2 Pleasanton USD Programs Claim Coveted Golden Bell Awards

PLEASANTON, CA — The Pleasanton Unified School District has earned statewide recognition with two Golden Bell Awards, the district announced Thursday. Presented by the California School Boards Association, the Golden Bell Awards honor school programs that make a strong impact on students and the community.

PUSD's Local Leaders of the 21st Century and the district's mariachi program Estrella del Pueblo were two of only 57 programs statewide to be recognized for the Golden Bell honor during the CSBA annual conference this month.

“We are proud to receive this recognition for two programs that have had an immeasurable impact on our students and broader community,” said PUSD Superintendent David Haglund. “Both the Local Leaders and our mariachi programs are a testament to the incredible relationships we have fostered with organizations and families and how our students have been empowered to engage and make a larger impact on the world as a result.”

The Local Leaders of the 21st Century began as a pilot program in 2015 as a student club at Amador Valley High School. The objective was to provide educational and advocacy opportunities in sustainability through a partnership with the international nonprofit Go Green Initiative led and created by Jill Buck.

Since its inception, the Local Leaders of the 21st Century club has grown to over 100 members at Amador and has inspired a second club at Foothill High School.

“When I wrote Local Leaders of the 21st Century, it was to fill a void in sustainability education for teens," said Go Green CEO Jill Buck. "I’m part of the leadership team for the Green Schools National Network, so I see all the programming available for students. This program has enabled students to work side by side with their local elected and municipal leaders on substantive environmental public policy issues.”

Most notably, students in the Local Leaders of the 21st Century club inspired and led the adoption and implementation of PUSD’s integrated waste management policy. The policy has developed "Green Teams" comprised of students, staff and parents across the district focused on reducing waste and being environmental stewards for their community and future generations.

The Local Leaders club also conducts informational presentations for classes and community organizations on environmental issues and sustainability.

“This program has had a huge impact on my high school career. Through this program, I gained confidence in my ability to enact change even if I am just a high school student,” said current Amador Local Leaders of the 21st Century Jessica Luan. “My four years as a member and officer of Local Leaders has helped me settle into my role as an environmental steward.”

Estrella del Pueblo, PUSD’s mariachi program, began in 2015 as an after-school enrichment program and has grown to serve a diverse community of over 200 students and families. The program provides opportunities for students to learn and perform mariachi instruments and ballet folklorico dance.

For many participating students, the program offers an opportunity to learn an instrument, build confidence and to connect to a vibrant culture and community.

"Mariachi means a lot of different things. Mariachi connects me to my culture and it's a way to socialize more with friends who like the same things,” said Pleasanton Middle
School 8th grader Emily Ornelas. “When I am at mariachi I feel like I am with family. Mariachi helps me to forget about all of the stress and I enjoy myself when I am playing. Being in mariachi gave me a head start so that I could participate in my school orchestra.”

The program also provides a wide variety of support to students and families, including tutoring, robotics classes, as well as scholarships and many community resources.

"Mariachi is an amazing program because it helps students to connect to culture and music,” said Estrella Del Pueblo coordinator Viviana Suarez. “Students are not just learning about music but they are learning about the culture and connecting to school in a way that they don't in any other program."