More than 300 teachers, administrators, counselors, parents and law enforcement personnel attended the 3rd Annual Safe Schools Conference -- a yearly collaboration among LACOE Student Support Services, Dave Long & Associates and other public agencies.

At the closing session of the event, held Aug. 1-3 in Long Beach, LACOE retiree Shirley Abrams received recognition for her excellent, pioneering work in dropout prevention.

Abrams, former program manager for Homeless Education and the School Attendance Review Board (SSS), dedicated 20 years of service to LACOE and school districts. She served on some of the first SARBs created by statute in L.A. County and helped to establish the L.A. County SARB, which provides technical assistance to the 40 local district SARBs.

Abrams also created a scholarship fund for students who have improved their attendance and pursued higher education. The award now bears her name, "The Shirley Abrams SARB Scholarship."

Read more about the Safe Schools Conference.

Photo: Abrams with Student Support Services Director Director Victor Thompson (l) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. 

LACOE's GAIN Division recently got word that their contract to provide career development and job placement services for welfare recipients has been renewed for another three years.

The contract with the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services provides $17 million annually and calls for creative integration of technology into service delivery.

"Our focus will still be on job preparation and job-seeking skills," said Steve Yamarone, director of GAIN, which stands for Greater Avenues for Independence. "But our new emphasis on technology will streamline services and also provide participants with the computer skills necessary to compete in today's tight job market."

Since the contract's renewal on July 2, GAIN staff has been busy creating and implementing web-based training modules that will enhance services to L.A. County's economically disadvantaged residents.

GAIN also was re-awarded their contract to support the General Relief and Opportunities to Work program for another three years at $2.5 million per year. GROW provides numerous services to individuals receiving General Relief aimed at helping them achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Learn more about GAIN by visiting their websites at www.lacoegain.org or www.lahiringspree.com.

LACOE's Juvenile Court School educators continually seek ways to encourage students to make positive change.

"Cultivating College Material" was a recent event led by teacher Karen Fuqua and her colleagues at Camp Afflerbaugh-Paige H.S. in La Verne.

As part of the June 13 event, students shadowed teachers and other school staff for several hours to learn their job responsibilities. Each student participant was given the opportunity to manage the classroom or complete other job tasks. In a debriefing, students reflected on the experience with many thanking staff for doing jobs they thought were easy but are not.

The following day, counselor Randy Dunn organized more than 45 guest speakers to discuss a range of careers and occupations. The speakers circulated through all the classrooms and students were encouraged to use their active listening skills, take notes, gather distributed information regarding jobs and to ask pertinent questions.

LACOE's Afflerbaugh-Paige H.S. also has taken the pledge to increase students' physical activity before, during and after school by registering for Let's Move in School, an initiative of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The effort supports First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign to address the epidemic of childhood obesity, focusing on educating youth about the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and ensuring that every school provides opportunities for quality physical education and activity.

"Schools are powerful places for cultivating physically active, friendly environments that will positively affect academic performance," said David Renfroe, P.E. teacher. "We want to provide a setting at Afflerbaugh-Paige that encourages students to get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day."

Photo: LACOE school staff at Camp Afflerbaugh-Paige in La Verne motivates students to pursue college and careers.