Henry J. Kaiser High School senior Amitoj Lobana – an exceptional 16-year-old student-athlete with a passion for helping others – has been recognized as a 2022 Gates Scholar. The honor comes with an all-expense-paid scholarship and is awarded to 300 students in the nation each year. Lobana, who skipped ahead two grade levels prior to entering Kaiser High, has also earned a full scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He plans to study computer science and pursue his goal of bringing a better quality of life to underrepresented communities.
Buena Park School District and all of its schools were named 2022 California Pivotal Practice (CAPP) award winners by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, shining a light on innovative programs created during the 2020-21 school year. Buena Park School District was one of 121 districts to be recognized for programs that focused on either student engagement, distribution of technology, nutrition services or social-emotional well-being. The CAPP awards were created to acknowledge districts that created unique opportunities to support student growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A tight-knit group of Fontana High School MCJROTC cadets are making a name for themselves as marksmen after taking top honors at two regional air rifle competitions in Arizona and Utah and qualifying for two national championship contests. FOHI veteran cadets made a clean sweep at the inaugural Arizona 3-Position (3-P) Air Rifle State Championship in April. The cadets took first and second place in team events and placed first through sixth among individuals, qualifying four cadets to advance to the NRA 3P Air Rifle National Championship in July. The entire FOHI veteran marksmanship team qualified for the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Nationals and Junior Olympics with a sixth-place finish at the CMP Western Regionals.
Four Banning Unified School District students were celebrated at the 17th annual Riverside County Office of Education Academic Award Recognition event on April 11, honoring students based on outstanding GPA and participation in extracurricular activities.
Río Hondo College is meeting the high demand for more electric vehicle technicians by joining Tesla’s Pathway to START Program – an intensive training course that prepares new high school graduates to enter the College’s Tesla START program. Launched in 2021, the Pathway to START Program places recent high school graduates into an eight-week online program to work with Southern California Tesla service centers, during which they learn the basics of servicing electric vehicles.
Pendleton Elementary School students can earn free books from popular series such as “Goosebumps,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog” though the school’s new book vending machine, which provides rewards for academic growth. Students can earn free tokens, each worth one free book, by accomplishing self-made academic goals to further their education. Principal Loriann Leota said the program is a perfect way to get students excited about learning and help improve literacy rates as they transition to becoming an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme school.
Hacienda La Puente Unified schools were honored with the 2022 Civic Learning Award by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on April 27, recognizing programs and individuals for engaging students in civic education. Orange Grove Middle School was one of three schools in California presented with the Award of Distinction. Sparks Middle School and Sunset Elementary School were among 20 California schools to receive the Award of Merit. La Puente High School received an honorable mention.
Bonita Unified High School Students Learn Dangers of Impaired Driving
San Dimas High School students received a sobering look at the consequences of driving under the influence on April 26 and 27 during “Every 15 Minutes,” an emotionally charged event that included a simulated car crash, which resulted in the arrest of the driver and claimed the lives of their peers. Throughout the day, students were pulled from class by the Grim Reaper every 15 minutes to become part of the “living dead,” and participated in an overnight retreat without contact from their family and friends. The event concluded with a mock funeral for participating students the next day and was held in partnership with the county sheriff’s department and fire department.
Baldwin Park Unified Femineers Present Engineering Science Fair
Baldwin Park STEM Academy students enrolled in Femineers – an after-school program funded by a grant from Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Engineering – showcased their hard work and creative engineering projects on April 27 for a panel of Cal Poly judges. Students created scenes around their 3D motion-sensor projects, including Sailor Moon characters flying across a backdrop and a snake rattling its tail and flicking its tongue. To create the projects, the students used a range of disciplines including coding, mathematics and problem-solving. The Femineers program was created at BP STEM Academy, formerly Holland Middle School, in 2018.
Covina-Valley Unified School District Hosts Inaugural Career and Job Fair
Hundreds of parents and students attended the inaugural Covina-Valley Unified School District Career and Job Fair on April 19, where students received guidance on educational and employment opportunities to plan for their futures beyond graduation. Visitors from 46 institutions, including Mt. San Antonio College, the United States Army and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, provided high school students with enrollment information and numerous employment opportunities at the event.
