Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) Teacher Kim Boerner was named the recipient of the annual Dennis Richmond Community Impact Award by Ala Costa Centers today. The award recognized Boerner’s life-long career as an outstanding educator with an exceptional ability to empower and inspire youth in the community.

Boerner is a teacher at ACOE’s Quest Academy, an independent study program for at-risk and underrepresented youth, serving students who are pregnant or are parents and have been expelled or incarcerated. Boerner’s demonstrated commitment to all aspects of education included serving as a mentor for new teachers, leading the teacher’s union, working to improve the curriculum for at-risk youth, and developing a program for teen parents.

“Kim instills a strong work ethic in her students to help them build a foundation of academic excellence to pave the way for a better life,” said Sheila Jordan, Alameda County Superintendent of Schools. “Having worked as a special education teacher myself, I understand the commitment and spirit needed to inspire and empower students, and Kim embodies the very essence of excellence in education.”

The Ala Costa Center will present the award to Boerner at a fundraiser gala on March 16 in Dublin, Calif. For more information, contact Kristen Yasukawa, ACOE Communications, at 510-670-7754.