Arts
After ‘Cool: $9,800
University Partner: School of Dramatic Arts, Brent Blair
Community Partner: 24th Street Theatre, Jay McAdams
Website: https://www.24thstreet.org/after-cool
After ‘Cool addresses the lack of arts education opportunities for K-12 students in 24th STreet Theatre’s immediate North University Park/Pico-Union neighborhood and the educational and social needs of the low-income community’s youth, engaging 60 neighborhood 2nd-8th grade youth in weekly, after-school instruction and activities that develop confidence, acting and creative skills, including improvisation, character and story development.
University Partner: Keck School of Medicine – Bionic Ear Lab, Raymond Goldsworthy
Cochlear Implant (CI) Music Hour Collaboration: $2,850
Community Partner: Neighborhood Music School, Karen Louis
Website: https://sites.usc.edu/bionicearlab/
The Cochlear Implant (CI) Music Hour Collaboration is a weekly music appreciation session based out of the Bionic Ear Lab at USC Keck School of Medicine that involves researchers in music, audiology, and medicine. Through Zoom meetings, CI users, faculty, and students meet to better understand the challenges of music appreciation amongst CI users and to foster social and musical engagement amongst all participants. CI users will also have access to free group drumming classes and private music lessons which will help them build confidence to pursue musical activitiesand feel empowered to actively make their own music.
Kaufman Connections (KC): $8,900
University Partner: Kaufman School of Dance, Tiffany Bong
Community Partner: 32nd Street/LAUSD USC Visual & Performing Arts, Nelly Cristales
Website: https://kaufman.usc.edu/collaborations/kaufman-connections/
Kaufman Connections (KC) is a 24-week, hip-hop-oriented program that introduces K-12 students grades to choreographic processes and the creative field of dance, strengthens important social-emotional learning and cognitive skills, and increases teacher aptitude for integrating dance into the curriculum. KC’s USC student Teaching Assistants receive first-hand community leadership and engagement experience.
Leadership Academy: $9,150
University Partner: School of Dramatic Arts, Brent Blair
Community Partner: 24th STreet Theatre, Jay McAdams
Website: https://www.24thstreet.org/teen-leadership-academy
The Leadership Academy addresses the need for extracurricular programs supporting youth pathways to college and high-paying jobs and careers in 24th STreet’s neighborhood. High school students participate in program service over 30 weeks using theatre arts to support academic achievement, developing confidence, communication, interpersonal and presentation skills, personal goals, and encourage civic engagement.
Music Inspiring Community: $2,450
University Partner: USC Thornton School of Music, Neal Desby
Community Partner: 32nd Street/LAUSD USC Visual & Performing Arts, Kerry Kehrley
Website: https://musicinspiringcomm.wixsite.com/home
Music Inspiring Community is a USC student-run effort to bring the proven benefits of music education to neighborhood elementary students. Multi-disciplinary USC students share their personal love of music and the inspiration which accompanies music education with local LAUSD schools. Studies show regular participation in music increase creativity and life skills critical to later life success.
Theatre for Social Justice Residency: $25,810
University Partner: USC School of Dramatic Arts, Zachary Steel
Community Partner: F.B. Alliance, Norma Bowles
Website: https://cootieshots.org/
Theatre for Social Justice brings deeper understanding of present-day social justice issues to 3rd and 5th grade students, who write and produce plays and videos promoting constructive action in response to those issues. Through their work, the children will make empowering connections between what they are studying, their lived experiences, what they care about, and what they can do together to create the world they want to live in.
USC Thornton Community Engagement Programs: $29,020
University Partner: Thornton School of Music, Brian Head
Community Partner: Vermont Avenue Elementary School, Patricia Ferguson
Website: https://music.usc.edu/usc-thornton-outreach-allows-students-the-chance-to-give-back/
The USC Thornton Community Engagement Programs (TCEP) offer PreK-12 students and their families the benefits of music learning and engagement through their low/no-cost music-learning opportunities to students who live predominantly in the critically under-resourced communities that surround USC’s two campuses.
Youth Artists as Civic Leaders: $10,530
University Partner: Community and Local Government Partnerships, David Galaviz
Community Partner: LA Commons, Karen Mack
Website: https://www.lacommons.org
Youth Artists as Civic Leaders increases the civic leadership capacity of youth around the University Park and Health Sciences Campuses by training participants to expand their knowledge of local community issues as they relate to environmental sustainability and climate change while engaging fellow community members in the creation of a major public artwork.
Academic Support
Adventures Ahead: $15,180
University Partner: Sol Price School of Public Policy, Anna Parks
Community Partner: Redeemer Community Partnership, Lauren Tigrett
Website: https://www.redeemercp.org/education
Adventures Ahead is an after-school tutoring program for elementary students in the University Park neighborhood. Adventures Ahead offers an individualized reading curriculum, homework help, and academic enrichment to 30 students during the school year and an all-day academically rigorous summer program that incorporates math, science, art, and recreation.
Parent Engagement and College Readiness: $13,580
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences – PERE & CSI, Rhonda Ortiz
Community Partner: Building Skills Partnership, Luis Sandoval
Website: https://www.buildingskills.org
The Building Skills Partnership (BSP) Parent Engagement and College Access program assists first-generation students in the financial aid and college application process, educates parents on the higher education process and the resources available to them and their students, and provides opportunities that promote higher education to both parents and students.
PUENTE’s College and Career Program: $19,800
University Partner: Keck School of Medicine, Gregory Harlan
Community Partner: PUENTE Learning Center, Michele Wolfe
Website: https://www.puente.org/youth/
PUENTE’s College and Career Program empowers over 540 students from low-income communities to succeed in pre-college performance, gain acceptance to college, receive resources to succeed in college, obtain a competitive STEM degree, and contribute their gifts and skills to professional communities.
Reading Makes A Difference: $11,980
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences – JEP, Tina Koneazny
Community Partner: The Jester & Pharley Phund, Barbara Saltzman
Website: https://thejester.org/programs/literacy-and-outreach
Reading Makes A Difference (RMD) places tutors in schools and provides valuable tools and activities to make learning to read fun while also providing social-emotional learning (SEL) support. These include inspiring Phund assemblies, a Read-A-Thon to motivate students to help ill kids, lesson ideas, and appealing social-emotional learning activities.
Social Emotional Wellness and Community Care Initiative at Ramona Gardens: $16,300
University Partner: Keck Medicine of USC and USC Health Systems, David Dadiomov, PharmD, BCPP
Community Partner: Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley and Eastside, JR Dzubak
Website: https://www.wsgvbgc.org
The Ramona Gardens Boys and Girls Club actively supports the mental and emotional wellness of the youth they serve and provide the support necessary to help families under stress with coping skills to promote the development of children in a safe and nurturing home environment as well as provide hot meals and emergency supplies to those who are experiencing food insecurity and develop resiliency in youth through kindness education.
Thrive in Joy C11 Strength of Character Curriculum: $3,050
University Partner: Sol Price School of Public Policy, Christine Klein
Community Partner: Thrive in Joy, Nick Fagnano Foundation, Mary Fagnano
Website: https://www.thriveinjoy.org/c11
Club Thrive in Joy enables students to recognize their character strengths and to apply those strengths to be of service to others. C11 students will innovate through their entrepreneurial social impact projects uncovering pressing community challenges and providing solutions, education, and resources to meet these needs. Students take on leadership roles and work as a team to implement the C11 Strength of Character framework to have a positive impact on the University Park community while building relationships with their peers.
USC A-Lab Architecture Development Program: $9,800
University Partner: School of Architecture, Lauren Matchison
Community Partner: Foshay Learning Center, Malik Jefferson
Website: https://arch.usc.edu/a-lab
The USC A-LAB Architecture Development Program is a rigorous academic experience providing students from Foshay Learning Center with on-campus, immersive instruction in architecture and design. The curriculum imparts hard and soft architectural skills and helps students prepare for college and identify career goals.
USC Annenberg BSAP Media Club: $12,260
University Partner: USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, Brittany Scholten
Community Partner: Black Student Achievement Program at Alexander Science Center School, Nadine Staine
USC Annenberg BSAP Media Club is an after-school program that teaches digital media skills to 4th and 5th graders in the Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) at Alexander Science Center School (ASCS). USC Annenberg students are hired to teach photography, video, and editing over the course of fourteen weeks to the children. Utilizing the knowledge Annenberg students have learned in their coursework, they inspire the youth of BSAP, teach them tangible skills, and create a cohort of young storytellers.
USC ReadersPLUS: $64,850
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Tina Koneazny
Community Partner: Lenicia B. Weemes Elementary School, Mercedes Pineda
Website: https://dornsife.usc.edu/joint-educational-project
USC ReadersPlus places after-school reading and math tutors in University Park area schools, inspiring academic confidence and positive learning relationships for children who are at reading or math levels below the classroom average. The after-school curriculum addresses homework help, STEM, literature, and mindfulness.
USC Troy Camp: $29,800
University Partner: Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Celso Delgado
Community Partner: 32nd Street/LAUSD USC Visual & Performing Arts, Kerry Kehrley
Website: https://troycamp.org
Founded in 1948, USC Troy Camp mission has been to provide mentorship and community building (and eventually, a return to the mountain summer camp) for 3rd-12th grade students in the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles. This student-run program has accomplished its mission through free programming, provided by over 200 undergraduate mentors. This program provides resources and guidance to help 3rd-12th grade students achieve their academic and personal goals at the University Park Campus.
VBGC Music Room: STEAM + College + Workforce Development Programming for Underserved Youth in Partnership with Building Beats: $11,520
University Partner: University Relations, Community and Local Government Partnerships, Dulce Acosta
Community Partner: Variety Boys & Girls Club, Patricia Siqueiros
Website: https://www.VBGC.org
The Variety Boys and Girls Club (VBGC) provides after-school academic enrichment, with an emphasis on college and career pathways, to K-12 neighborhood students. From assisting their members in high school with scholarships to attend college and financial aid applications to helping former members/young adults during college in seeking post-graduation employment opportunities, VBGC works to illuminate the pathway for their members to achieve college acceptance and a college degree.
Virtual Assisted Living and Education Program (V.A.L.E.™): $17,070
University Partner: Viterbi School of Engineering, Darin Gray
Community Partner: Living Advantage, Inc., Pamela Clay
Website: https://www.livingadvantageinc.org/the-VALE-program
The Virtual Assisted Living And Education Program (VALE) utilizes innovative technology, collaboration, and media to reduce unemployment, homelessness, and incarceration for LA’s at-risk foster youth population through increased hybrid-virtual/in-person services, eWorkshops, STEM education exposure, and college preparation. VALE helps students graduate on time, provides diverse experiences, addresses individual challenges, and hosts independent living workshops.
Writing 150 and the 826LA Writers’ Rooms: $12,420
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Ben Pack
Community Partner: 826LA, Jaime Balboa
Website: https://826la.org
Since 2005, 826LA has improved the creative and expository writing skills of neighborhood students. Through an innovative curriculum, intensive writing projects, and one-on-one mentoring, 826LA supports local high school students in building communication and literacy skills, with help from community volunteers, including USC undergraduates.
STEM
Building Opportunities with Teachers in Schools (BOTS): $23,890
University Partner: Viterbi School of Engineering, Darin Gray
Community Partner: LAUSD Local District East, Kearstie Hernandez
Website: https://viterbik12.usc.edu/bots/
The USC BOTS program’s primary goal is to impart widespread computer science (CS) and digital literacy to young students by providing elementary school teachers from East Los Angeles schools with effective long-term professional development (PD) that empowers them to integrate CS into their classroom through coding and robotics.
Community Applying Systemic STEM Education to Schools (Community ASSETS or C-ASSETS): $36,900
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences – JEP, Dieuwertje Kast
Community Partner: Norwood Street Elementary, Irene Worrell
Website: https://dornsife.usc.edu/joint-educational-project
C-ASSETS students engage in authentic STEM experiences both in-class and after school, reflecting what scientists and engineers do in the real world. Building off the success of the Young Scientist Program (YSP) and adding the Medical STEM Program (MSP), C-ASSETS delivers scientific labs directly to students and their teachers with the goal of supplementing science instruction, strengthening science literacy, and promoting interest in scientific careers in children in the University Park area.
Expanding STARs/EHA Program: $36,750
University Partner: Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Terry Church
Community Partner: Bravo Medical Magnet High School, Luis Lopez
Website: http://pharmweb.usc.edu/USCSTAR/
Expanding STARs/EHA Program introduces high school students around the Health Sciences Campus to the relationship between engineering and medical sciences, it helps students achieve proficiency in college-level science courses and prepares students to succeed in rigorous post-secondary science and engineering education pathways. Third-year EHA students train for placement in research labs at USC as part of the capstone course.
Keck Transitions in Health Program: $13,250
University Partner: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Community Partner: Homeboy Industries, Brittany Morton
The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology into the classroom offers students immersive experiences that go beyond traditional learning methods. Through VR, students explore virtual worlds, gaining insights into complex topics like human anatomy. With AR, students create their own augmented reality projects, fostering creativity and deeper understanding of STEM concepts. This program aims to revolutionize education by leveraging immersive technologies to inspire curiosity and engagement among students.
Medical STEM Education Program: $12,110
University Partner: Keck Medicine of USC and USC Health Systems, Wijbe Kast
Community Partner: Norwood Elementary, Irene Worrell
Medical STEM Education Program (MSEP) strives to increase the diversity of individuals in medical disciplines through support of medical education within the K-12 system of local youth. The program educates K-5 children about medicine, promote healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of diseases, and inspire pursuit of careers in science.
Mission Science: $30,400
University Partner: Viterbi School of Engineering, Darin Gray
Community Partner: Gates Elementary, Jennifer Barraza
Website: https://viterbik12.usc.edu/missionscience/
Mission Science (MS) provides 3rd-5th-grade students with hands-on, inquiry-based science, technology-based lessons, and engineering activities and experiences. USC undergraduate and graduate students teach and engage local youth with STEM activities.
Project Scientist STEAM Club: $27,160
University Partner: Keck Medicine of USC and USC Health Systems, Ite Offringa
Community Partner: Project Scientist, Nick Boerum
Website: https://projectscientist.org/stem-club
Project Scientist provides a virtual after-school STEM Club to elementary school girls in the USC Family of Schools, giving under-resourced girls access to high-quality, standards-aligned, teacher-guided STEM experiences to broaden their horizons, engage them in active learning via home-delivered hands-on activities, and spark a lifelong love for STEM. Members of the Graduate Women in Science at USC provide girls with role models in STEM fields.
SCience Outreach: $4,800
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Susumu Takahashi
Community Partner: 32nd Street/LAUSD USC Visual & Performing Arts, Nelly Cristales
Website: http://uscscienceoutreach.org
USC Science Outreach (SCout) introduces scientific curiosity to University Park elementary school students through interactive science experiments and concepts before their formal science curriculum begins in their schools. Lessons are coupled with hands-on experiments, building upon the students’ basic knowledge of science while encouraging them to further practice the skills for scientific inquiry.
Southern CA Outreach for Pharmacy Education (SCOPE) Saturday Academy: $19,800
University Partner: USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Melissa Durham
Community Partner: Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School, Paulina Martinez
Website: https://sites.usc.edu/sopdei/scope/
The USC Mann Southern California Outreach for Pharmacy Education (SCOPE) Saturday Academy exposes high school students to pharmacy and pharmaceutical science careers through an intensive 6-week Saturday program at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
USC Med-COR (Medical Counseling, Organizing and Recruiting): $31,540
University Partner: Keck School of Medicine, Joyce Richey
Community Partner: Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School, Millicent Dypiangco
Website: https://medcor.usc.edu/
The USC Medical Counseling, Organizing, and Recruiting program (Med-COR) expands the pipeline of local high school students interested in health professions. Through comprehensive training, college tours, and mentorship, Med-COR prepares neighborhood students to be competitive for admission to colleges and universities across the nation.
Using STEAM/VR-AR to Alter History: Integrating History, Science, Math and Art (RSOE): $13,110
University Partner: Rossier School of Education, Angela Hasan
Community Partner: Foshay Learning Center, Tracy Murray
The Using STEAM to Alter History: Integrating History, Science, Math, and Art Program to explore events in history and present outcomes that are different from the historical record using VR/AR technologies. This program addresses the social-emotional support needed for students in underserved schools and allows students to acquire skills in VR/AR concepts and tools, scientific research methods-processes, and mathematics reasoning and problem-solving.
Young Researchers Program: $7,950
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Naomi Levine
Community Partner: Manual Arts High School, Natalie Beck
Website: https://www.youngresearchers.usc.edu/
The Young Researchers Program (YRP) is a 6-week summer program that provides local high school students with exposure to university-level scientific research. High school students are mentored 1-on-1 by USC Ph.D. students who provide the support and skills needed to conduct a successful research project.
Health and Wellness
Boyle Heights Beat: Voices/Voces: $27,500
University Partner: USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, Stacy Scholder
Community Partner: Boyle Heights Beat, Christine Kelley
Website: https://boyleheightsbeat.com/
Boyle Heights Beat (BHB) trains young storytellers, preparing them for higher education and careers. Through the LA Local News Initiative (LALNI), BHB bridges gaps in local news coverage and fosters civic engagement by highlighting stories from Boyle Heights, cultivating a more connected and informed community.
Early Intervention & Community Wellness/USC Internship Program: $15,520
University Partner: Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Ruth Supranovich
Community Partner: Wellnest, Jenna Haelflinger-Kurtz
Website: http://bit.ly/EICWprogram
The Wellnest’s Early Intervention & Community Wellness (EICW) program helps address and treat early signs of mental and emotional illness in vulnerable children to improve their long-term chances of leading healthy lives. The Wellnest/USC partnership improves the mental health and nutrition outcomes for 500 children, their families, and caregivers living in the University Park neighborhood.
Expanding the Network of Grief Support for Children in the USC Neighborhood: $23,620
University Partner: Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Rosemary Alamo
Community Partner: OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center, Lauren Schneider, LCSW
Website: https://www.ourhouse-grief.org/school-based-groups
The OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center School Program provides free grief support groups for bereaved elementary, middle, and high school students who have experienced the death of a family member or close friend within the past 2-36 months. During the school day, groups of 8-12 students are led by one clinically supervised OUR HOUSE volunteer to follow a trauma-informed and research-based curriculum, with the help of USC MSW interns.
FEAST Family Feeding Program: $10,000
University Partner: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Kayla de la Haye
Community Partner: FEAST, Amy Vu
Website: https://feastforall.org/
To fulfill the missions of increasing health and wellness in communities surrounding USC’s University Park and Health Sciences campuses, FEAST’s eight 8-week Family Feeding groups aim to reduce the negative impacts of stress, depression, and anxiety by providing social support for parents, and prevent childhood obesity through healthy food access and nutrition education.
Seed to Table: $21,250
University Partner: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Sarah Portnoy
Community Partner: Garden School Foundation, Rachel Black
The Seed-to-Table garden will address the links between poverty, lack of access to fresh food, and academic performance. Today, as one of the largest gardens in LAUSD, 24th St. continues to thrive and have a profound effect on students. Our unique Seed to Table curriculum was developed at 24th St. now serves 10 Title I schools in L.A.
The Salud Pa Ti (Health for You) Wellness Project at Plaza de la Raza: $11,400
University Partner: School of Dramatic Arts, Giselle Petzinger
Community Partner: Plaza de la Raza, Tomas Benitez
Website: https://www.plazadelaraza.org
A partnership between USC SDA and Lincoln Heights, the Salud Pa’ Ti (Health for You) Youth Theatre Project creates an opportunity for 45-50 teens to develop their academic and creative skills to reflect and present their ideas and expressions about health issues impacting their lives, their families, and community today, including post-COVID recovery, suicide, bullying, peer pressure, the impact of social media, hate crimes, and issues related to gender identity.
Thriving Under the Influence: $8,500
University Partner: USC Alumni Association, Jasmine Taylor
Community Partner: Bridge Builders Foundation, Jamecca Marshall
Website: https://www.bridgebuildersla.org/
Thriving Under the Influence aims to educate K-5 students about medicine and dispel common misconceptions, teach and promote healthy lifestyle choices that can help children reduce their risk of diseases in adulthood, and inspire community students to pursue careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences
Trojan Kids Camp: $25,650
University Partner: USC Student Life, Cynthia Brass
Community Partner: 32nd Street/USC Visual & Performing Arts Magnet, Nelly Cristales
Website: https://recsports.usc.edu/programs-and-classes/limited-programs/youth-programs/
Trojan Kids Camp (TKC) is a day camp serving the youth in the community. . Four week-long sessions throughout the month of July serves approximately 125 youth between the ages of 9-15 years, educating the youth about the importance and benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
USC Dental Screening Initiative for Foster Children: $18,530
University Partner: Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, Elva Garcia
Community Partner: The Violence Intervention Program, Astrid Heger
Website: https://violenceinterventionprogram.org
The USC Dental Screening Initiative for Foster Children establishes a dental home for foster children in the Violence Intervention Program (VIP). Professional dental teams provide dental health services in-person and virtually such as oral health screenings, fluoride varnish, dietary counseling, oral health and hygiene education, and emotional support.
USC Neighborhood Mobile Dental Van Prevention Program: $20,140
University Partner: Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Carlos Sanchez
Community Partner: Weemes Elementary School, Christopher Llovera
Website: https://dentistry.usc.edu/community/mobile-dental-clinics/
The USC Neighborhood Mobile Dental Van Prevention Program (NMDVPP) is the only school-based mobile provider for preventive oral health care and education in Los Angeles. This program improves the quality of TK-12 oral health education and the quality of life for children and their families by providing the children in need with access to free preventive oral health care and education. As a leader in providing school-based oral health preventive services, the NMDVPP expects to successfully screen and treat each consented child in the USC Partner schools that require oral health care services, as well as to promote oral health education at various community outreach events.
USC PT Fit Families: $10,450
University Partner: Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy, Oscar Gallardo
Community Partner: Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley & Eastside, Kurtis Sundblom
Website: https://www.facebook.com/uscfitfamilies
The USC Fit Families program encourages long-term healthy lifestyle changes in children to prevent problems associated with obesity and inactivity by providing face-to-face fitness sessions and educational content created for local children and their families. Rotates weekly between locations in east and south LA.
Community Safety
Violence Prevention/Social-Emotional Learning (The Peace Project): $16,780
University Partner: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Susan Harris
Community Partner: Sola Community Peace Center, Susan Stouffer
Website: https://www.solacommunitypeacecenter.org
The Peace Project is an in-school program to develop vital peacemaking and social-emotional skills (VP/SEL) for local kids and families around University Park Campus. The youth in the programs learn through experiential and fun learning activities such as role play, crafts, and small group activities, and learn the practices of gratitude and positivity.
Economic and Workforce Development
Food Security
GROW South Central: Garden Gateway & South Central Growers and Harvesters Network: $29,600
University Partner: Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, Francois Bar
Community Partner: Community Services Unlimited, Heather Fenney
Website: https://csuinc.org/programs/grow/
The South Central Growers and Harvesters Network expands on the success of CSU’s Garden Gateway and Tree Of Life programs, aiming to strengthen the local food system in South LA. By providing training and mentorship, the program empowers urban growers and harvesters, creating economic opportunities and increasing access to locally grown food. This initiative enhances economic security, promotes sustainability practices, and fosters community resilience by connecting families’ gardening and health interests.
Workforce Development
Co-operatives: A Pathway to Sustainable Economies and Community Empowerment (Project ReMAKE): $17,280
University Partner: Marshall School of Business, Marelle Berry
Community Partner: Collective REMAKE, Mary Sutton
Website: https://collectiveremake.com
Collective REMAKE and its USC partners have created Co-operative Education and Development Programming (CEAD) for people impacted by incarceration and living in the USC neighborhood by developing an ongoing mentorship program for and with USC students in the Marshall School of Business and program participants.
Inclusive Pathway to Healthcare Workforce: iPath: $17,670
University Partner: Keck School of Medicine, Maria Maldonado
Community Partner: East Los Angeles LAUSD Community of Schools, Ana Vega
Website: https://keck.usc.edu/physician-assistant-program
The USC Physician Assistant Pipeline Program (iPath) encourages local middle and high school students and families to pursue higher education and careers in healthcare. Focused on pre-occupational therapy, pre-behavioral health science, and pre-physician assistant fields, the program offers educational instruction, leadership development, and life skills support. With assistance from graduate students, faculty, and tutors, students gain resources to navigate academic challenges and prepare for future careers in healthcare.
Jazz Hands for Autism: $27,650
University Partner: USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, Nicole Esparza
Community Partner: Jazz Hands for Autism, Ifunanya Nweke
Website: https://www.jazzhandsforautism.org/
Jazz Hands For Autism (JHFA) helps individuals with autism transition to music-related careers by aligning their career goals with their talents. The Jazz Hands Musicians Academy offers a comprehensive 3-Stage vocational program providing individualized social, professional, and musical training. Currently serving 25 students, JHFA plans to enroll 5-7 new students every year.
Production Assistant Certification Program: $25,810
University Partner: USC School of Cinematic Arts
Community Partner: Justice For My Sister, Kimberly Bautista
Website: https://www.justiceformysister.org/our-programs
The Justice for My Sister Production Assistant Certification (PAC) Program empowers historically excluded artists by developing their leadership and craft while building a network of peers and potential employers. The 8-week online lecture series covers production lingo, set etiquette, and communication. Participants shadow and assist industry professionals of color on set.
Sustainability
Services for the Unhoused
Depaul USA: $10,200
University Partner: USC Student Life, Alejandra Hong
Community Partner: Depaul USA, Guillermo Vidaurri
Website: https://depaulusa.org/
The Dax Program addresses the college homelessness crisis by providing housing, comprehensive case management, and basic needs assistance to help students stay in school and graduate.
Education in the Digital Age: $18,620
University Partner: Marshall School of Business, Hank Wasiak
Community Partner: School on Wheels, Inc., Catherine Meek
Website: https://www.schoolonwheels.org
Education in the Digital Age, previously known as School on Wheels, ensures educational opportunities for children who are experiencing homelessness from kindergarten through twelfth grade by providing hardware such as Chromebooks, important access to high-speed internet services, and their very own volunteer tutor who will meet with them every week to reduce the gaps in their remote learning experience.
Los Angeles House of Ruth’s Women’s Crisis Shelter and Healing Program: $38,250
University Partner: USC University Relations, Dulce Acosta
Community Partner: Los Angeles House of Ruth, Jennifer Gaeta
Website: https://losangeleshouseofruth.com/
Los Angeles House of Ruth’s Women’s Crisis Shelter in Boyle Heights offers safe shelter for women, children, and foster youth, providing essential services like medical assistance, counseling, legal aid, and housing placement. We aim to help families escape abuse, overcome trauma, and secure permanent housing.
Share A Meal: $12,600
University Partner: Office of Religious & Spiritual Life, Vanessa Gomez-Brake
Community Partner: Khalsa Peace Corps, Ravinder Singh
Website: https://www.shareameal.net/
Share A Meal’s builds caring communities through humanitarian aid, sharing meals and basic necessities with the local unhoused community. This program operates a mobile food truck that annually distributes thousands of fresh burritos to unsheltered people, serving any community member who might experience food insecurity on any given night.