Every year, dozens of Kern County educators rise through the ranks of their school and their district to be named Teacher of the Year, but only three become finalists to earn recognition from the state of California. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) office recognized all these outstanding individuals Thursday evening at the annual Kern County Education Champions of the Year celebration Thursday evening at the Historic Bell Tower Plaza. There, KCSOS announced the three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Kern County Teacher of the Year award. The trio is now eligible to apply for the California Teacher of the Year program.
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Students from across Kern County shared bold ideas imagining how they would improve their community during the Kern County Superintendent of Schools annual Speech and Essay Writing Contest. From expanding healthcare access and reducing homelessness to planting urban forests and improving public spaces, winning students delivered thoughtful speeches aimed at creating a better future for Kern County.
Coming soon, students in the Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District (RBG) will be riding to campus in style in a new fleet of electric school buses. The district broke ground Wednesday on its new electric school bus depot, which will house and support charging infrastructure for eight new zero-emission electric school buses.
Four seniors from Burroughs High School in the Sierra Sands Unified School District are leaving behind their homes in Ridgecrest and preparing to take their next steps after graduation, each carrying with them a story of perseverance, leadership, and service. From medicine and law to engineering and military service, these students have turned ambition into achievement while making a difference in their school and community.
On May 2, 2026, approximately 1,200 fourth- through eighth-grade students participated in Kern County’s annual STEAM Olympiad sponsored by the Sentinel Peak Resources, Kern County Science Foundation, Kern County Math Council, California Math Council, and Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Check out the results.
Students from across Kern County put their creativity and technical skills to the test during the 2026 Kern Codes Skoolcade, a game design competition that brought together aspiring developers in grades 4 through 8. Held April 23 at LER, the annual event challenged students to design and present original video games, blending storytelling, coding, and problem-solving into interactive experiences.
From sketching owls to coding with microbits, after-school learning in Mojave is sparking creativity and curiosity in new ways. A growing STEAM program is connecting students to real-world learning—and inspiring future educators along the way.
Wallace Elementary celebrated the first graduates of the Danny’s Fitness4Kids program, a new fitness program helping students build confidence and lifelong healthy habits through fun, movement-based activities.
More than 256 students brought stories to life at Stonecreek Jr. High School Saturday for the 55th annual Kern County Oral Language Festival. The students, who rose through the ranks of their own school, district, and regional competitions, presented a three-to-five minute humorous or serious interpretation of a published literary work.
The Panama-Buena Vista Union School District (PBVUSD) celebrated the completion of Mountain View TK-8 School on Thursday morning with a dedication ceremony that reflected the school’s growth from elementary school to a combined elementary and middle school.
The students of the Elk Hills School District are giving their school a gift that will be passed down for generations to come. In celebration of Earth Day on Wednesday, they came together with volunteers in the community to plant 40 sapling trees on campus grounds.
Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) clubs from 10 different schools gathered at the historic Bell Tower Plaza on Tuesday afternoon to brainstorm ideas and record their own podcast during the third annual Youth Against Commercial Tobacco Summit.
From the sidelines of Bakersfield High School’s football field, senior Analise Gil has turned her passion for photography into a new opportunity as she pursues her dream at USC.
Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday to celebrate the newly renovated Ed Edgmon Aquatic Center.
Seniors at Valley Oaks Charter School (VOCS) showed off their final projects Thursday evening during the 2026 Senior Showcase. The students are part of the Capstone Career Technical Education (CTE) program focusing on art, design, architecture, metalworking, woodworking and more.
Students and parents came together for Aprons in Bloom, a hands-on evening of cooking, wellness and family fun designed to help Standard School District families recharge during testing season.
Several talented students from Kern County are being celebrated as state-level winners in the 6th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Month Kids Art Contest, a statewide competition that invited youth to showcase their hopes and aspirations through this year’s theme, My Big Dream.
Educators and community leaders gathered at KCSOS’s Bell Tower Plaza for the opening of the Freedom Dreaming conference, where the 2026 EMBRACE Champion Awards honored local changemakers advancing equity and opportunity for Kern County students. The event is supported by the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s GENIUS Initiative, KCSOS, and partners including 21CSLA.
Nine outstanding educators are being recognized for the critical roles they play behind the scenes in Kern County schools. Meet the 2026 Classified Employees of the Year and learn how their work is making a difference for students every day.
A nearly century-old landmark in downtown Bakersfield has been brought back to life—blending rich history, personal memories, and a new purpose for educators across Kern County.
