Four Ventura Charter School staff were honored with 2023 Ventura County Office of Education Impact II Awards and will receive $1,500 in funds to continue innovative curriculum practices. The Awards were presented on Tuesday May 23rd during the Impact II Awards ceremony in Ventura. Kindergarten teacher Holly Johnson was recognized for her lesson plan “A World of Feelings: Understanding Our Emotions to Help Ourselves and Others Thrive” and third grade teachers Emily Noel, Hector Rodriguez, and Michelle Wilson were recognized for their lesson plan “Mini Libraries: Access to Books for ALL!”

“To be recognized by Ventura County Office of Education means a lot to our staff,” said Lisa Hildebrand, Executive Director of Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education, “One of the biggest challenges we face as educators is finding ways to be innovative while keeping our students engaged and learning. And these four have done just that.”

“A World of Feelings: Understanding Our Emotions to Help Ourselves and Others Thrive” created by Holly Johnson was awarded $500 as part of the individual award category and is a program that teaches students the value of celebrating our identities, the importance of connection, and what it takes to process big feelings. Students created Calm Down Kits and Feeling Cards to help primary classrooms explore their emotions with understanding. “Mini Libraries: Access to Books for ALL!” was submitted by third grade teachers Emily Noel, Hector Rodriguez, and Michelle Wilson as part of the team award category and was awarded $1,000 for the lesson plan which saw students organize an effort to promote access to books. The third graders collected book donations that were included in seven free libraries across the city, including two mini libraries that were built for local non-profits VITA Arts and The City Center. Ventura Charter School strives to include innovative curriculum practices in classrooms every day as part of its mission to encourage students to take an interest and responsibility in their education on their terms.

The Impact II awards began 30 years ago with the purpose of spreading excellent teaching ideas throughout Ventura County. This year, twenty-three Ventura educators submitted seventeen team and individual applications for their innovative curriculum to be judged by a group of educators and community business leaders. Fifteen educators across the county were selected from the individual and team categories for nine awards totaling $6,500. “These teachers have gone the extra mile to find innovative ways to engage their students in learning,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, “Their passion and creativity shine through in all of their projects, and they exemplify the tremendous value that teachers bring to our kids.” As with previous years, the curriculum from each of the selected submissions is available for all, online at the Ventura County of Education website.