Newsletters (Read More)

Newsletters (Read More)

Building Community Advocacy Muscles in Southeast Los Angeles

During a half-day workshop at Maywood City Hall in August, LA DEAL, in partnership with the Digital Equity Los Angeles Coalition, trained 40 Southeast L.A. community members to become powerful broadband access and digital equity advocates. The event, sponsored by the California Community Foundation’s Digital Equity Project, provided participants with crucial knowledge about the digital divide, along with practical strategies for engaging elected officials and advocating for change.

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Welcoming New Voices: Introducing the 2024-25 Community Schools Steering Committee Members

The L.A. Unified Community Schools Steering Committee (CSSC) is thrilled to welcome seven new members – Ingrid Bryan (LAUSD), Nicholas Wu (CIS-LA), Joel Cisneros (LAUSD), Jose Benitez (LAUSD), Maricela Sanchez Robles (LAUSD), Jennifer Cano (Alliance for a Better Community) and Emily Grijalva (LAUSD) to the 2024-25 committee. Each brings a wealth of passion and expertise that will help steer the direction of the Community Schools Initiative (CSI), ensuring it continues to thrive and enhance our schools.

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Apprenticeship Programs as a Pathway to Business Growth and Success

UNITE-LA was excited to host a session on “Exploring Apprenticeship Programs: A Pathway to Business Growth and Success” at the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Statewide Conference and at the California Workforce Association (CWA) Meeting of the Minds Monterey (MMM) Conference. Sessions empowered business and government leaders to tap into the transformative potential of apprenticeship programs, helping drive organizational growth and development, while fostering connections between job seekers and employer partners in Los Angeles.

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Showcasing UNITE-LA’s Collective Impact Approach

UNITE-LA grounds its work in a collective impact approach, emphasizing thoughtful, strategic and persistent partnerships to address complex social issues and achieve systemic change. In September, we were excited to support presentations on the Horizons 32K strategic plan, California's Master Plan for Career Education, and the Los Angeles Region K-16 Collaborative at the SoCal Grantmakers Annual Conference and Ed Trust West's Ed Equity Forum. A unifying theme at both conferences was the critical need for continued alignment of systems and resources, and improved cross-sector relationships, accountability and trust in order to effectively advance our shared vision of equitable and thriving futures for students and families.

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LA DEAL Secures $200,000 for Los Angeles County

LA DEAL, with support from the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), helped 10 Los Angeles County municipalities — including South El Monte, Rosemead, Palmdale, Maywood, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Inglewood, Bellflower, Bell and Artesia — secure $200,000 in digital inclusion grants. Funds will allow each community to participate in a Local Government Best Practices Checklist Learning Community this fall.

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Enhancing Transfer Pathways at Cal Poly Pomona

UNITE-LA recently completed a Transfer Community of Practice (CoP) with K-16 subregional convener and L.A. Compact partner Cal Poly Pomona (CPP). The CoP focused on enhancing transfer pathways and addressing equity gaps specific to the region, with a particular emphasis on supporting underrepresented students. Utilizing a design thinking process, CPP staff engaged in empathy interviews and collaborative ideation sessions to deeply understand the needs and challenges faced by transfer students.

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Congratulations and Thank You to Dr. Michael Spagna!

The L.A. Compact team would like to congratulate Dr. Michael Spagna on his appointment as interim president of Cal Poly Humboldt.

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Welcome, Roberto Thomas!

We are excited Roberto Thomas joined the Systems (L.A. Compact) Team as our new Administrative and Communications Coordinator in August 2024. In his role, Roberto is providing comprehensive project management and administrative support to drive the success of the team's diverse portfolios, encompassing K-12, postsecondary, and workforce initiatives.

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A Collective Commitment to Enhancing Student Wellbeing

The critical need for essential health services remains a top priority within our LAUSD Community Schools Initiative (CSI), as revealed by both comprehensive site-based assets and needs assessments and real-time feedback loops with students, families and school staff. Collected insights underscore the pressing necessity for seamless service delivery, prompting focused efforts to address existing gaps. In September, UNITE-LA launched the Alliance for Opportunity (AFO), a collaborative committee dedicated to enhancing comprehensive support for students and families across the CSI.

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Forging Equitable Futures for Student Parents

UNITE-LA’s continued commitment to supporting student parents was highlighted at the Forging Equitable Futures for Student Parents convening on Sept. 5-6. The gathering convened California parenting students, elected officials, higher education personnel, policy advocates and nonprofits working toward equity for parenting college students. Assemblymember Berman, co-author of Assembly Bill 2458, discussed the impact of the bill with co-sponsors, which include UNITE-LA. The bill was signed into law in late September, expanding financial aid access for student parents and empowering colleges to better identify student parents on campus.

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