Chancellor Drake Visits Santa Ana High School

Chancellor Michael Drake visited a Santa Ana High School science class March 27 to support a new UC Irvine program called GK-12. The program partners graduate students with K-12 teachers to enrich the learning experience of science students at minority-serving schools. The graduate students improve their own teaching, mentoring and communication skills while giving back to local communities. The program serves 70 schools in three districts in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

During the visit, Chancellor Drake interacted with students and helped with their science projects, which included setting up worm bins to study the natural process of soil decomposition and nutrient cycling. He was accompanied by Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana mayor; Dan Salcedo, Santa Ana High School principal; Luis Mota-Bravo, Outreach, Research Training and Minority Science Programs director; and other GK-12 staff members. GK-12 is administered by the School of Biological Sciences’ Minority Science Programs and funded by a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Chancellor Drake and Luis Mota-Bravo help a Santa Ana High School student with her science project.

From left in center: Mota-Bravo, Drake, UCI graduate student Rebecca Aicher, and Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido greet high school students.

GK-12, Innovating Graduate & K-12 Education in Biological Sciences
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