About Us
Promoting simple, healthy living to reduce mosquito-borne diseases in our cities through FREE CA NGSS-aligned student science programs.
EcoHealth encourages students to take action to protect public health and the environment. The program’s scientific approach shapes how students think about the interdependent relationships between mosquitoes in our community and human health. The program is geared to all grades/age groups and is free to schools located within our District boundaries.
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We Support Educators
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Each program begins with one or more grade-appropriate Next Generation science standards.
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All curriculum planned and implemented by Education Specialist. Sit back and enjoy the show with your students!
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We Nurture Community Scientists
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Each program has information about mosquitoes then moves on to one or more life science standards or an ecological topic using insects as models.
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The Education Specialist highlights the importance of the preservation of habitats and species diversity and the role of invertebrates in nature, in human health and in the face of a rapidly changing planet.
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Cities Served By SGVMVCD
SGVMVCD provides services to 26 cities, which include: Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Claremont, Covina, Duarte, El Monte, Glendora, Industry, Irwindale, La Puente, La Verne, Monterey Park, Monrovia, Pasadena, Pomona, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Gabriel, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, West Covina and Walnut. The District also services many unincorporated Los Angeles County communities in San Gabriel Valley.
Meet our K - 12 Education Specialists
Carol Anne Hagele (left) and Kriztian Luna (right) are our in-house CA credentialed teachers that turn the nexus between NGSS and vector control into fun, hands-on lessons for students.
Carol Anne Hagele
Can you share about your education specialist journey?
Coming from a career as a wildlife biologist, I started my career in education in 2000, teaching fine arts and life sciences at a charter high school in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 2007, I took the position as Education Specialist at this agency. I was tasked with expanding the education program and aligning it with state science standards. We expanded the program to encompass pre-school through grade 12 and created the first community science program for schools, the Vector Inspector Program, in response to the discovery of invasive Aedes mosquitoes in one of our cities.
Today, our agency is an industry leader in public health education, thanks to the hard work, creative talent, and dedication of the department's team members. Our programs have expanded and evolved, employing active learning techniques, language arts, and providing students with SEL opportunities during our visits. We've also expanded our online resources including a unique online interactive educational experience, Journey of the Germ, which was awarded a Chrysalis Grant from the Entomological Society of America in 2021. ​
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What are your hobbies?
I am currently finishing a master's degree in eLearning at California State University, East Bay. When I complete my degree program, I look forward to having more time for painting and drawing, gardening, watching the wild furred and feathered creatures that wander though my backyard, reading the stack of books on my nightstand, and finishing the next re-write of my science fiction novel.
Kriztian Luna MPH, M.Ed
Can you share about your journey to becoming an education specialist?
Prior to vector control, I taught high school students for 5 years. I decided to go back to school to obtain a master’s in public health and while in grad school I was a teaching assistant for a community education course focused on promoting science and health equity. I was hired at SGVMVCD soon after completing my MPH in 2019. This role has been the perfect blend between my life science CA teaching credential and public health. I use the skills I developed through both master's degrees, mixed with a ton of creativity and exploring uncharted territory in vector control education to create engaging lessons and activities. Mosquitoes are annoying, but teaching about them is really fun!
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What are your hobbies?
I love to explore! When I am not at work, I am traveling the world, tending to my edible and native plant garden, hiking up a mountain, dancing to Spanish music, or being a tía to my beautiful nieces.
Meet our TK & Pre-K Educator
Ally Gaspar
How did your educator journey begin?
I started educating Elementary school children in 2017, through a tutoring organization that focused on at-promise students in the Alhambra, Arcadia, and San Gabriel school districts. During the summer, my tutoring organization would host summer school and I would create interactive activities to complement the curriculum that would prepare students for the next year.
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Can you share about your journey as an Outreach Specialist?
I started in vector control in the summer of 2018, as a seasonal employee for the communications department. I wanted to stay in the education field but also combine my background in digital storytelling and media. Thankfully, this job allows me to combine all of my skills to enhance communication effectiveness to residents and students. I’m also currently pursuing my MSc. in Integrated Marketing Communications at the top graduate marketing school in the country, which helps me to apply innovative and strategic techniques to my communication and education efforts.
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What do you enjoy about your role?
I enjoy the creative freedom in my role because it allows me to experiment with messaging and curriculum effectiveness that produces valuable insight to residents and students in our jurisdiction. Plus, working with kids in their academic environment is so interesting to me, as they’re so curious about how mosquitoes affect our communities and they’re eager to help keep their loved ones safe.
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy being inspired by art and culture, so I try to travel as often as I can to cultivate creative ideas. I’m also a writer, reader, and a learner of languages; I speak Spanish and French, and have tried learning German and Gujarati (because why not). I also love walking, particularly when I’m exploring exciting cities and checking out cute coffee shops.
CONTACT US
Tel. (626) 814-9466
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1145 N. Azusa Canyon Road,
West Covina, CA 91790
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Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.