From local classrooms to global partnerships, we are proud to share our latest milestones in educational equity and collaboration.
Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to:
Monroe UC Irvine Community School: The Monroe UC Irvine Community School partnership has officially launched the Community-School Leadership Council! This partnership between families, educators, community organizations, and UC Irvine School of Education is guiding priorities as we look forward to a brand-new, reimagined campus in 2027.
Research in Action: We’ve kicked off our first research project at Monroe UC Irvine Community School, co-designing community-based science units that integrate biliteracy.
Empowering Scholars: Congrats to our three Faculty Fellows and two Graduate Dissertation Award winners! Their work spans from career coaching and Latinx community advocacy to family math and literacy practices in Puerto Rico.
NNERPP CA Subnetwork Convening: We are thrilled to be hosting the NNERPP California Subnetwork Convening in January 2026!
Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter for more updates!
We are thrilled to share the UCI OCEAN Fall 2025 Newsletter! This edition highlights the vibrant work of our community, featuring updates on our OCEAN Seminar Series and the introduction of our latest Faculty and PhD Student Dissertation Fellows.
Dive into our latest Research-Practice Partnership highlights, including the 2025 NNERPP Annual Forum, the Monroe UC Irvine Community School Partnership, the Alianza MX Partnership, the AI K-12 Summit and more.
We’re excited to invite you to a special family-friendly community celebration on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Madison Park, 1528 S. Standard Avenue, Santa Ana, CA, hosted by the UC Irvine School of Education, the Santa Ana Unified School District, the City of Santa Ana, and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative (SAELI)—with support from the National Science Foundation.
This celebration will highlight how a university-community partnership has catalyzed a model for excellence and innovation in early childhood education in the spaces that children and families spend their time. This approach can be adapted and scaled in cities across Orange County and beyond.
At this event, you can see our work in action, including Parkopolis, one of our interactive STEM learning installations, hands-on student activities, face paint, music, food and more.
Please see the attached flyer for more details. Feel free to bring the whole family!
As part of the University-Assisted Community School (UACS) partnership between Monroe Elementary and UC Irvine’s School of Education, a team of 13 administrators from UCI’s School of Education Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN), Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) and Monroe Elementary recently visited two innovative schools in San Diego. The group toured Design39Campus and The Preuss School UC San Diego to explore best practices in student-centered learning, curriculum design, and university-school collaboration.
This visit followed a previous tour of two UACS campuses in Los Angeles – The Horace Mann UCLA School and the Robert F. Kennedy UCLA School – both of which serve as national models for university-assisted K-12 education. Read more here.
On February 12, 2025, faculty and administrators from the UC Irvine School of Education joined educators from Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties at Monroe Elementary School for the launch of its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) programs.
The event highlighted Monroe’s innovative approach to project-based learning and literacy through Spanish dual immersion. Monroe’s Principal Fernando Durán and Science Teacher Jesús Silva shared the school’s PLTW journey which has earned them both a Distinguished Award and a California PBIS Platinum Award for positive behavioral interventions and support. Principal Duran also expressed excitement about Monroe’s new University-Assisted Community School (UACS) partnership with UC Irvine’s School of Education. Read more here.
Check out this episode of The UCI Podcast, where Andres Bustamante, associate professor of education and faculty director of UC Irvine’s Orange County Educational Advancement Network guides us on a tour of the playful learning landscapes he has helped install in schools and community locations throughout the city of Santa Ana and explains how and why they’re already making a difference.
On February 6, 2025, the UC Irvine School of Education, led by Associate Professor Andres Bustamante, in partnership with the City of Santa Ana, Santa Ana Parks & Recreation, and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative (SAELI), unveiled three new playful learning installations at Madison Park and Angels Park.
These installations are part of an effort to bring learning beyond the classroom by embedding science, math, and literacy concepts into everyday public spaces. Designed to engage children and families in meaningful educational experiences, these interactive spaces transform parks into community learning hubs. The event, emceed by Dr. Bustamante, featured remarks from Dean Frances Contreras, Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua, Councilmembers David Penaloza and Jessie Lopez, SAELI Director Wendy Gomez, First 5 OC President Kimberly Goll, and PRCSA Executive Director Hawk Scott. Families and children from the local community joined the celebration, enjoying a mariachi band, DJ, and refreshments while exploring Parkopolis at Madison Park, a life-size board game that promotes STEM language use, caregiver-child interactions and physical activity.
Professor Bustamante and his team at UCI’s STEM Learning Lab are dedicated to designing educational spaces that make learning joyful, engaging, and accessible for all. To learn more about the research and inspiration behind this project, listen to Dr. Bustamante’s interview on The UCI Podcast:
These installations highlight the UCI School of Education’s commitment to community-centered learning, reinforcing the connection between parks, recreation, and education to create engaging educational opportunities for young learners in Santa Ana and beyond.
UC Irvine School of Education, Santa Ana to unveil playful learning installations at park
EVENT: UC Irvine’s School of Education, in partnership with the city of Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative, is holding a community celebration to unveil four interactive learning installations at Madison Park and Angels Park. These installations are designed to transform public spaces into playful learning environments, sparking conversations about science and math while promoting family engagement and informal STEM education.
WHEN/WHERE: 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Madison Park, 1528 S. Standard Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92707
INFORMATION: Parking is available onsite at Madison Park, near the intersection of Edinger and Standard avenues.
Media planning to attend should contact Cara Capuano at 949-501-9192 or ccapuano@uci.eduor Rachel Sampson at 949-466-8938 or sampsonr@uci.edu for assistance in arranging interview opportunities. Please RSVP in advance.
HIGHLIGHTS: Andres Bustamante, UC Irvine associate professor of education and lead researcher in the Playful Learning Landscapes project; UC Irvine School of Education Dean Frances Contreras; and Santa Ana community and city leaders will share remarks before a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Featured installations include:
“Parkopolis,” at Madison Park: a life-size board game that promotes STEM language use, caregiver-child interaction and physical activity
“How Tall Am I,” at Angels Park: an interactive height comparison tool introducing math concepts
“Giant Lotería Game,” at Angels Park: a cultural twist on math and science learning through play
“Eye Spy Mural,” at Madison Park (tentative): an interactive mural encouraging observation and engagement with hidden objects
BACKGROUND: In 2020, the National Science Foundation awarded Bustamante a four-year, $2.57 million grant for his research project “Stimulating STEM in the City: Co-Designing With Latiné Families to Promote Informal STEM Learning.”
This initiative focuses on creating playful learning installations that reflect the cultural values, goals and history of the Santa Ana community. Bustamante’s research team, which includes June Ahn, UC Irvine professor of education, and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University professor of psychology, collaborated with members of the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative to co-design a series of installations in public urban areas. Through 20 design sessions with local families, SAELI gathered valuable community input to shape engaging public spaces for informal STEM learning.
Two installations are already in use in Santa Ana on Main Street and McFadden Avenue, at the Northgate Market and at a bus stop on the northeast corner. They feature signage that encourages math and science learning in everyday activities. A giant abacus at the bus stop promotes practicing math skills during daily commutes.
The team is also working with the Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network to share these designs and their impact with other cities worldwide.
The University of California, Irvine School of Education will join with the Santa Ana Unified School District to launch their first university-assisted partnership at James Monroe Elementary School.
The School of Education regularly engages in research-practice partnerships with SAUSD schools and programs. The university-assisted partnership with Monroe Elementary is distinctive for allowing a more robust, holistic and community-driven approach between the School of Education and an entire school. This landmark effort will be led by School of Education researchers of Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN), which continues to broaden its successful engagement with diverse communities within and beyond Orange County. OCEAN will advance Monroe Elementary’s current work to integrate student support efforts, expand learning opportunities, and promote active family and community engagement. Read more here…
UC Irvine School of Education in partnership with the city of Santa Ana, Santa Ana Unified School District, Northgate Market and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 at the bus stop on the northeast corner of Main Street and McFadden Avenue in Santa Ana. The UCI School of Education was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to design everyday spaces in Santa Ana (parks, bus-stops, grocery stores) for playful learning. Learn more here.
Organizing Collaboration for Educational Advancement Network 