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Awards 3 6

SCHOOLS

Anaheim High School Continuing a tradition of leadership and educational quality, Anaheim High School promotes student excellence through self discipline, self esteem and academic achievement. The school has implemented a number of initiatives to encourage student success. These include programs to increase the numbers of students attending college, such as UC Outreach, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), The Puente Project, Partnership Academies and BRIDGES. Project Say works with students who are particularly at risk and holds an annual after-school College Carnival that attracts over 400 students. The school has also put into place an enhanced parent-teacher communication protocol to increase achievement and high expectations for students. In partnership with administration, the students in the school's BRIDGES Program have taken the initiative to further this excellence.   To create a safer, more inclusive and equitable school community, BRIDGES leaders this year created and disseminated a needs assessment, which will identify their priorities for the coming year.   BRIDGES members see a need to work collaboratively to address the underlying conditions that contribute to campus violence and poor student development outcomes. These student leaders wish to create proactive solutions and to ensure that student voices are heard by the administration. The outcome of the needs assessment survey will provide a clearer focus on the issues and problems that the entire campus community can address in the future.

Trabuco Hills High School �Off the Wall� Theater Company Four years ago, under the direction of teacher Paul Beidler, Trabuco Hills High School (THHS) drama students first performed the powerful anti-violence play �Bang, Bang You�re Dead�. The playwright, William Mastrosimone, based his drama on an actual incident of school violence that, regrettably, has been played and re-played much too often over the past decade. It is the story of a young man pushed to the brink by pressure from peers and parents; unfortunately, his easy access to weapons helps create a nightmare situation. The play was so well received that it now is performed annually at Trabuco Hills in every sophomore social science class � the troupe perform the play seven times a day to 700 students!   Moreover, the reputation of the theatre company and the play has spread throughout Orange County.   Off the Wall has presented �Bang, Bang� at each of the past seven OC Human Relations Youth Symposiums, Walk In My Shoes, reaching an estimated 2500 middle and high school students with the play�s moving anti-violence message. And, each year, the troupe travels, at their own expense, to a half-dozen or more Orange County schools to perform the play. THHS estimates Off the Wall performs to over 3,000 students per year through their travels. In 2006, THHS Off the Wall Theater Company was awarded an Ambassador of Peace award by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County.

Los Amigos High School This year Los Amigos High School BRIDGES Program students have concentrated the majority of their time on a school wide project, The Mendez Family Book Campaign, which is sure to have a lasting impact. The campaign educates Los Amigos students on the legacy left by Westminster�s Mendez family, whose lawsuit in 1947 established the legal precedent for Brown v. Board of Education. The BRIDGES Program participants were concerned about the lack of mention in their history books of this family who courageously challenged segregation in Orange County. They saw a pressing need to provide other students with access to a body of literature that brings awareness of important social justice issues. As a result, the BRIDGES Task Force undertook a fundraising initiative that resulted in the purchase of 50 books featuring diverse voices that represent Los Amigos students, their history and their stories � a special section of the School Library now houses the books. The campaign culminated with an Open Mic Night that brought together students, faculty, and family members to celebrate the diversity of the campus and the power of literacy. The event featured an address by Sylvia Mendez along with student artwork and spoken word performances. The Book Campaign marks an on going initiative to celebrate the diversity of the Los Amigos High School campus community.

COMMUNITY
Alan Chancellor Alan, the chair of the Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force, has been a dedicated volunteer member since 2001. The nine members of the Task Force are appointed by the City Council to �promote and celebrate diversity in our community through education and understanding.� As a member of the Task Force, Alan chaired the Education Committee where he worked with student representatives to support student human relations efforts in their Huntington Beach schools. Programs for students include an annual district-wide inter-campus Day of Dialogue and field trips to the Museum of Tolerance. A retired member of the L.A. Sheriff�s Department, Alan has great respect and rapport with law enforcement and has consistently supported efforts to respond to and provide assistance to victims of hate in the City, through the Making Victims Whole program. Under Alan�s chairship the Task Force began a campaign to recognize the various heritage months at City Council meetings to highlight the history, culture and accomplishments of the segment of the community being recognized. A notable achievement last year was the funding of a model human relations school program to impact middle and high school students and teachers. Alan worked diligently to bring forward the budget proposal and to collaborate with the school district superintendent, the City�s Community Services Director, and OC Human Relations to ensure the implementation of the program at Huntington Beach High School. Alan�s leadership has raised the profile and impact of the Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force.

Erin Lopes In the last 3 years Erin has made a positive impact on the human relations climate of Laguna Hills High School (LHHS) and produced a new generation of Latino youth leaders. After years of feeling left out of the mainstream at school, a small group of Latino students asked for Erin�s help in starting a student organization to provide a safe place for them to learn about their cultures and provide mutual support. The result was MJL, Moviemiento Juvenil Latino (Latino Youth Movement), whose mission is ��to promote unity and equality at LHHS. We create opportunities to develop ourselves as leaders in a fun and inclusive environment.� The students hold weekly planning meetings and have engaged in a variety of activities on campus to carry out their mission. The students have choreographed cultural performances and sold food at International Week, created t-shirts, researched and publicized scholarships and sent a student to the California Chicano Youth Leadership Conference. Due to their experiences in MJL, members have increased the representation of Latinos in student government and many graduates have received scholarships to go to college. To foster the work of MJL, Erin has offered workshops in the summer and on weekends, arranged for community leaders to present on campus, organized field trips and given up her lunch times to hold meetings. Using her own time and with no extra compensation, Erin has impacted the lives of MJL students and the LHHS campus climate by providing support, mentoring and understanding, and by motivating students to push themselves to be leaders and examples on campus and in their communities.

Orange County Dream Team (OCDT) The Dream Team is a coalition founded in 2003 and led by volunteer undocumented students. Their purpose is to advocate on behalf of undocumented students and educate about the opportunities afforded by Assembly Bill 540 � which provides for exemption for non-resident tuition for students without documentation - and the hope offered by the national Dream Act. Each year in the USA approximately 60,000 high school students will not have the opportunity to attend college, enlist in the armed forces, or otherwise live a full life because of the immigration status passed on to them by their parents. Children that grew up on American soil, respect the laws of this country, and want nothing more than to be recognized for what they are, Americans, bear an inherited title of an �illegal immigrant�. The Dream Act, the impetus for the organization�s name, addresses this national tragedy. In addition to keeping the community informed on state and national legislation affecting undocumented students, the ODCT fundraises to help undocumented students with scholarships, provides educational workshops, maintains a website, publishes a newsletter, coordinates advocacy efforts and mentors undocumented students. Recently the Dream Team partnered with Santa Ana USD and Santa Ana College to host family conferences at four high schools that focused on college options and opportunities for financial assistance. Nearly 1,000 families attended, a significant percentage of whom were undocumented.

Joe Rosener Newport Beach resident, Joe Rosener believes that it is less expensive and more effective to try to prevent problems than fix them later. As a result, he has spent the last eight years helping disadvantaged, young children in Newport Mesa Unified School District. Joe realized that the most important thing in a kid�s life is family. And what he discovered was that families need support and good communication with schools, teachers and principals. So, at 76 years of age, after a career as an engineer and in high-tech industries, Joe started a 501(c)(3) to work with pre-school through 6th grade youth � this volunteer project, Community and School Collaboration (CSC), became a full-time volunteer job for Joe. As Board Chair, Joe has donated thousands of hours and dollars to this cause. One of the programs offered by CSC is FAST, (Families and Schools Together) a multi-level approach that is recognized as one of the leading programs in the nation to address the factors that put children at risk. The program enhances family support for children who are exhibiting emotional and behavioral problems in school and builds bridges between parents and the school. The goal of FAST is to help Orange County's under-served, at-risk preschool through 6th grade students complete their education, be prepared for the work place and participate within their communities. Joe has forged successful collaborations with the Newport Mesa Unified School District, the business community and foundations close to home to improve the lives of many young people. And, at 84, he�s still going strong!

Ralph Sanders Ralph is a passionate advocate and tireless volunteer who has worked diligently to enable employable homeless adults to get back on their feet with jobs and housing. Ralph has volunteered countless hours beyond the requirements of his part-time job with the Interfaith Shelter Network (ISN). Ralph interviews and shepherds each homeless guest through the process of setting goals, finding and keeping employment, managing money, learning living skills and locating permanent housing. He also has the responsibility of coordinating the efforts of Orange County congregations who are willing to house and feed homeless guests. Due to Ralph�s efforts the ISN program now operates year round, unlike other shelters that operate only in the winter months. Homeless shelter providers agree that the ISN program is not only cost-effective, but achieves the goal of educating members of Orange County�s Temples and Churches about homeless issues and encourages them to speak up for justice and human rights. Ralph is a great example of the effectiveness of the ISN program, as he was once homeless himself. It was after graduating from the program that he realized he had a mission to help others make a positive transition. And, there�s no doubt that the 144 homeless adults that he has personally assisted during the last four years are grateful that Ralph made that choice and for the compassion, skills and dedication he brings to his work!

West Fullerton Local Organizing Committee, OCCCO The all-volunteer Local Organizing Committee (LOC) is made up of members of Orangethorpe United Methodist Church, a longtime constituent of OCCCO, (Orange County Congregation Community Organization) and people of many different neighborhoods and faiths in West Fullerton. This group of 25 volunteers is working diligently on the issues of substandard and affordable housing. More than 25% of the residents of the often-forgotten West Fullerton area have family incomes below $30,000 and over 60% of the area�s dwellings are rentals. The LOC met with city, non-profit and legal agencies and organized community actions to bring their concerns about under-maintained housing and negligent landlords to the attention of Code Enforcement and city officials. As a result of their efforts the West Fullerton Community Preservation Program has been adopted, which will result in enhanced code enforcement, targeting substandard housing in the neighborhood. The LOC is currently organizing around the more systemic problem of a lack of affordable housing for West Fullerton�s residents, advocating for new construction of decent, affordable housing options for the working families of the area. The West Fullerton LOC members continue to make momentous investments in the future improvement and well-being of their community.

POLICE
Garden Grove Police Department Community Liaison Division Staff The staff of the Community Liaison Division (CLD) have created several unique community policing outreach programs and taken the lead on several city and county-wide collaborations. Garden Grove is an extremely diverse city, both ethnically and culturally; this is matched by the make-up of the CLD team itself. The team has a very proactive focus towards crime prevention, safety, cultural outreach and education. The CLD has made outstanding efforts to build relations with the city�s Korean, Vietnamese, Latino and Muslim communities. It has collaborated with numerous county and non-profit groups to offer a child safety-seat program, drunk driving education, a Community Emergency Response Team, support for the homeless and improve safety in apartment complexes. On top of this, many of the CLD team volunteer as mentors and English as a Second Language instructors. Staff have created programs on their own time to mentor at-risk youth, provide support to low income families and offer a traveling book club. Due to the efforts of the CLD to both build the trust and empower Garden Grove�s diverse communities positive change is happening. 2006 CLD Staff: Cindy Nagamatsu Hanlon, Kris Backouris, Thien Cao, Tekyung Yu, Steve La Fond, Susan Crook, Gloria Pickrell.

Officer Omar Adham and Shakeel Syed Anaheim Police Department�s Community Affairs Officer Omar Adham and the Executive Director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Shakeel Syed, have been two of the key players and driving forces behind the establishment and success of the Muslim Arab-American Law Enforcement Network (MAALEN). The goal of MAALEN, as envisioned by Shakeel, Omar and Garden Grove Police Department�s Steve La Fond, was to improve the communication and create positive relationships between law enforcement and the Muslim and Arab-American communities countywide. The six major mosques in the county, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and interested law enforcement agencies were invited to the first Network meeting, facilitated by OC Human Relations. There have been three subsequent, highly successful meetings, each held at a different mosque at which the participants had the opportunity to engage in frank dialogue and engage in joint problem solving. As a result of MAALEN, there are now well-established lines of communication, growing personal bonds, and a better understanding of the concerns of the various parties. MAALEN has become a successful model for other communities to replicate. Without the determination and energy of Shakeel Syed and Officer Omar Adham, it may not have come to fruition.

Chaplain Steve La Fond Steve La Fond passed away unexpectedly on December 17, 2006, leaving behind a legacy of service, compassion, energy and commitment to the community at large. For over 30 years Steve devoted his life to improving the lives of others. Steve began as a dedicated volunteer with the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. He first worked with youth and eventually became the Garden Grove Stake Bishop, a volunteer position, which saw him provide counseling and assistance, and officiate at weddings and funerals, for an ethnically diverse community. Steve�s enthusiasm, willingness to pitch in and empathy made him the go-to person anytime anyone required help! Later, Steve took on an additional volunteer role as police chaplain for the Garden Police Department, embracing this position with dedication and commitment. In this role he was instrumental in helping the Department increase the size of its chaplain corps, making it one of the most diverse in the nation. Steve was hired by Garden Grove PD as a Community Service Officer and this seemed to further fuel his passion for volunteer service. Steve was a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club, an active participant in the Interfaith Council of Garden Grove, Westminster and Stanton, where he received a �Community Spirit in Action� award, and a member of the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce, who selected him as their Man of the Year in 2002. Steve La Fond truly loved humanity and had a gift of bringing people from all different backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, genders and ages together to work towards mutual understanding and a common good. He will be missed but his legacy of building bridges between diverse communities will live on.

Every year, OC Human Relations honors outstanding people for their exemplary contributions to human relations in our schools, communities, and police departments. This year's Human Relations Awardees are:

SCHOOLS

Katella High School: The school developed the Leadership Equality and Peace Program; one of the most ambitious undertakings was its weeklong campaign against hate and violence, which climaxed with a school district wide Unity Fest. The school also undertook a civil rights timeline project and raised funds for the Heifer Project.

Western High School: Initiatives that the Pioneer Outreach Network for Diversity (POND) program has engaged in include weekly task force meetings, over 100 student-run human relations presentations, Freshman Focus retreats a week of Cultural Understanding presentations and International Week.

Fountain Valley High School: This school's programs include a campus wide peer mediation program, mix it up activities like Project Pizza to create a welcoming environment, a month-long Diversity Film Festival and a Day of Dialog.

COMMUNITY

Dick Hitt - Dick was one of the primary researchers of the Orange County Historic LGBT Time Line Project. Since it’s completion he has made numerous community presentations of the material. Dick is a long-time LGBT volunteer, organizer of the two diversity support groups at Disney, and a founder of Dignity Orange County, a national support group for gay Catholics.

Hamid Kahn and South Asian Network (SAN) - Since 1990 SAN has been offering services and building capacity among members of the South Asian communities. SAN is committed to challenging systems of inequality and to advocate on behalf of health care, immigration, discrimination and women’s issues. Its Executive Director, Hamid Kahn, acts in an entirely volunteer capacity and has worked tirelessly to “take a proactive stand against marginalization and to challenge the prejudices within.”

Maria Khani - Maria has been extremely active in educating the Orange County community about Islam. She has served on the Board of Care “R” Us, was an active member of the Huntington Beach Living Room Dialogues – recruiting a number of other Muslim women to participate, has presented countless workshops at Orange County symposiums and schools that clarified myths about Islam, is a member of the Huntington Beach Interfaith Council and the Council on Islamic Education. Recently she was a key player in an Interfaith dialogue organized by OC Human Relations.

Gwen & Jim Johnson - Gwen and Jim have left their mark as volunteers on Orange County since 1971. Between them, they’ve been extremely active with Share Our Selves, founded the Friends of Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter, taught ESL classes, been lay leaders with the church, founded the Citizens for Peace Building Initiative, acted as an advisor to Native American groups, on the Board of Many Hands Foundation, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, and have taken People to People trips to Nepal, Russian, and Palestine/Israel.

Bob Martinez & the Latino Youth Leadership Institute - Bob Martinez is the prime architect behind the non-profit Latino Youth Leadership Institute. The organization believes that within every youth there is a potential for greatness. There are two main components of the Institute – an annual event that brings together over 1,000 Latino youth to empower and educate them and a “Leadership In Action” program, a comprehensive training which provides youth with the skills and inspiration to become future leaders in their communities.

OC Links - For over 30 years the OC Chapter of Links Inc, a group of African American professional women, has served the community. International Trends and Services provides projects that enhance the quality of life of people around the world; National Trends and Services offers programs that revitalize and nurture a positive appreciation of others; Services to Youth improves the life options of young people, particularly those at-risk and Services Through the Arts creates and supports programs for individuals to enhance their artistic endeavors.

POLICE

Cypress Police Department Police Training Officer Program - Cypress PD has implemented a training program for its officers that stresses community oriented policing and problem solving. The program has allowed new officers to meet with stakeholders in their assigned areas and to work collaboratively with those groups to resolve community issues and crime problems. As a result of this initiative, the community policing model has been institutionalized within the Department.

Irvine Police Department Asian Community Outreach Program (Officers Mike Li and Robert Hung) - These two officers have gone above and beyond their assigned responsibilities to build bridges between the Irvine PD and the Asian community. The officers have participated in numerous community events, held training sessions for the Asian community on issues such as local civics and traffic law, and have introduced many of their police colleagues to the members of the Asians community and their cultural practices. These officer’s efforts have established a strong base for future community-police connections.

OC Sheriff's Department - San Clemente Parent Project - In 1996, in response to a community need for parent education addressing adolescent issues, the Parent Project was implemented. For 10 years the Parent Project facilitation team has offered three 10-week classes per year in which over 700 parents have participated. Those participating have experienced a variety of problems with their adolescent children, including truancy, drug and alcohol use, gangs, violence and suicide attempts. Evaluations indicate 75% of parents experience positive change in the family unit.

Thanks to our Awards 35 sponsors!

AWARDS 34

SCHOOLS

Santiago Creek Community School has had an extremely busy and creative year. It started off with its students designing and hand printing social justice calendars depicting human rights issues. The school then participated in a mural exchange program with Capetown South Africa�s Amy Biehl Foundation. This project resulted in students from across the world learning more about each other�s cultures. The year closed off with the students designing and publishing a girl�s magazine entitled ALW, A Love Within.

Magnolia High School Human Relations Task Force had a goal of spreading the ideals of unity, tolerance and awareness throughout the campus. Using classroom presentations, monthly student lounges, district-wide retreats, a week of non-violence, Unity Nights, a Day of Dialogue and other school-wide activities this student-driven Task Force has made a major impact on the school climate.

Loara High School�s Bridges Task Force has taken the approach of being advocates for all students and to �break down barriers that keep us apart.� The students who organize and conduct workshops, assemblies, community service projects, newsletters and other projects have empowered every student at Loara to tear down the barriers that divide.

COMMUNITY

Despite working full-time, Irvine resident Massy Alavi, dedicates an average of 30 hours per week to her volunteer activities. She focuses much of her energy into serving the needs of senior citizens of Iranian descent, helping them to feel less isolated and depressed. Massy has also worked to assist members of the larger Iranian community to successfully adapt to life in Orange County while retaining their connections to their Persian culture. She also assists with many multicultural events to build harmony and understanding between cultures.

Anaheim resident, Cindy Nagamatsu Hanlon works as Manager of Community Liaison for the Garden Grove Police Department. In her volunteer life she has founded and grown a Youth Mentor Program �M&m�s�, which focuses on prevention and intervention for high risk youth and a Community Outreach Donations program �AngelWINGS�, which regularly collects donated items from retail outlets and distributes them to a number of community/nonprofit organizations.

Dorothy Mulkey is being recognized for her involvement in a landmark civil rights victory. In 1967 she brought legal proceedings a Santa Ana landlord who refused to rent to her and her husband because they are African-American. After a four year legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in her favor, which had the result of overturning California Proposition 14, a measure that permitted property owners to discriminate in terms of who they would rent or sell to.

Southwest Fullerton�s Valencia Task Force is a group of low income, Spanish speaking individuals who have worked diligently to improve their community. In the past two years, the Task Force has consulted widely with the community and City officials and as a result has seen the city approve almost $300,000 to improve safety in the area. The group has also had a great deal of input in the soon to be completed neighborhood health clinic and runs a number of programs for kids and community members in the neighborhood.

Santa Ana�s Daniel Ramirez has made an incredible contribution to the community through his selfless volunteer efforts as an Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO) leader and as a co-leader of the youth group �Adolescentes de la Esperanza�. Daniel has been key in planning a number of public action forums focusing on voter education, immigration, and parental involvement at schools.

Since Garden Grove resident Jon Fujiwara took on the volunteer leadership of the Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays (PFLAG) Speakers Bureau the number of community presentations has doubled. In his spare time, Jon automated the entire speaker process and made it accessible via the internet, thus furthering an important part of PFLAG�s mission to educate the public.

POLICE

The Fullerton Police Department Crime Impact Unit, in collaboration with city departments, business owners and community members, undertook an evaluation and created a successfully implemented plan to address crime and safety issues in the Downtown Fullerton area.

The Newport Beach Police Department developed a 8-week Teen Police Academy to city high school students. The program has been very successful in bridging the gap between students and police and has resulted in students viewing police officers as being trustworthy people who provide an important service to the community, rather than �uniforms� who are out to get them.

Officer Dan Lurie is Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services� first School Resource Officer. He has thrown himself whole-heartedly into the position and today school students and administrators unanimously believe that Dan has made a difference in promoting a positive campus atmosphere and environment.


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