2006-2007 Grant Recipients
Education
USC African Millennium Pen Pal Program: $10,850
USC Community Computing Program: $29,100
Expanding STARS: Sharing the Power of Science with Neighborhood Youth: $30,000
USC Family of Schools In-School Facilitators: $12,000
Mission Science: $33,291 (for UPC) & $19,935 (for HSC)
USC NAI Saturday Academy: $36,500
Robotics – STEM: $24,424
Street Law Foundation Program: $3,500
Summer Academic Enrichment Program: $31,622
Technology Advancement Program: $12,810
USC ReadersPlus: $43,150
University Park Family Newspaper: $50,042
Arts Education
24th Street Theatre - After ‘Cool Theatre Program: $28,600
Art in the Village: $16,040
Building Bridges: $12,970
USC Film in Education: $14,270
Thornton Jazz Reach: $34,040
Thornton Music in Education and Thornton GuitarMasters: $33,200
Sports Education
USC After School Sports Connection: $50,000
Kids In Sports: $29,300
Safety
Kid Watch: $52,616
Peace Games: $19,843
Health
FUENTE Initiative: $7,500
USC Science Fair: $14,520
USC Community Health Fair: $16,477
Neighborhood Mobile Dental Van: $19,000
USC Troy Camp: $20,000
Economic Development
Mercado La Paloma: $25,000
Education
USC African Millennium Pen Pal Program: $10,850
Community partner: African Millennium Foundation
USC partner: Joint Educational Project, College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Program Description: This project provides Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) essay writing preparation for up to 60 middle and early high school students from Manual Arts High School, 32nd Street/USC MAST Magnet High School, Foshay Learning Center and the newly added St. Agnes Parish School. Using a cultural and linguistic pedagogy approach, the program introduces students to the process of written examination by way of teaching them correct narrative processes on a theme or topic driven basis and within the PSAT/SAT time constraints.
USC Community Computing Program: $29,100
Community partner: USC Family of Schools
USC partner: Community Computing Center
Program Description: The Community Computing Center provides bilingual, low-to-no-cost training in the fundamentals of computer use. Graduates of its programs will receive a PC to take home for use by their families. By providing both the training and the computers, USC can better enhance the economic opportunities of participants in their studies and jobs, their children’s academic needs and in their community involvement endeavors.
Expanding STARS: Sharing the Power of Science with Neighborhood Youth: $30,000
Community partner: Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School
USC partner: School of Pharmacy
Program Description: This program provides high school juniors with a mentored, hands-on science experience in the laboratory of a USC scientist. In addition it provides approximately 1,000 students (grades 9 – 12) the opportunity to conduct an inquiry-based research project as part of their academic science courses and to participate in the USC sponsored USC-Bravo Science Fair.
USC Family of Schools In-School Facilitators: $12,000
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC Visual and Performing Arts Magnet, Foshay Learning Center, Manual Arts High School, Norwood Street, Vermont Avenue and L.B. Weemes Elementary schools
USC partner: Civic and Community Relations
Program Description: This grant provides a part-time, on-site coordinator of USC programs at each of these neighborhood schools. They coordinate, schedule and serve as liaisons between the school staff and USC program administrators. With the many programs at the schools – including those noted here – the on-site facilitators help to ensure that programs run efficiently.
Mission Science: $33,291 (for UPC) & $19,935 (for HSC)
Community partners: HSC: Griffin and Murchison Elementary Schools and Variety Boys & Girls Club and UPC: 32nd Street/USC Magnet, Foshay Learning Center, Norwood Street, L.B. Weemes and Vermont Avenue Elementary schools
USC partner: Viterbi School of Engineering
Program Description: This after-school program allows more than 500 elementary and middle school students to learn science, engineering and technology by working on an informal, inquiry basis by providing true hands-on projects, exhibits, simple experiments, machinery to take apart, and a workshop in which to work. School teachers serve as instructors. The students will become MSIs – Mission Science Investigators. Borrowing from the popular TV show, CSI, Mission Science students will take environmental samples of air, soil and water and analyze them, solving the mysteries of the world around them.
USC NAI Saturday Academy: $36,500
Community partner: Foshay Learning Center and Manual Arts High School
USC partner: Neighborhood Academic Initiative
Program Description: The USC NAI Saturday Academy is a pre-collegiate outreach program that provides participating high school students intense and inter-active academic experiences, both academically rigorous and enriching. This includes SAT vocabulary development, writing and mathematics skill building, study skills and test taking skills. Most of the classes take place on the USC campus utilizing the expertise of staff, USC students, certificated LAUSD teachers, parents and volunteers.
Robotics – STEM: $24,424
Community partner: St. Agnes Parish School
USC partner: Viterbi School of Engineering
Program Description: This program uses the existing expertise and infrastructure at USC to collaboratively develop and implement a robotics after-school program for St Agnes Parish School. Hands-on, experiential inquiry-based learning is highly effective in making STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) topics appealing to students of all ages. It is especially effective in the recruitment and retention of typically under-represented student groups (i.e., girls and minorities). This group will be recruited for weekly classes in Robotics, the process of designing, building, programming and debugging.
Street Law Foundation Program: $3,500
Community partner: Manual Arts High School
USC partner: Gould School of Law
Program Description: Through Street Law mentoring, USC law students work with inner-city high school students to teach legal literacy, respect for law and its institutions, and offer counsel and advice about higher education. The “Homicide: Life on the Streets” teaching program educates students about school bullying, the law of self-defense, trying juveniles as adults, the law of search and seizure and more invaluable life lessons. All of these programs facilitate dialogue about juvenile justice issues among students, parents and school staff.
Summer Academic Enrichment Program: $31,622
Community partner: Foshay Learning Center
USC partner: Educational Opportunity Programs Center
Program Description: This program extends to C-Track students, who are in school during the traditional summer break and excluded from participating in Upward Bound’s annual five-week summer academic program, their own four-week summer enrichment session (including a two-week residential component on the USC campus). This program promotes and increases student awareness of the college admissions process, financial aid and student life and prepares them for the coming academic year through intensive academic skill development and exposure to the cultural and educational activities normally unavailable to low-income students.
Technology Advancement Program: $12,810
Community partners: Dr. Theodore Alexander Jr. Science Center School
USC partner: Viterbi School of Engineering, Engineering Writing Program
Program Description: This program will foster the development of technological literacy skills in the students, parents and teachers of a low-income, central Los Angeles elementary school. Phase I involves the redesign and upgrade of the existing elementary school computer lab. Phase II includes teacher training on specific computer applications and the development of technology-integrated lesson plans. Phase III will bring about the creation of a student technology team and regular parent technology training sessions.
USC ReadersPlus: $43,150
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC Magnet, Foshay Learning Center, Norwood Street, Vermont Avenue and Weemes elementary schools
USC partner: Joint Educational Project, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Program Description: USC ReadersPlus provides reading and math tutoring to thousands of children in classrooms as well as meaningful work opportunities for USC work study students. Up to 150 university students work with elementary students at the five schools. The readers provide more than 47,000 hours of literacy assistance per year and math mentors provide more than 24,000 hours of math assistance. Learning takes place at each school site.
University Park Family Newspaper: $50,042
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC Magnet; Foshay Learning Center; Norwood, Vermont and Weemes Elementary Schools; and St. Agnes and St. Vincent Schools
USC partner: Civic and Community Relations
Program Description: This bilingual, bimonthly newspaper features good news about the USC Family of Schools and the Exposition/University Park community. Graphics driven, the colorful newspaper focuses on positive news and events about the schools, community based programs, and USC community-outreach efforts that are of interest to parents, students and school personnel as well as other area stakeholders. Its goal is to reach the target audience of parents and guardians of the more than 9,600 students who attend five public schools and two parochial schools in the University Park neighborhood.
Arts Education
24th Street Theatre - After ‘Cool Theatre Program: $28,600
Community partners: 24th Street Theatre; 32nd Street USC Performing Arts Magnet; Foshay Learning Center; Norwood Street, Vermont Avenue and Weemes Elementary Schools; and St. Agnes and St. Vincent Schools
USC partner: School of Theatre
Program Description: 24th Street Theatre, the only professional theatre in the North University Park community that provides professional caliber, off-campus, after school arts instruction to our community’s youth. This program uses theater as a tool for helping students focus on the importance of education and the role education can play in their lives. The 2006-2007 program theme, “Education in Motion,” expands arts learning to non-verbal communication forms of dance and movement.
Art in the Village: $16,040
Community partners: 32nd Street USC Performing Arts Magnet, Foshay Learning Center, Norwood Street, Vermont Avenue, John Mack, Weemes, St. Agnes and St. Vincent Schools
USC partners: Fisher Gallery and University Village
Program Description: Members of the USC Fisher Gallery staff will plan, curate and professionally install four temporary, themed, student art exhibitions at the Village Fair Food Court in the University Village and the Fisher Gallery. Children in grades K-5 attending selected USC Family of Schools will create and submit artwork for consideration. Thousands of local residents as well as USC students, staff and faculty will have the opportunity to view the work of talented local youngsters. Professional development training “Art Teaching for Educators” will also be organized at the USC Fisher Gallery.
Building Bridges: $12,970
Community partners: LA Child Guidance Clinic and Manual Arts High School
USC partner: School of Theatre
Program Description: Students in the Latency Program of the LA Child Guidance Clinic and the special education students at Manual Arts High School will be taught self empowerment, expression, presentation, verbal and written communication skills, and socialization and leadership skills through the artistic disciplines of theatre and dance for at-risk youth. The program will offer emotionally disturbed, physically and mentally abused, and socially challenged youth a safe, nurturing, creative environment and healthy space for them to come and “be themselves” without judgment or scrutiny.
USC Film in Education: $14,270
Community partner: Manual Arts High School
USC partner: Student Film Foundation and School of Cinema-Television
Program Description: This program reinforces the “Three Rs” through the art of film in a 5-step process: Screenplay Development, Screenwriting and Storyboarding, Filming, Editing and Exhibition and Review. The program culminates with a screening of student films for their classmates, teachers, families and guests. Noted film directors John Singleton and Mardik Martin will serve as mentors and provide professional and artistic guidance to participating students.
Thornton Jazz Reach: $34,040
Community partners: Manual Arts High School, 32nd Street/USC MaST and Foshay Learning Center
USC partner: Thornton School of Music
Program Description: This program fosters the development of skills and appreciation of jazz music among 75 high school students. Lessons are taught by USC Thornton School of Music Jazz Studies majors, Thornton faculty, and professional musicians who have all been trained as mentors. Through their participation in the program, students learn to make a long-term commitment to music and are prepared to play at university-level. They also gain experience by participating in public performances.
Thornton Music in Education and Thornton GuitarMasters: $33,200
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC Magnet; Norwood, Vermont, Weemes, St. Agnes, Murchison Street and John Mack Elementary Schools; Manual Arts High School
USC partner: Thornton School of Music
Program Description: With dedicated administrative and faculty oversight, this program brings comprehensive, weekly, after-school music education programs into our local schools. Instruction will range from classes in keyboard, percussion, strings and winds to vocal instruction, ensembles, general musicianship and GuitarMasters. In-service training for teachers will also be offered. A multitude of activities will be available for students in the Thornton Outreach Programs (TOP), including tickets to Thornton concerts both on and off campus (such as Walt Disney Concert Hall), a Meet the Instruments program given in classrooms of local elementary schools, a performance by GuitarMasters participants at the House of Blues, and half-hour opera showcases prepared by opera students presented at local high schools and middle schools. An addition this year is an after-school drum-line class at Manual arts and USC Drum Day! - a full-day workshop held on the USC campus.
Sports Education
USC After School Sports Connection: $50,000
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC Magnet, Foshay Learning Center, Manual Arts High School, Norwood Street, Vermont Avenue, L.B. Weemes, John Mack, St. Agnes Parish, and St. Vincent Schools
USC partner: Recreational Sports Department
Program Description: USC’s After School Sports Connection offers high quality after school sports instruction in basketball, soccer, volleyball, and martial arts through regular classes conducted on-site at each of 10 neighborhood schools. A Saturday morning swimming program held on the USC campus was added this year. While learning the basics of these sports, the youngsters also learn about teamwork, cooperation and self discipline.
Kids In Sports: Amount: $29,300
Community partner: Kids In Sports
USC partner: Educational Opportunity Programs Center
Program Description: In conjunction with the USC-sponsored After School Sports Connection, Kids In Sports offers parent-led, after-school and weekend sports opportunities for more than 2,000 low-income youngsters between the ages of 5-17 in the University Park area. For many children, the program will provide the only opportunity they will have for regular physical activity. Young people participate in skills clinics, practices and competitions in basketball and soccer. Swimming will be extended from one month to two months this year.
Safety
Kid Watch: $52,616
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC Magnet, Foshay Learning Center; Norwood Street, Vermont Avenue, Weemes, St. Agnes Parish, and St. Vincent Schools, LAPD–Southwest Division, LAUSD School Police
USC partners: USC Department of Public Safety & Kid Watch
Program Description: Kid Watch is a network of residents who voluntarily watch over school children as they walk to and from school and other institutions in the UPC neighborhood. Currently close to 1,000 volunteers, community members – trained and supported by Kid Watch staff – are committed to helping make our neighborhood safer for those who live, work, worship, shop, and go to school here.
Peace Games: $19,843
Community partner: Norwood Street Elementary School
USC partner: Joint Educational Project, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Program Description: This grant provides for two advanced Social Work student-interns who will coordinate the Peace Games program at Norwood. Peace Games is a school-wide violence prevention program that teaches elementary school students to be proactive peacemakers through interactive games and community-service projects. It also engages parents/guardians, school staff, community members and volunteers in changing school culture in order to create a safer and more peaceful environment in which to live, work and learn.
Health
FUENTE Initiative: $7,500
Community partners: East Los Angeles Occupational Center, East Los Angeles Skills Center and Griffin Avenue, Murchison Street and Sheridan Elementary Schools
USC partner: School of Pharmacy
Program Description: The project uses the educational resources of the University’s School of Pharmacy to coordinate local pharmacists and student pharmacists to provide specific poison prevention, appropriate drug-use and self-management education. These programs target children and parents in the local East Los Angeles community through elementary, high school and adult education/occupational center Schools. Health awareness programs and health screenings are also provided to the general neighborhood population to improve knowledge of diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
USC Science Fair: $14,520
Community partners: Griffin Avenue, Murchison Street & Sheridan Street Elementary Schools
USC partner: Civic and Community Relations
Program Description: This program introduces children at our HSC Partner Schools to basic science and health principles, curriculum and potential careers. Students participate in an essay contest and, working with HSC students, develop a wide range of science projects. The expo culminates in a one-day science fair competition on the Health Sciences Campus.
USC Community Health Fair: $16,477
Community partners: East Los Angeles Occupational Center; Murchison Street, Griffin Avenue and Sheridan Elementary Schools; and Bravo Medical Magnet High School.
USC partner: Civic and Community Relations
Program Description: The Community Health Fair is the Health Sciences Campus and USC Civic & Community Relations annual signature event to provide preventive health services and screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, mammograms, dental, vision, exercise, Healthy Families, and clinic referrals. Seventy-five booths run by over 200 volunteers provide access to these services and health information directly to local parents, school children and community residents.
Neighborhood Mobile Dental Van: $19,000
Community partners: HSC: Griffin Avenue and Murchison Street Elementary School. UPC: 32nd Street/USC Magnet, Norwood Street, Vermont Avenue and Weemes Elementary Schools, St. Agnes and St. Vincent Schools
USC partner: School of Dentistry
Program Description: This grant allows the mobile dental clinic to purchase the necessary supplies to provide preventative oral health services to elementary school children using the mobile dental vans onsite at twelve USC Partner Schools and Family of Schools. The preventive services include oral examinations, dental prophylaxis, fluoride treatments and sealants, and referrals to no- and low-cost clinics for follow-up treatment.
USC Troy Camp: $20,000
Community partners: 32nd Street USC Performing Arts Magnet; Foshay Learning Center; Norwood Street, Weemes and Vermont Avenue Elementary Schools
USC partner: Campus Activities
Program Description: After providing approximately 200 children with a previously funded week long camp experience, the UNO grant will enable Troy Camp to continue its program with a year of events and socials for the same 200 children. This reinforces Troy Camp’s “Commitment to Friendship” which relies on frequent mentor-child interaction in fun activities and field trips.
Economic Development
Mercado La Paloma: $25,000
Community partner: Esperanza Community Housing Corporation
USC partner: Capital Construction Development
Program Description: Opened in 2001, the Mercado La Paloma is a neighborhood public market designed to serve as a cornerstone for economic and community development. It houses seven restaurants, a bakery, a caterer and several gift shops all run by low-income entrepreneurs. It is also home to eight local, regional and national non-profit offices. Currently more than 110 people are employed in the businesses and offices located in the building. This grant contributes to the Mercado’s Air Conditioning Capital Improvement Campaign.
Updated September 2006
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