Congrats To Healdsburg High! School Wins Golden Bell Award

Healdsburg Unified School District’s flagship high school, Healdsburg High School, received the prestigious Golden Bell Award by the California School Boards Association (CSBA).

This award recognizes Healdsburg High School’s innovative Academic Internship Program that connects students with local businesses in an engaging consulting project.

Celebrating its 35th year, the Golden Bell Awards honor outstanding best practices in education throughout California.

“The Golden Bell Award recognizes the strong connection and beneficial collaboration between Healdsburg Unified School District and our local community,” said Jeff Harding, HUSD Superintendent. “Now in its fourth year, the program has grown from a pilot project to a rite of passage for our students. The Academic Internship Program plays an intrinsic part in achieving our goal of preparing each student for college and career.”

Healdsburg High School’s Academic Internship Program connects approximately 150 students with 80 local business partners. Each student collaborates with their workplace mentor for six days on a goal-oriented project utilizing the student’s skills and interest.

Past projects included designing a website and establishing a social media presence for a local restaurant, creating a Healdsburg bicycle guide, building a computer from spare parts, and developing budget, rationale and timeline recommendations for planting a .33 acre vineyard.

“The Academic Internship Program strengthens our school-community connection,” said Judy Velasquez, Board of Trustees President. “Our community has gained an appreciation for our students’ talents. Through our students’ application of classroom learning in the real world, they are better able to understand how their studies prepare them for life beyond graduation.”

While the six-day project experience is during the student’s Junior year, program preparation begins during the Freshman year career and college planning seminars.

The program culminates in a student presentation to a panel of local business leaders, HUSD staff, and career mentors.

Healdsburg Unified School District will receive the Golden Bell Award at a recognition ceremony on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at CSBA’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show at the Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell Street, SanFrancisco.

About Healdsburg Unified School District

Healdsburg Unified School District (HUSD) provides an academically-rigorous education to 1700 students from preschool to 12th grade. HUSD includes a preschool, two elementary schools, a charter elementary school, a middle school, a high school, and an alternative education high school in the town of Healdsburg. Our teachers offer innovative, award-winning programs that inspire and engage all students on their path to college and career.

About CSBA

The California School Boards Association (CSBA) is the non-profit education association representing the elected officials who govern public school districts and county offices of education. The CSBA brings together school district governing boards and county boards of education to advocate for effective policies that advance the education and well-being of the state’s more than 6 million school-age children.