CCEA Plus 2025 Surf's Up! Riding the Waves of Opportunity

An overview of Valley High's successful 6 week orientation program that introduces students and sets high expectations for high school in academics and behavior.  Focus is on students' social emotional health and teaching the students how to be aware of external events that may be impeding on their education.  Using circles and creating a purpose for building relationships with staff and their teachers is imperative for students to find success.  After taking the course students feel ready to respond to past failures and have tools to be successful on campus and in the "Real World." Big emphasis is put on how to self-advocate, how to set goals, working on communication skills, and participating in team building exercises.

In the presentation we are going to discuss what is the meaning of Bridge; the purpose of a Bridge program; and how it creates community, culture, and connection. Students who come to continuation sites have not been successful at their comprehensive sites which results in them coming to our campuses. Many times they come with preconceived notions that they will not be successful at their new site sometimes. Bridge's purpose is to be able to re-motivate them as they begin a fresh start at their new site. During Bridge the new students alongside staff and ASB students participate in team building events, social emotional learning activities, and other activities to help bridge the gap at their new school, and try to help them understand that this is a new fresh start and success is possible. The program highlights that we are here to guide them through school's challenges and help them succeed. This presentation will highlight what Bridge is, how to have a Bridge program at your site, and help demonstrate how connection with our students can change the trajectory of their lives.

Join Principal Chris Fore as he shares how the staff at Mojave High School (Hesperia, CA) is fostering meaningful connections with students through the "Each One, Reach One" philosophy in the seminar, "Ghosting is for Phones, Not Schools: Building Meaningful Connections on Campus." Over the past two years, the school has implemented various new programs designed to deepen student engagement. These efforts have yielded impressive results, as reflected in the Youth Truth Survey, with a 15% increase in student engagement, a 14% boost in school culture, and a 24% improvement in students’ sense of belonging and peer collaboration. This holistic approach has also positively impacted graduation and attendance rates.