KCSOS Spotlight

02 Jun
Kern Community Mentoring AmeriCorps Program Seeks Mentors

Kern Community Mentoring AmeriCorps Program Seeks Mentors

TThe Kern County Superintendent of Schools office announced today that its Kern Community Mentoring AmeriCorps program is seeking mentors for the upcoming school year. AmeriCorps Members deliver high-quality mentorships to 700 underserved students each year at school sites throughout Kern County with the goal of increasing student engagement, improving the school climate, and causing lasting […]

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18 May
Community School Grants Awarded

Community School Grants Awarded

TThe California State Board of Education and the California Department of Education announced on May 18 that nineteen Kern County Local Education Agencies (LEAs) were awarded California Community School Partnership Program grants totaling more than $65.5M. The grant program supports schools’ efforts to partner with community agencies and local government to align community resources to […]

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09 May
2022 STEM Olympiad Results Announced

2022 STEM Olympiad Results Announced

Approximately 100 6th through 8th grade students took part in Kern County’s first-ever STEM Olympiad, which took place at Liberty High School on May 7. At the STEM Olympiad, students worked together in teams of up to six to compete in various events. The events involved fields and topics including math, science, engineering, and technology. […]

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04 May
Kern County Teachers of the Year Announced

Kern County Teachers of the Year Announced

Frontier High School Special Education Teacher Kurt Keckley, Literacy Intervention Teacher Kelsea Linnell from Elk Hills School, and 8th grade History teacher Hanna Rahberger from Cato Middle School have been named 2022 Kern County Teachers of the Year finalists. The selections were announced at a reception on May 3, 2022 sponsored by Valley Strong Credit […]

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30 Apr
Oral Language Festival Winners Announced

Oral Language Festival Winners Announced

More than 135 students who rose through their school, district and regional competitions presented their interpretations of a published literary work during the 51st annual Kern County Oral Language Festival held on April 30 at Stonecreek Jr. High School. Presentations were 3-5 minutes in length with grades 4-6 and grades 7-8 competing separately. Categories of […]

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28 Apr
Kern Codes Student Competition

Kern Codes Student Competition

The second-annual Kern Codes student competition was held virtually yesterday with sixty-five Kern County 6th through 12th graders showcasing their knowledge of computer programing concepts. “The goal of Kern Codes is to introduce participants to coding and to expose students to diverse job markets, promote hands-on learning experiences, and enhance problem-solving skills,” said Zack Safi, […]

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26 Apr
2022 State Science Fair Results

2022 State Science Fair Results

The California Science & Engineering Fair is the final science fair of the academic year for students throughout the State of California in grades 6 – 12, serving California’s future scientists and engineers since 1952.  Judging interviews of all projects were held virtually on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.  This year there were 854 participants from […]

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18 Apr
An Advocate for Children… and Change

An Advocate for Children… and Change

As a longtime KCSOS special education staffer, Carla Barrientos has always been an advocate for children. She is also an advocate for change and was fundamental in helping improve the employment practices at Abercrombie & Fitch, one of the most popular clothing retailers during 1990s and early 2000s. Carla’s story is one of many chronicled […]

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04 Apr
Don’t Miss the Boat — KEEP CALM Jamboree April 22

Don’t Miss the Boat — KEEP CALM Jamboree April 22

You would be hard-pressed to find a local resident who has not been positively impacted by Camp KEEP or CALM. KCSOS’s two beloved outdoor education programs are embraced by thousands of Kern County children and their families year after year. As a result, the community has long been supportive of these programs through volunteer efforts, […]

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28 Mar
2022 Henry Greve Speech Contest Results

2022 Henry Greve Speech Contest Results

Kern County 7th and 8th graders competed in the 67th annual Henry Greve Speech Contest, which was held virtually on March 24. Each of the competing students had between four-and-a-half and seven minutes to convince the judges with their persuasive speeches, answering the prompt: “What was the biggest impact the pandemic had on society?” The […]

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