District Sponsors Special Diversity Presentation

The Beaverton School District's Diversity Committee is sponsoring an interesting and informative evening on Weds. November 12, 2008 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Aloha High School Commons. The event, which is open to the public, will feature two well-respected speakers on the topics of Gang Prevention and Intervention.

Wayne Sakamoto is the Director for Safe Schools at the Murrieta Valley Unified School District in California. Mr. Sakamoto has over twenty years’ experience in school and community safety, and has developed many successful gang and youth violence prevention programs. He has also been awarded the 2002 Golden Bell Award by the California School Boards Association for his work as an advocate for violence prevention, and received an honorable mention for a Thousand Points of Light Award.

Gabriela G. Baeza joined the San Diego County Office of Education in 1999 as a member of the Safe Schools Unit. She is currently the Project Specialist for violence prevention programs serving three school districts. Ms. Baeza assists school with youth violence prevention programs, school safety plans, crisis response, and aids districts in creating violence prevention strategies. She also provides workshops and training in gang awareness, gender-specific violence topics, and school safety to teachers, administrators and community-based organizations, in addition to coordinating prevention/intervention groups for high-risk students.

For more information, contact the Communications & Community Involvement Dept. at 5030591-4360.