Dr. Stefan Bean, Lt. Col. Sarah Rambo, Dinah Ismail, and Dr. Maria Martinez-Poulin pose with a certificate during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where Sunburst Youth Academy was recognized as one of 12 campuses to receive OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award.Sunburst Youth Academy is named an OCDE Orange County Impact School during a ceremony on Oct. 7 at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. From left: Dr. Stefan Bean, Orange County Superintendent of Schools; U.S. Army Lt. Col. Sarah Rambo, academy director; Dinah Ismail, Sunburst principal; and Dr. Maria Martinez-Poulin, chief of OCDE’s ACCESS program. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman / U.S. Air National Guard)Sunburst Youth Academy cadet Miller sings the national anthem during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where the academy was recognized as one of 12 campuses to receive OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award.Sunburst Youth Academy cadet Miller sings the national anthem before a ceremony Oct. 7 at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where the academy was named one of 12 Orange County Impact Schools. Sunburst is a voluntary residential high school credit recovery program operated in partnership between OCDE’s ACCESS division and the California National Guard’s Task Force Torch. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman / U.S. Air National Guard)Sunburst Youth Academy cadet Martinez stands in formation during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where the academy was recognized as one of 12 campuses to receive OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award.Sunburst Youth Academy cadet Martinez listens as the academy is named one of 12 Orange County Impact Schools. The ceremony took place Oct. 7 at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. Sunburst is a voluntary residential high school credit recovery program operated in partnership between OCDE’s ACCESS division and the California National Guard’s Task Force Torch. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman / U.S. Air National Guard)Dr. Stefan Bean speaks into a microphone during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where Sunburst Youth Academy received OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award recognizing innovation and student success.Dr. Stefan Bean, Orange County Superintendent of Schools, speaks during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos on Oct. 7. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman / U.S. Air National Guard)Sunburst Youth Academy cadets stand in formation during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where the academy was recognized as one of 12 campuses to receive OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award.Sunburst Youth Academy cadets listen as their school becomes one of 12 local campuses to earn the inaugural Orange County Impact School award during a ceremony Oct. 7 at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman)Dr. Maria Martinez-Poulin speaks at a podium during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where Sunburst Youth Academy received OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award.Dr. Maria Martinez-Poulin, chief of OCDE’s ACCESS program, speaks during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where Sunburst Youth Academy was designated an Orange County Impact School on Oct. 7. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman)A Sunburst Youth Academy cadet holds a yellow flag during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where the academy was recognized as one of 12 campuses to receive OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award.Sunburst Youth Academy cadet Cardenas listens during a ceremony to mark Sunburst’s inclusion as an Orange County Impact School. The event took place Oct. 7 at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman / U.S. Air National Guard)Two Sunburst Youth Academy cadets in tan uniforms and navy caps stand at attention during a ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where the academy was recognized as one of 12 campuses to receive OCDE’s inaugural School Impact Award.Sunburst Youth Academy cadets Clarke and Fernandez listen as their school is named one of 12 Orange County Impact Schools during a ceremony Oct. 7 at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman / U.S. Air National Guard)

Quick look: Sunburst Youth Academy recently celebrated becoming an Orange County Impact School. The OCDE designation promotes an exchange of ideas and best practices between local schools and the county office.

Earlier this week, we shared that 12 campuses across Orange County have been named Orange County Impact Schools, a new OCDE recognition promoting both innovation and collaboration to expand best practices in education.

One of those sites is Sunburst Youth Academy in Los Alamitos, which is no stranger to innovation and collaboration.

Operated in partnership with the California National Guard’s Task Force Torch, Sunburst is part of OCDE’s Alternative Education program, or ACCESS. The voluntary, tuition-free residential academy offers a highly structured, military-style environment where students age 15½ to 18 can recover credits, build discipline and develop life skills.

During a formation ceremony at Joint Forces Training Base on Oct. 7, Orange County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean paid a visit to help designate the campus as an inaugural Orange County Impact School. The recognition came on the heels of Sunburst opening the fall session with its largest class of cadets to date.

Tech. Sgt. Crystal Housman, who oversees digital marketing and outreach for Sunburst, shared photos from the event, featured above.

Holistic approach

“This recognition celebrates the transformation that happens here,” the county superintendent said. “Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about lifting others to their potential. Sunburst exemplifies that by helping students leave here as stronger leaders in our communities.”

Dr. Maria Martinez-Poulin, chief of ACCESS, also attended the ceremony, praising the academy’s holistic approach to education. 

“At Sunburst, learning isn’t confined to the classroom,” she said. “It extends to every conversation, every act of service and every moment of growth. This community models what it means to lead with heart and build a future grounded in hope, resilience and shared responsibility.”

Principal Dinah Ismail accepted the recognition on Oct.7 alongside Martinez-Poulin and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Sarah Rambo, the academy’s director. In her remarks, Ismail credited Sunburst’s strong network of partners.

“This recognition is not ours alone. It belongs to every person who walks alongside us,” Ismail said. “It takes a village to change lives, and we are blessed with an incredible village of educators, mentors and community supporters.”

Culture of care

Rambo added that Sunburst’s strength comes from its culture of care. 

“To call this place a school is selling it short,” she said. “It’s a family and a culture, one built by teachers, cadre and staff who never give up on a cadet. Together, we help each young person see their full potential, both here and when they walk out the door.”

The ceremony coincided with the release of first-quarter grades, which underscored the academy’s strong academic performance.

Out of 206 cadets in the current class, 148 earned academic honors, including 115 on the honor roll with GPAs of 3.7 or higher, 22 on the principal’s honor roll with perfect 4.0 GPAs, and 11 who received the academy’s academic excellence uniform pin for maintaining both a 4.0 GPA and outstanding behavior in every class. Collectively, class 36 achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.92.

The Orange County Impact Schools program was created this year by OCDE’s Educational Services division to spotlight campuses that are leading with innovative practices and to help spread best practices. Throughout the year, small cross-functional teams from OCDE will visit each of the 12 recognized sites to learn from their work and amplify effective strategies across Orange County.

We’ll also occasionally spotlight these schools on the OCDE Newsroom, highlighting innovative practices, student success stories and examples of collaboration that are generating positive outcomes for students.