Kaile Itow, a student in Darren McDonald’s class at El Toro Elementary School, earned third-place honors in the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s video contest that asked participants to tell their story of how they are being civic-minded and getting others involved.
Itow, whose video was titled, “Civic Engagement,” was one of nine students honored at the Nov. 2 county school board meeting.
Students entered as groups or individually in three grade-level categories: K-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Itow was the lead student for her team, which placed in the 6-8 division.
Winners who finished in the top three received a video production kit for their teacher and classroom, and each individual student received a gift card.
The SCCOE and several partnering organizations recently launched a website, civiced.sccoe.org, as part of a comprehensive civic engagement initiative to develop resources to provide to schools and stakeholders. Partners include the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, the Santa Clara County School Boards Association, the Eastside Alliance and the County of Santa Clara.
A committee from the partner organizations has been meeting since the spring to steer the initiative, which directly supports the goal of the Framework for California Public Schools that, by high school graduation, students are ready for college, careers, and civic life.
