Rebeca Cerna, formerly the Director of the California Center for School Climate (CCSC) at WestEd, has been named the Senior Director for the agency’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities work. In her new role, Cerna supports districts, schools, and community partners in centering equity and inclusion, and strengthening educational, prevention, and health outcomes.

Funded by the California Department of Education, CCSC helped build the capacity of schools and districts across California to understand and use school climate data and strengthen school climate practice. This was achieved through webinars, resources, and peer virtual events, often developed in partnership with educators, administrators, researchers, mental health professionals, and students on CCSC’s Youth Advisory Team. Cerna directed the center for three years before it closed in June of this year.

“Rebeca’s dedication to elevating the voices of youth and communities throughout her career, including as director of the CCSC has been nothing short of exemplary,” said WestEd CEO Jannelle Kubinec. “Her innovative spirit, deep empathy, and wealth of experience will continue to advance WestEd’s efforts to help learners and communities thrive and succeed.”

During her time at WestEd, Cerna has served as an evaluator for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Equity Technical Assistance project and worked with The California Endowment to build communities’ ability to understand and use school climate and community health data to improve student outcomes.

Cerna’s areas of expertise include health and wellness, school climate, community schools, participatory planning with partners, data use, and cross-sector collaboration. She has extensive experience working with communities challenged by infrastructure deficiencies and elevating the voices of all community and educational partners.

Prior to joining WestEd, Cerna conducted research on resilience and reducing risk factors. She has also taught in adult education and collaborated with numerous organizations to promote mentorship, youth development, civic engagement, and teen pregnancy prevention.

Cerna earned a BS in Health Science School Health Education from California State University, Long Beach, and an MPH in Community Health Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles.