In late 2021, UNITE-LA and systems leaders from across L.A. County began to prepare for a state grant opportunity that would launch regional K-16 collaboratives across the state. Various leaders and representatives from the County's five CSUs, 21 community colleges, 80 school districts, UCLA, and employers worked collaboratively with UNITE-LA to design a regional collaborative that prioritizes postsecondary access, degree attainment, and career opportunities for historically marginalized students in health care and computing and engineering. In July, the state awarded $18.13 million to the L.A. collaborative to conduct this work over four years.

The Compact's work in K-12, postsecondary and workforce systems was key to designing the opportunity as it builds on more than a decade of systems change in these areas in the county. Work co-designed by L.A. Compact signers and partners laid the groundwork for the goals and objectives that partners will pursue. These include:

• expanding and enhancing dual enrollment offerings, course registrations and completions to improve pathway awareness and early college credit;
• enhancing transfer pathways through the creation of stackable credentials, strengthening articulation between public two-year and public four-year institutions, and better advising to improve transfer success; and
• expanding work-based learning opportunities to improve students' economic security, career exposure and employer-aligned skill development.

In the coming months, a new regional Stewardship Group will form to continue to develop the collaborative and disseminate funds to five distinct subregions working in tandem to support localities within the county and to scale successful strategies to other institutions. UNITE-LA will convene the regional collaborative and Stewardship Group and provide support and technical assistance to subregions as needed. Over the course of the four years, we expect other partners to join efforts in strengthening the county's use of longitudinal data, local and state appropriations, and segmental policies geared toward student achievement.

For more information, see UNITE-LA's press release about the award and our informational PowerPoint presentation. If you have questions about the collaborative, please contact Adam Gottlieb, Associate Director of Postsecondary Initiatives, at [email protected].