 1st Place: Bella Vista High School (San Juan Unified School District)
• 2nd Place: Folsom High School (Folsom Cordova Unified School District)
• 3rd Place: Del Campo High School (San Juan Unified School District)
• 4th Place: Pleasant Grove High School (Elk Grove Unified School District)
• 5th Place: Monterey Trail High School (Elk Grove Unified School District)

Schools Placing Highest in the Super Quiz
(compilation of scores from written and oral exams)

• 1st Place: Bella Vista High School (San Juan Unified School District)
• 2nd Place: Del Campo High School (San Juan Unified School District)
• 3rd Place: Folsom High School (Folsom Cordova Unified School District)

Most Improved School Score

• Inderkum High School (Natomas Unified School District)

Team Results

• Download listing of overall team results and top-scoring team members

The Sacramento County Academic Decathlon is presented by Sacramento County Office of Education staff and community volunteers. Additional information is available by phoning the Sacramento County Office of Education at (916) 228-2660 or e-mailing Craig Irish.

Brittany Wiltz, from Natomas Charter School, is the winner of the Sacramento County Poetry Out Loud for 2012. The student took first place from a field of 14 during the Sacramento County finals, held Wednesday, February 8, at Rosemont High School in Sacramento. Runner up was Sheridan Smith from Pleasant Grove High School. Sacramento Poet Laureate Bob Stanley served as the master of ceremonies.

Wiltz, who also won top honors in 2011, earned the right to represent Sacramento County in the State Finals, March 25-26 in Sacramento. California's overall winner will receive $200 and an expenses-paid trip to compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C.  The National Semifinals and Finals will be held May 13-15, 2012. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded at the National Finals.

The Sacramento County Poetry Out Loud competition encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. The program provides students with the opportunity to perform poetry in English classes.

Modeled like the National Spelling Bee, the Poetry Out Loud program began in local high school classrooms, with winners advancing to school-wide, then regional competition. Schools countrywide are participating in regional competitions.

Sacramento County's Poetry Out Loud program is supported by the Sacramento County Office of Education, Art Works, California Poets in the Schools, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, the Poetry Foundation, and the Crocker Art Museum. It is also funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Poetry Out Loud has grown every year with more than 365,000 students competing this year.

2012 Poetry Out Loud competition Participants

• Zoe Warp (Bella Vista): Her Kind by Anne Sexton
• Kassia Siakov (Center): Happiness by Jane Kenyon
• Anastasiya Zhelezoglo (Cordova): Le Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats
• Hannah Guinn (Del Campo): Enough by Suzanne Buffam
• Ahshay Kobelt (Elk Grove): Thoughtless Cruelty by Charles Lamb
• Akina Afable (Hiram W. Johnson): Be Music, Night by Kenneth Patchen
• Ashley Gonik (Inderkum): Flaxman by Margaret Fuller
• Ramona Sovereign (John F. Kennedy): To the Desert by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
• Brittany Wiltz (Natomas Charter): Early Affection by George Moses Horton
• Sheridan Smith (Pleasant Grove): Passing by Toi Derricotte
• Katherine DuPont (Rio Americano): Broken Promises by David Kirby
• Taylor Tuers (Rio Linda): Enough by Suzanne Buffam
• Claire Pinson (Sacramento Country Day): Fairy-tale Logic by A.E. Stallings
• Seth Byrd (Sacramento Waldorf): Old Ironsides by Oliver Wendell Holmes

SCOE would like to thank the following people for donating their time to serve as 2012 Poetry Out Loud Judges: Trina Drotar, Frances Kakugawa, Sean King, Kel Munger, Danyen Powell, and Dr. L. Steven Winlock.

For more information about the Poetry Out Loud program e-mail or phone Sherry Arnold: (916) 228-2479.

For many men and women on parole, the transition from prison life to life beyond prison is a challenging one. Many of them struggle to find success, and those who do find success deserve special recognition.

On February 1, the Sacramento Community Based Coalition (SCBC) All-Star Event honored nearly 350 Sacramento County parolees and their families who are committed to making a successful reentry into their communities, and improving their lives, as well as the lives of their families.

SCBC is a collaborative effort between the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) specifically designed for men and women reentering the community from state prison.

During the All-Star Event, eight SCBC clients were recognized for earning their GEDs. SCBC alum Marcus Gonzales congratulated the honorees and told them they have taken a big step toward building a better future.

"You are not measured by the decisions you've made in life. Look in the mirror and see the good in you," Gonzales said.

SCBC alum Eleanor Zachary told current clients about overcoming her 27-year struggle with addiction. She said focusing on the future, instead of the past, is helping her.

"Just because we've been on parole, that's just a title. Don't live it," Zachary said.

The program is designed to help people transition back into their local communities and families, resume their educations, and find and start successful careers. During the last year, 30-40% of the total Sacramento County parole population has been referred to the SCBC program. Less than one-third of those clients recommit and are sent back to prison. The state recidivism rate is nearly 75-percent.

"Your involvement with the SCBC is proof of your dedication to successfully transitioning into school, into the workforce, your communities and back into your family life," David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools, told the honorees. "You are trying to make monumental changes in your lives and your devotion to this goal is inspiring."

Sacramento County Board of Education Trustees Jacquelyn Levy and Greg Geeting joined Superintendent Gordon, Assistant Superintendent Tim Taylor and SCBC Administrator Bill Lane, who served as emcee for the event, in recognizing the clients' accomplishments.

Program participants are eligible to receive educational services that include literacy skills, GED and high school diplomas, math skills, vocational training referrals, and substance abuse education. Participants include men and women on parole in Sacramento County who have been referred by their Parole Agent.

"I think this program is right for the state, it's right for the department, and it's the right thing for you," said Matthew Cate, CDCR Secretary. "Thank you for doing the hard work of changing course."

The SCBC program applies the successful LINKS model, which is a groundbreaking SCOE career technical education model aimed at helping high-risk students succeed. Services are tailored to individual students based on their specific needs instead of through traditional, scripted education.

Collaborative program partners include: California Department of Corrections of Rehabilitation (CDCR), CalTrans, Northern California Construction Training (NCCT), Center for Fathers and Families, River City Recovery, Bridges, House of Integrity, Hope, Help & Healing, California Wraparound, Sobriety Brings a Change, and Safety Center.

The Sacramento County Office of Education's (SCOE) Project MOVE was honored by the Sacramento County Board of Education at its January 17 meeting. Project MOVE has earned special recognition as an innovative program that helps children and adults with physical disabilities learn and gain mobility.

SCOE's Project MOVE, or Mobility Opportunities Via Education, is the recipient of a Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association (CSBA). Project MOVE is a research-based program shown to improve functional mobility skills and empower children and adults with severe physical disabilities to better direct their own lives.

"Project MOVE greatly helps those involved move closer and closer toward independence and it helps them better direct their lives," said David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools. "We at the County Office are proud to be a part of this program."

Four school sites within SCOE's Special Education Program serve as Model Sites for the MOVE International Program. MOVE International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and adults with disabilities. The MOVE Curriculum was developed in response to a growing concern that students with severe, multiple and profound disabilities in the public schools were not learning or utilizing critical mobility skills needed to benefit fully from their educational programs.

"We have a truly dedicated and trained staff implementing this innovative and successful curriculum for students with severe disabilities," said Dr. Robin Pierson, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education. "Our staff makes a difference each day by encouraging, teaching and motivating students."

SCOE's Special Education Department was presented the award at the CSBA conference in San Diego on December 3, 2011.

The CSBA Golden Bell Awards program promotes excellence in education by recognizing outstanding programs in school districts and county offices of education throughout California. The goal of this awards program is to contribute to the development and evaluation of curriculum, instruction and support services.

This is the fourth Golden Bell Award for the Sacramento County Office of Education. In 2010, LINKS, a groundbreaking SCOE career technical education program in which services are tailored to individual students based on their specific needs, received a Golden Bell. In 2008, SCOE's ROP Manufacturing Technology-Welding program, at the now closed Carson Creek Jr./Sr. High School within the former Sacramento County Boys Ranch, received the prestigious honor. In 1999, the Outreach Construction Technology Program was also recognized by the California School Boards Association with a Golden Bell Award.

California teachers who want to make sure their lessons meet the standards can now just check their smartphones. The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) announces the release of a free eStandards Web app that connects K-12 teachers and administrators to the California Common Core State Standards.

With the Web app, users can quickly find California's K-12 math standards and Language Arts standards by subject, grade, and category on their smartphones and other mobile devices. This serves as a great reference tool for anyone who wants to read and better understand the standards.

"We are always looking for new and better ways to help our teachers," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon. "It is our hope that this California Common Core resource will help teachers and curriculum specialists better apply the standards in their daily lessons."

The California Common Core State Standards "eStandards" Web app was designed to facilitate collaborative planning and decision making among teachers. It is streamlined and simple, yet extremely helpful for teachers and administrators to quickly reference the Common Core Standards. (Download installation instructions for the new Web app.)

"Today, SCOE is placing important information about the standards right into the palm of a teacher's hand," said Sue Stickel, Deputy Superintendent of Schools. "This information will serve as a great reference tool for students, teachers and families to better understand the standards."

The Web app is freely available and optimized for iOS and Android smartphone users. An enhanced, searchable version of the service, including additional resources, will be available in the coming months in the iTunes App Store and the Android Market. The eStandards Common Core website provides similar information to traditional computer users.

In September 2010, SCOE provided the staff for the California Academic Content Standards Commission's work in developing the standards, including retired experts in the area of English Language Arts and mathematics. Deputy Superintendent Stickel served as Project Director.

The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is now accepting submissions for an essay contest designed to honor local military veterans. The winning high school student will receive a $500 college scholarship, courtesy of SAFE Credit Union.

Every year, SCOE honors the many contributions of local veterans who left high school to serve in the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War through the Operation Recognition program. Qualifying veterans, who received an honorable discharge, may contact SCOE to receive their high school diplomas. Diplomas are also presented to Japanese American citizens who were forced to leave high school due to WW II internment.

The 2012 Operation Recognition Scholarship essay theme is "How I Can Show My Patriotism in My Community."

Contestants must be high school juniors or seniors who are currently attending public high schools in Sacramento County. The completed essay, with a cover letter, must be received by the Sacramento County Office of Education by Monday, April 23, 2012.

• Download essay contest rules

Essays will be judged on how well the student understood, developed and presented the theme. The winning entrant must be able to attend the Operation Recognition diploma ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 to read his or her essay, join in honoring the diploma recipients, and receive the scholarship award from a SAFE Credit Union representative.

Contestants must send submissions to:

Tim Herrera
Operation Recognition Scholarship Contest
c/o Sacramento County Office of Education
P.O. Box 269003
Sacramento, CA 95826-9003

For more information, e-mail or phone Tim Herrera, SCOE Communications Director: (916) 228-2713.

About SAFE

Established in 1940, SAFE Credit Union maintains assets in excess of $1.6 billion and serves more than 150,000 members through 21 branches in the greater Sacramento region.

January is National Mentoring Month, reminding us all that every child needs a caring adult in his or her life.

If you have what it takes to help young people navigate life's tough choices, please consider serving as a mentor. The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is seeking adult mentors to serve as positive role models as part of the LINKS Mentoring Program for high school students at four schools in the county.

• Download Mentoring Application/Flyer

This program is unique because it offers ongoing support to mentor/protégé matches by providing staff-facilitated, structured mentoring sessions each week. SCOE staff members attend group mentor sessions to organize activities and provide materials and support.

Mentors meet with their protégés for one hour each week. The group mentoring sessions consist of group activities, combined with one-to-one time for mentors and protégés. Qualifying mentors may commit to a semester, or an entire school year. Meetings and activities center on specific themes:

• Community Service/Service Learning Projects
• Interpersonal/Life Skills
• Planning for the Future
• Career Exploration/Job Seeking Skills
• Financial Savvy and Money Management
• Health and Wellness

LINKS Mentors may select from the following participating school sites:

Elinor Hickey Jr./Sr. High School (SCOE)
2040 Ethan Way
Sacramento, CA  95825

North Area Jr./Sr. High School (SCOE)
4000 Pinell Street
Sacramento, CA  95838

Calvine High School (Elk Grove Unified School District)
8333 Vintage Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95828

Kinney High School (Folsom Cordova Unified School District)
2710 Kilgore Road
Rancho Cordova, CA  95670

National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote youth mentoring in the United States. It began in 2002, and is spearheaded by the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

A delegation of high school headmasters from Guangdong, China visited sites and programs operated by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) to learn more about career technical education and English language learning. The SCOE visits were part of a visiting educator tour in the region that has been coordinated by Sacramento State.

On December 15, the delegation received a personal demonstration of U.S.A. Learns, an award winning, SCOE developed website that was designed specifically for English language learners. The demonstration took place at the David P. Meaney Education Center.

U.S.A. Learns is a free, online, interactive English language learning portal. The site, which receives more than 11,000 visitors each day, was developed primarily for immigrant adults with limited English language skills who cannot attend traditional classroom programs because of difficulty with schedules, transportation, or other barriers.

On December 13, the delegation visited Leo A. Palmiter Jr./Sr. High School to observe SCOE's highly regarded LINKS career technical education programs including Landscape/Architecture, Culinary Arts and WorkAbility/Job Development.

Over the past two weeks, 17 Chinese delegates also visited career technical high school academies and local community colleges to learn how American schools teach students career technical education.

LINKS is a groundbreaking SCOE career technical education model aimed at helping high-risk students succeed. Services are tailored to individual students based on their specific needs instead of traditional, scripted education. By teaching employability skills, practicing those skills in a "real life" environment, and providing positive adult connections, students succeed in positive and measurable ways.

SCOE plays a vital role in providing technical assistance, curriculum and instructional support, staff development, fiscal services and oversight to Sacramento County school districts. SCOE operates special education programs for students with severe disabilities, Court and Community Schools for high-risk and at-risk students, and career technical education courses.

Family members, teachers and guests applauded as six Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) students were awarded certificates of completion December 15. The students are graduates of SCOE's program for high school and young adults with disabilities who are marking the transition to other educational or job-training programs in their local communities.

The graduation ceremony was held at the County Office's David P. Meaney Education Center in honor of the following:

From Galt High School (Cathy Goodrich, Teacher)

• Gustavo Chavez

From Jesse Baker School (Frances Montemurro, Teacher)

• Francisco Diaz
• Caree Jones

From SCOE's program at Sacramento State University (Shawn O'Briant, Teacher)

• Angelo Cervantes
• Thao Chye

From Inderkum High School (Bernadette Kerwin, Teacher)

• Ashley Ree-Barnett

"We are all very proud of you. This ceremony validates the belief that everyone has value and that everyone has something to offer," County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon told students, their families and attendees.

The students represent SCOE programs in the Elk Grove Unified School District, the Natomas Unified School District, the Galt Joint Union High School District, and Sacramento State University. Many of the students have received special education and other services from SCOE since they were young children.

"Today is a special event during a lifelong journey. It's the end of one chapter and the beginning of another," said Robin Pierson, Assistant Superintendent, Special Education. "We will each be changed forever, not just because of today's event but the culmination of this journey in education. You students have given us the opportunity to teach and you have taught us."

Serving as master of ceremonies was Special Education Principal Carmen Walker, and certificates of completion were presented by County School Board Trustees Eleanor L. Brown, Ed.D., Jacquelyn Levy, Brian Rivas and Greg Geeting. A slide show was presented by Program Specialist Leora Bautista-Hendricks.

As part of the SCOE Special Education Department, the SH (severely handicapped) program provides special education services to students with severe disabilities and students with emotional disturbances, from ages 3-22 years, throughout Sacramento County. SCOE SH programs are located on more than 35 sites/schools located in eight school districts within the county.

The Special Education Department provides special day classes for students with severe challenges (severely handicapped) or with emotional disturbances (emotionally disturbed). Other students served include district students with visual impairments, mobility needs, or speech and language disorders. Special education services are also provided at local schools operated for youth through Sacramento County Probation. SCOE's Infant Development Program provides individualized, home-based instruction and family support for infants and toddlers having special needs.

For more information about SCOE special education services, call (916) 228-2382.

Students participating in community, continuation, and special education school programs used their knowledge about astronomy and space exploration, as well as quick thinking skills, while competing at the 4th Annual Sacramento County Academic Bowl.

William Daylor High School, a continuation high school in the Elk Grove Unified School District, took home the perpetual trophy by winning top honors. Students from Leo A. Palmiter Jr./Sr. High School and North Area Community School, both Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) programs, finished in second and third places respectively. Also competing this year were students from E.L. Hickey Jr./Sr. High School (SCOE), Gerber Jr./Sr. High School (SCOE) and American Legion High School (Sacramento City Unified School District).

North Area Community School student Norberto Velasquez received recognition for his award-winning design of the 2011-12 Academic Bowl t-shirt and program artwork.

The event was held December 14 inside the auditorium at Rosemont High School, in the Sacramento City Unified School District. The 2011-12 theme was Astronomy and Space Exploration.

During an awards luncheon catered by the Rosemont High School Culinary Program, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon told the participating students to take pride in their academic efforts.

"I hope that you see your participation in the Academic Bowl as just one more step toward becoming a successful person who can accomplish many things through hard work," Superintendent Gordon said. "I promise that you will look back on this day with a great sense of pride and accomplishment because you achieved so much by working hard and supporting one other."

Sacramento County Board of Education trustees Jacquelyn Levy, Eleanor L. Brown, Ed.D., and Greg Geeting presented awards and congratulated the participants.

The Sacramento County Academic Bowl is an academic competition held each year for students attending community and continuation schools. Teams of students compete in two academic events. The first event is a game show style "Super Quiz" competition in which students answer questions based on the theme. In the second event, students use a PowerPoint project to deliver a "live" presentation on a specific aspect of the theme.

Students spent time in class and after school to prepare for this demanding competition. In addition to mastering the academic content, which is based on California's content standards, students also learn about teamwork, computer and presentation skills, goal setting, and leadership.

EXPRESSIONS 2012 is a full-color desk calendar that showcases paintings, sketches, collages and more of 18 SCOE students from Juvenile Court/Community School and Special Education campuses throughout Sacramento County. The calendar is packaged in an acrylic stand (5" × 5") for convenient and attractive display on a desktop or table.

The 21 works of art featured in the calendar were finalists from among more than 50 nominations submitted by SCOE teachers.  Student artists range in age from preschool through high school.

The EXPRESSIONS 2012 calendar is available for $8, plus $2 postage ($4 postage if ordering three or more calendars). Proceeds from calendar sales benefit arts education programs at SCOE campuses.

• Download order form

Checks should be made payable to SCOE and mailed with a completed order form to:

SCOE Communications Office
P.O. Box 269003
Sacramento, CA 95826-9003

Calendars are also available for purchase at SCOE's David P. Meaney Education Center, 10474 Mather Boulevard, Mather, CA. Office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (SCOE will be closed December 26-January 2 for winter break.) For additional information, e-mail or phone Cathy Sapunor: (916) 228-2416.

Arts opportunities for SCOE students are numerous. Students select and memorize poems to compete in the national "Poetry Out Loud" recitation contest, attend music and drama performances, and write their own lyrics in the Sacramento Blues Society's "Blues in the Schools" songwriting competition. With the assistance of visiting artists and representatives from community arts partners, students learn to express themselves, develop fine motor skills, and put into practice abstract concepts such as math and spatial reasoning.

Last year's EXPRESSIONS student art calendar received a statewide Award of Excellence from the California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA).

The EXPRESSIONS 2012 calendar was produced by the SCOE Communications Office and Printing and Production Services, with the participation of SCOE students, teachers, para-educators and administrators.

Due to improvement in the Natomas Unified School District's financial position, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is canceling its request for an emergency loan for the district located in the north Sacramento area. In addition, due to the improvement in the district's cash position, SCOE is asking the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team to stop its process to declare Natomas Unified a fiscal emergency. This will remove the district from "negative" budget status.

"We are greatly encouraged by the turnaround at Natomas Unified and commend the School Board, the administration and the employees," said David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools. "However, while we are canceling our request for an emergency loan, I am still greatly concerned with Natomas' budget situation."

The latest cash flow projections submitted by Natomas Unified show improvement. However, the district's most recent budget submission continues to show significant deficit spending in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and that cash flow forecast remains a concern without further adjustments.

"Due to the continued volatility in both the State and the district budgets, it is imperative that the district act now with additional spending cuts and stop deficit spending," said Superintendent Gordon. "Unless spending is curtailed through employee concessions and other reductions, Natomas could find itself facing a potential State takeover again."

As far back as January 2007, the County Superintendent repeatedly warned the Natomas Unified School District about the need to balance its budget. In September 2009, the County Superintendent appointed a fiscal advisor and in December 2010 started the process to secure an emergency loan from the State.

• Download a copy of a letter from Superintendent Gordon to Natomas Unified School District Interim Superintendent Walt L. Hanline, Ed.D. regarding the district's budget status.

The SCBC is a collaborative effort between the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that is specifically designed for men and women reentering the community from state prison. The dinner was an opportunity for clients and staff to celebrate the holiday with a traditional turkey dinner.

Through the SCBC, services are available to Sacramento County parolees and their families during the often overwhelming transition from prison to home. Participants are eligible to receive educational services that include literacy skills, GED and high school diplomas, math skills, vocational training referrals, substance abuse education, a four-day introductory computer literacy track, and a four-day job readiness track. Participants include men and women on parole in Sacramento County that have been referred by their parole agent.

The SCBC program applies SCOE's successful LINKS career technical education model, aimed at helping high-risk students succeed. Services are tailored to individual students based on their specific needs instead of through traditional, scripted education.

For more information about the Sacramento Community Based Coalition, call Administrator Bill Lane, Ph.D., at (916) 228-3377.

Ochoa was invited to be part of a television panel discussion which also included David Butler, Chief Executive Officer of LEED (Linking Education an Economic Development) and Dr. Cynthia Peterson, Superintendent/CEO of Gateway Community Charters.

Studio Sacramento is a new, weekly series produced by KVIE and hosted by community leader Scott Syphax. The episode including Ochoa's discussion airs on the following dates and times:

• Friday, November 11: 7:30 p.m. on KVIE and 8:30 p.m. on KVIE-2
• Sunday, November 13: 4:30 p.m. on KVIE-2

Ochoa is part of a team of high school students from Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) programs who worked on a multimedia outreach campaign targeting high-risk students like themselves. The "Reach for Your Dreams" media campaign combines Internet, social media, and professionally produced television public service announcements.

The outreach campaign is the result of a collaborative effort involving SCOE and the Sacramento Youth Empowerment Studios (SacYES). The program provided high risk students an opportunity to learn new skills and improve their participation and academics, as well as develop their leadership abilities.

Gerber Jr./Sr. High School is a community school operated by SCOE that provides students an opportunity to continue their education and experience significant positive personal change in their lives. Gerber students benefit from the LINKS career technical education model, which is aimed at helping high-risk students succeed.

Career GPS, held October 13-14 at Cal Expo in Sacramento, was managed by LEED (Linking Education and Economic Development). SCOE served as one of the sponsors.

The event was designed to help high school students navigate their futures through an interactive career fair showcasing a broad range of career and education options. Career GPS helped students gain a better understanding of how their education affects potential career and education pathways.

Students experienced hands-on exhibits from nearly 150 employers, training providers, colleges, and universities. They participated in workshops ranging from financial literacy to career planning. They also took part in panel discussions with employers to explore personal career paths.

In addition, students heard from volunteers about the importance of well-written and well-presented résumés and cover letters, participated in informational interviews, and received advice on developing a professional online media presence.