Golden Charter Academy is celebrating the opening of its new state-of-the-art school campus across the street from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, bringing a longtime vision for environmental education to life.

In this edition of Education Matters, take a look inside the new home of Golden Charter Academy, the nation's first TK-8 environmental steward zoo school. Founded by CEO Robert Golden, the Fresno charter school combines academics with hands-on environmental learning, giving students unique opportunities to connect classroom lessons with the world around them.

Cellphones are a major part of students’ everyday lives, but what happens when they are removed from the classroom?

At Fresno County’s Career Technical Education Charter High School (CTEC), students are required to silence and store their cellphones during class as part of a phone-free classroom policy that has been in place for more than a year. The goal is simple: reduce cellphone distractions, improve student focus, and encourage more face-to-face interaction in the classroom.

E-bikes and electric scooters are becoming an increasingly popular way for teenagers to get around, but their growing use is also raising serious safety concerns for students, parents, drivers, and law enforcement.

In this Education Matters story, the Fresno Police Department and local education officials discuss the importance of e-bike and e-scooter safety as more students ride them to and from school. Some e-bikes can reach speeds of up to 28 miles per hour, creating potentially dangerous situations when young riders share busy streets with cars and other vehicles.