Fresh Momentum & Magical Moments | | |
Front-row Seat: Big Announcements, Fresh Momentum, and National Field Trip Month
Good morning, Los Angeles! Welcome to the latest edition of your front-row seat to educational equity in action.
As we roll deeper into the academic year, our momentum continues to build, anchored by wonderful community support. We are deeply grateful to Citizens Business Bank for their generous $5,000 grant supporting our Ready2Teach program, helping us empower the next generation of early childhood educators.
Across our school sites, our dedicated coordinators and educators are hard at work alongside our students and families, laying the foundation for an unforgettable year ahead. (Note: Stay tuned to your inbox because we have even more transformative news regarding a remarkably generous anonymous gift that will be highlighted in its very own dedicated spotlight soon!)
But we’re not stopping there. Today, we’re also turning up the volume on a brand-new initiative designed to break down financial barriers and build magical memories: the LAEP Exposure Trips Fund!
For many students, transportation costs alone can make educational field trips impossible. The Exposure Trips Fund removes these barriers so every student can access enriching learning experiences beyond the classroom. From environmental marine science explorations to hands-on STEAM career visits across Southern California, we are making sure our public school students step out of the classroom and into a world of endless possibilities.
Grab your coffee...or tea, dive into the updates below, and see how your support is making a real-world impact.
This is your LAEP Community Report: Transforming Education from Diapers to Diplomas℠.
| | LAEP Team Members Share Their Most Magical Field Trip Moment! ((VIDEO)) | |
In this video, members of the LAEP team share their most memorable field trip experiences! Join us by going down memory lane. Reflect on your favorite childhood field trip. Remember the permission slips, the brown-bag lunches, or the excitement of stepping off the bus somewhere entirely new? Field trips didn't just get us out of the classroom, they opened up our worlds.
October is National Field Trip Month, and we couldn't be more thrilled to launch our brand-new initiative: the LAEP Exposure Trips Fund. Because financial barriers should never dictate a student’s future, this fund is dedicated to giving our economically disadvantaged students the chance to experience magical, out-of-classroom adventures designed to expose them to new possibilities, inspire lifelong curiosity, and connect classroom learning to the real world.
Be the reason a student experiences an unforgettable field trip that expands their view of what's possible.
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First Things First: Rally Your Network!
The classroom door is open, but we need your help to bridge the gap.
Step 1: Rally your network. Giving is always more powerful and a whole lot more fun when we pull together. Think about your community circles: your active group chats, book clubs, or neighborhood networks.
Step 2: Decide how you want to move mountains together. Whether you're pooling your resources to fund transportation, or collaborating to fuel the fun with lunch and snacks sponsors, every collective action creates a ripple effect of change right here in Los Angeles.
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Help Us Reach Our First Milestone!
Help Us Reach Our First Milestone! Why wait for GivingTuesday? We are aiming to raise $25,000 by December 31st for our End-of-Year Giving Campaign. Every early gift helps us lock in transportation, secure magical out-of-classroom adventures, and open doors for our students right now.
Let's build the momentum together!
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Major Grant Alert & 3-Year Renewal!
We are beyond thrilled to share massive news: LAEP’s CORE program, proudly funded by the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA), has just received a major grant, securing its vital impact for another three years!
This exciting renewal means we get to keep building sanctuaries of care where educators can arrive fully, reconnect with themselves, and lead from a place of clarity and compassion. At LAEP, our work is deeply rooted in the belief that true educational transformation begins with grounding, presence, and authentic community connection.
Here’s to three more years of empowering our educators to thrive!
| LAEP Early Head Start in the News! ((VIDEO)) | |
The Good News Keeps Rolling: LAEP Early Head Start is Now Enrolling!
The momentum just doesn't stop! Hot off the press, our Early Head Start team, Danielle Watson (Director of Early Childhood & Family Engagement) and Sophie Topete (Center-Based Teacher) was recently featured on Hawthorne Community News!
In this special segment, they shared how LAEP nurtures early literacy, drives social-emotional growth, and wraps whole-family support around our community.
And here’s where you come in: right now, we have 15 to 20 open slots for local infants, toddlers, and expecting families! Check out the video below to see our team in action, and help us keep this incredible energy going by spreading the word to families ready to start their journey from diapers to diplomas℠ at LAEP Early Head Start!
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Know a family in the areas below who could benefit? If know any parents who are pregnant or have children under age 3 in South LA (90001), Hawthorne (90250), or Inglewood (90301, 90302, 90303, or 90305) who would benefit from our Early Head Start program, please let them know we are enrolling families.
Let’s ensure every child has access to a strong start. Visit laep.org/ehs
Fun Fact: The photo above is the beautiful daughter of our LAEP Employee, Merle G.
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A Historic Celebration of Culture, Joy, and Community Schools! ((VIDEO))
We are bursting with pride as LAEP Community Schools brought Hispanic Heritage Month to life in a huge way! A huge congratulations to our incredible team for hosting Washington Elementary’s very first annual Hispanic Heritage Event! Live mariachi, captivating storytelling, and a puppet show filled the campus as students, families, and Pomona Unified educators came together to honor Hispanic and Latino cultures.
This landmark celebration was spearheaded with passion and vision by LAEP Community Schools Family Engagement Coordinator Naomi Gamez, featuring hands-on, creative activities from the dA Center for the Arts.
A special thank you to Principal Herlinda Guadarrama-Almaguer, Assistant Superintendent Fernando Meza, and the dA Center for the Arts for helping make this joyful, milestone event possible. Here’s to the start of a beautiful annual tradition as we keep connecting classrooms and communities from diapers to diplomas℠!
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Building Bridges at the
Black Education Expo!
The energy was electric as LAEP returned to this year's Black Education Expo! We spent the day locking arms with local families, dropping vital educational resources, and fostering new partnerships to uplift Black brilliance in our communities and schools.
Showing up in full alignment, our CEO and members of our Board of Directors joined our team on site to engage directly with attendees. Together, we’re keeping the drive strong and making sure every student has the tools and support to thrive from diapers to diplomas℠!
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Time to Refill that Coffee (or Tea)!
Refill that coffee (or tea), start your to-do list, and take a moment to celebrate everything we’re building together! From landmark grant renewals and historic community celebrations to opening new doors for our Early Head Start families, every single update in this report proves what happens when a community stands united for educational equity.
As we launch the LAEP Exposure Trips Fund, we invite you to keep this incredible energy going. Share this newsletter with a colleague, tell a family about our open EHS slots, and keep your eyes on your inbox for that special announcement coming soon. Thank you for sitting in the front row with us.
We hope you enjoyed today's issue of LAEP Community Report.
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