2009-2010 Grant Recipients

Signature Programs
24th Street Theatre - After ‘Cool Theatre Program: $26,100
Art in the Village: $25,991
Peace Games: $30,291
USC Health & Science Expo 2010: $14,167
USC Troy Camp: $20,700
USC Thornton Outreach Program: $34,880

Arts Programs
Dance Included Final Showcase awarded: $5,304
USC Thornton JazzReach $35,578

Sports Programs
After School Sports Connection: $52,145
Kids In Sports EXPO Sports Club: $35,100
NYSP Trojan Kids Camp: $20,700

Safety/Socialization
Kid Watch: $52,925
USC DPS Crime Prevention—McGruff Costume: $3,550
USC DPS Explorer Program: $7,967
USC Street Law Foundation: $5,000

Health
A Fotonovela on Obesity: $30,600
FUENTE Initiative: $7,421
HSC Community Health Fair 2009: $14,364
Proyecto Verde: $12,105
USC Neighborhood Mobile Dental Van Prevention Project $32,818
USC Physical Therapy Fit Families Program: $19,050

Signature Programs

24th Street Theatre - After ‘Cool Theatre Program: $26,100
Community partner: 24th Street Theatre
USC partner: USC School of Theatre
Program Description: 24th Street Theatre is 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. Students are taught by award-winning theatre professionals using a California standards-based curriculum and work toward creating a culminating performance for their peers, family members, and members of the USC community.
http://www.24thstreet.org/artsed/programs.html

Art in the Village: $25,991
Community partners:32nd Street/MAST,Foshay,Norwood,Weemes,St. Agnes,St. Vincent schools, Uwniversity Village
USC partner: USC Fisher Museum of Art
Program Description: The purpose of the Art in the Village program is to give students the opportunity to create art, based upon a pre-selected theme, in the classroom. This past year, the Art in the Village program gave 2,600 USC Family of Schools students the opportunity to create art and writing connected to California teaching standards. At a time when the arts are significantly underfunded, the Art in the Village program ofers quality teacher professional development and art suplies free of charge. Student art exhibitions are displayed at the University Village and the Fisher Museum of Art for public viewing.
http://uscfishermuseumofart.org/index.php?page=programs&action=artInTheVillage

Peace Games: $30,291
Community partners: Norwood Elementary and Peace Games
USC partner: USC Joint Educational Project
Program Description: 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 focused on neighborhood beautification, school safety, and community awareness. 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.
http://www.peacegames.org/

USC Health & Science Expo 2010: $14,167
Community partners: Norwood Elementary and Peace Games
USC partner: USC Joint Educational Project
Program Description: This program introduces children at our HSC Partner Schools to basic science and health principles, curriculum and potential careers. This year, 418 students particpated in an essay contest and, working with 20 HSC students, developed a wide range of science projects. Bravo students added a new dimension by mentoring the elementary students alongside HSC students. The science expo culminates in a one-day science fair competition on the Health Sciences Campus.
Contact: Cesar Armendariz, Phone: (323) 442-3571, Email: carmenda@usc.edu

USC Troy Camp: $20,700
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Alexander Science Center School, Foshay Learning Center, M.L. King Jr. Elementary, Norwood Elementary, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary
USC partner: USC Student Affairs, Office of Campus Activities
Program Description: A student-run non-profit organization, Troy Camp involves over 150 USC students who serve as counselors. After providing over 200 children drawn from 15 neighborhood schools with a funded, week-long camp experience, Troy Camp continues its program with a year of academic, leadership, teamwork, and skill-building events. Troy Camp reinforces these skills through frequent mentor-child interactions during field trips and fun activities that expose children to new and meaningful opportunities.
http://www.troycamp.org/

USC Thornton Outreach Program: $34,880
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Foshay Learning Center, John Mack Elementary, Norwood Elementary, St. Agnes, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary, Manual Arts High School, and Dr. Theodore T. Alexander, Jr. Science Center School, Martin Luther [M.L.] King Jr. Elementary School, Murchison Elementary
USC partner: USC Thornton School of Music
Program Description: This program will continue to bring comprehensive, weekly, in-school and after-school music education programs into our local schools, benefitting over 3,500 students and community members in the USC neighborhood. Taught by Thornton students, school children develop a greater appreciation for the performing arts and receive ongoing music education through in-school performances, field trips, weekly classes, and workshops, many of which include parents and other members of the community.
http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/about/signature/outreach/schools/

Education

Team Robotics $5,300
Community partner: Foshay Learning Center
USC partner: Larry Lim, Director, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Pre-College Programs
Program description: Students at Foshay Learning Center will undertake the design and fabrication of an autonomous and radio controlled robot to compete in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) Robotics Los Angeles Regional Competition to be held in Spring 2010, and the FIRST Robotics National Competition (Atlanta, GA) in 2010. The competition is an exciting, multinational competition teaming professionals and students to solve an engineering design problem in an intense and competitive way.
www.viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/ced/precollege/programs/

Expanding STARS awarded $23,850
Community partner: Maria Torres-Flores, Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School
USC partner: Robert Diaz Brinton, USC School Pharmacy
Program description: This project seeks to address four critical issues of science education at Francisco Bravo High School, located adjacent to the USC HSC. These issues are 1) the quality and nature of science education, 2) science literacy of high school students, 3) the development of inquiry-based problem-based science and math learning and 4) development of the future generation of research scientists with a commitment to mentoring and science education in the community.

Education Consortium of Central Los Angeles (ECCLA): $24,570
Community partner: Education Consortium of Central Los Angeles
USC partner: USC Civic and Community Relations
Program Description: ECCLA’s motto is “Connecting Educators with Resources.” ECCLA, the fiscal sponsor of many of the UNO-funded programs, exists to build connections between the community schools and its member institutions, such as USC. This grant will enable ECCLA to expand its outreach to our local schools through an enhanced website, database development, marketing materials, continue their quarterly newsletter, and support student scholarships and annual teacher-of-the-year awards.
http://www.eccla.org/

Family Science Project (FSP): $22,500
Community partners: Foshay Learning Center, 32nd St./USC Magnet, St. Agnes
USC partner: USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Pre-College Programs
Program Description: The Family Science Project is a hands-on science program that brings the thrill of science discovery into our communities to underserved 5th-7th graders and their parents. USC undergraduate students are trained to serve as “Engineers as Teachers,” developing and teaching exciting inquiry-based courses which also considering language, cultural learning styles and parental education levels in facilitating child learning. They intend to conduct three, four-session Family Science Courses at St Agnes, Foshay and 32nd Street over the period of one year.
http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/ced/precollege/mission/

Mission Science (UPC): $32,481
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Foshay Learning Center, John Mack Elementary, Norwood Elementary, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary
USC partner: Larry Lim, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Pre-College Programs Program Description: This after-school program allows more than 600 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. Students will become MSIs – Mission Science Investigators, and take environmental samples of air, soil and water and analyze them, solving the mysteries of the world around them. (Accelerated Charter Elementary utilizes non-UNO funds)
http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/ced/precollege/mission/

Mission Science2 (HSC): $18,842
Community partners: Griffin Elementary, Murchison Elementary, Variety Boys & Girls Club
USC partner: USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Pre-College Programs
Program Description: The Mission Science2 program located in the HSC neighborhood schools and at the Variety Boys and Girls Club is an after-school enrichment program that allows more than 300 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. Students will become MSIs – Mission Science Investigators, and take environmental samples of air, soil and water and analyze them, solving the mysteries of the world around them. Mission Science also provides teacher and volunteer training sessions at USC as well as on-line access to downloadable science activities and curriculum.
http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/ced/precollege/mission/

Science for Life Outreach Program: 11,590
Community partner: Murchison Street Elementary School
USC partner: USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
Program Description: The SFL science and engineering modules are composed of a series of lessons which use the research of the Biomimetic MicroElectronic Systems Engineering Research Center as focal points to make science relevant to the young children. One of their goals for this year is to increase the number of USC students who serve as mentors.
http://showcase.erc-assoc.org/accomplishments/2008/L-BMES3-L-ScienceforLife_MAR.html

University Park Family Newspaper: $47,710
Community partners: 32nd Street/MAST, Foshay, John Mack, Manual Arts, Norwood, Science Center, Vermont, Weemes, St. Agnes and St. Vincent schools
USC partner: USC Civic and Community Relations
Program Description: This award-winning bilingual, bimonthly newspaper features positive news and events about the USC Family of Schools, the Exposition/University Park community and USC community-outreach efforts. It targets audience of parents and guardians of the more than 12,000 students in the University Park neighborhood. The University Park Family newspaper covers all 10 of the USC Family of Schools. It is well known among the kids and parents as the paper with the student photos above the masthead. Its partner publication, the HSC PartnerNews newspaper serves the HSC campus.
http://www.usc.edu/ext-relations/ccr/news_pubs/upf.html

USC African Millennium Pen Pal Program: $13,613
Community partners: African Millennium Foundation and St. Agnes
USC partner: USC Supplier Diversity Services
Program Description: The Pen Pal Program will emphasize global awareness, social development and the meaning of being a global citizen as tools to improve the student’s writing skills. By sharing in a genuine appreciation for the written word and improving their writing, the students will have a better chance to succeed in the SATs and therefore, to enroll in college. Using a thematic approach, the program will also encourage our local students to learn and write about peace building to students their age in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.
http://1amf.org/action.php

USC Community Computing Program: $27,990
Community partners: 32nd Street/MAST and Foshay schools
USC partners: USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative and USC Community Education Academy
Program Description: The community computing program provides bilingual, low-to-no-cost training in the fundamentals of computer use. Graduates of its programs will receive a personal computer to take home. By providing both the training and the computers, USC can better enhance the economic opportunities of the participants, supporting their children’s academic needs, and their community involvement endeavors.
http://www.usc.edu/ext-relations/cea/initiatives/ccc/

USC Family of Schools In-School Facilitators: $12,500
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Foshay Learning Center, Manual Arts High School, Norwood Elementary, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary
USC partner: USC Civic and Community Relations
Program Description: This grant provides part-time, on-site coordinators of our USC programs at each of the neighborhood schools. The facilitators build student participation, coordinate communication, assist with program scheduling and serve as liaisons between the school staff and USC program administrators to ensure that programs run efficiently.
Contact: Kathy Diaz, Phone: (213) 743-4514, Email: kdiaz@usc.edu

USC NAI Saturday Academy: $27,720
Community partners: USC Family of Schools: Foshay Learning Center and Manual Arts High School
USC partner: USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative
Program Description: This is a pre-collegiate outreach program that provides participating high school students intense and interactive academic experiences. 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. This year, all 10th grade students passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Most scored at proficient or advanced and 22 out of 41 NAI graduates are attending USC.
http://www.usc.edu/ext-relations/nai/aboutnai.html

USC Neighborhood Debate League: $16,645
Community partners: 32nd Street/MaST, Bravo Medical Magnet High School, Manual Arts High School, Foshay Learning Center
USC partner: USC Annenberg School for Communication
Program Description: The USC Neighborhood Urban Debate League will create debate method opportunities that encourage critical thinking, analytic and logical reasoning, and applied research skills that can benefit participants pedagogically and augment concurrent educational practices. The program will introduce students to methods of dispute resolution, community building activities, public advocacy, and specialized skills that lead to increased literacy scores.
Contact: Professor Theodore Albiniak, Phone: (213) 740-3951, Email: albiniak@usc.edu

USC ReadersPlus: $44,235
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Foshay Learning Center, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary, Norwood Elementary
USC partner: USC Joint Educational Project
Program Description: USC ReadersPlus provides one-on-one, after-school tutoring in reading and math to thousands of children in classrooms at our five neighborhood schools over the past 11 years. This also represents meaningful work opportunities for USC work study students.
http://college.usc.edu/readersplus/

USC Sea Grant Parent - Child Education Program: $12,095
Community partner: Exposition Park Intergenerational Community Center
USC partner: USC Sea Grant
Program Description: The USC Sea Grant is aimed at making basic science concepts approachable and fun for parent and child together, as well as developing a sense of environmental stewardship, independent thinking, and creative expression through positive action. Many families have never seen the ocean and have no understanding of how their actions in their own neighborhoods impact the marine environment.
http://www.usc.edu/org/seagrant/Education/ParentChildEdu/ParentChildEd.html

HSC PartnerNews Newspaper: $19,016
Community partner: HSC Partner Schools
USC partner: USC Civic & Community Relations
Program Description: The HSC PartnerNews Newspaper is a bilingual, bimonthly newspaper featuring positive news and events about the HSC Parner Schools, the HSC neighborhoods and USC community-outreach efforts. It targets audience of parents and guardians of the more than 4,000 students in the HSC Partner Schools and the local community. Its sister publication, the University Park Family newspaper serves the UPC campus schools.
Contact: Kathy Diaz, Phone: (213) 743-4514, Email: kdiaz@usc.edu

Arts Programs

Dance Included Final Showcase awarded: $5,304
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, John Mack Elementary, Norwood Elementary, St. Agnes, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary, Manual Arts High School, EXPO Center
USC partners: USC School of Theatre and Dance Included Student Organization
Program Description: Dance Included is a USC student-run organization that provides the children of these schools with an education in dance, important to their physical and mental development. Eighty USC students volunteer an hour each week with the children in our community teaching them the technique and history of a specific style of dance. Students stay healthy and active, providing them with a fun and fulfilling form of exercise as well as an outlet for emotion and stress through choreographed movement.
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~danceinc/Home.html

USC Thornton JazzReach: $35,578
Community partners: 32nd Street/MaST, Foshay Learning Center, John Mack Elementary, and Manual Arts High School
USC partner: USC Thornton School of Music
Program Description: This after-school music enrichment program fosters the development of skills and appreciation of jazz music for approximately 1,250 underserved students from USC neighborhood schools and 70 USC Thornton students. Parent involvement is encouraged through an orientation and attendance at Thornton events. Students will receive quality training and the unique opportunity to participate in ensembles, workshops, private lessons, and perform in a culmination concert at USC.
http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/about/signature/outreach/index.html

Sports Programs

After School Sports Connection: $52,145
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Foshay Learning Center, Norwood Elementary, St. Agnes, St. Vincent, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary, Alexander Science Center School
USC partners: USC Recreational Sports and USC Civic & Community Relations
Program Description: After School Sports Connection offers high quality after school sports instruction in basketball, soccer, volleyball and martial arts, and Saturday morning swim classes. ASSC is designed to provide much-needed fitness and team-building skills, as well as provide mentors and positive student role models to neighborhood children. ASSC fills the gap between the time school ends and the time parents get home from work with safe, productive and healthy programming.
http://sait.usc.edu/recsports/site_content/community/assc.html

Kids In Sports EXPO Sports Club: $35,100
Community partner: Kids in Sports
USC partner: USC TRIO Programs
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 1,000 low-income boys and girls between the ages of 5-17 in the University Park area. For many children, this is the only opportunity for regular physical activity and access to the neighborhood’s limited play and practice facilities. Youngsters participate in volleyball and swimming as well as skills clinics, practices and competitions in basketball and soccer.
http://www.kidsinsportsla.org/index.php?id=club&lid=37

NYSP Trojan Kids Camp: $20,700
Community partners: Kids In Sports, Manual Arts High School, 32nd Street/USC, Foshay Learning Center, John Mack Elementary, Norwood Elementary, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary, Alexander Science Center School
USC partner: USC Recreational Sports
Program Description: An instructional program addressing almost 200 boys and girls from low-income households. The program uses sports instruction and competition as a vehicle to enhance self-esteem, to promote respect, to reinforce the importance of education and to promote healthy lifestyles.
http://sait.usc.edu/recsports/site_content/community/nysptk.html

Safety Programs

Kid Watch: $52,925
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Foshay Learning Center, John Mack Elementary, Norwood Elementary, St. Agnes, St. Vincent, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary, Alexander Science Center School, Los Angeles School Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department
USC partners: USC Department of Public Safety and USC Civic and Community Relations
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. Over 1,000 volunteer 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, with an emphasis on the USC Family of Schools. The Kid Watch model has been adopted by the City of Los Angeles as “Kid Watch LA” and adopted by 40 schools.
http://www.usc.edu/ext-relations/ccr/programs/kid_watch/contact/

USC DPS Crime Prevention – McGruff Costume: $3,550
Community partner: USC Family of Schools
USC partner: USC Department of Public Safety
Program Description: USC’s Department of Public Safety’s Crime Prevention and Community Education Unit offers a wide variety of crime prevention and education programs including theft prevention, identity theft, personal safety, acquaintance rape, and more at no cost to residents of the local community and the university community. The McGruff costume will assist DPS officers and staff in conveying safety and crime prevention messages to children in grades K-12, school staff, and local residents at community events, USC Family of Schools, and Kid Watch in a fun and interactive way.
http://capsnet.usc.edu/dps/CrimePrevention/index.cfm

USC DPS Explorer Program: $7,967
Community partners: 32nd Street/MaST, Manual Arts High School, and Kid Watch
USC partner: USC Department of Public Safety
Program Description: The Explorer Program is designed to give youth ages 12 – 21 years of age training opportunities to explore careers in law enforcement and public service as well as the benefits of a higher education. Explorers participate in on-campus details such as all home football games, community walks with USC DPS Crime Prevention, Kid Watch events, and many more. The Explorer Academy provides students 96 hours of academic, physical conditioning, and experiential classes.
Contact: Elaine Ray, Phone: (213) 740-6000, Email: eray@caps.usc.edu

USC Street Law Foundation: $5,000
Community partner: Foshay Learning Center
USC partner: USC Gould School of Law
Program Description: Through Street Law, 70 USC law students will serve as mentors for inner-city middle and high school students to provide practical participatory education about law, democracy and human rights, teaching respect for law and its institutions, all though topics and situations relevant to their daily lives. On “Mentor Day,” students visit campus for a mock lecture by a law professor, and engage with USC students to learn the value of staying in school and getting into college. All of these programs facilitate dialogs about juvenile justice issues among students, parents and school staff.
http://law.usc.edu/students/orgs/sl/

Health Programs

A Fotonovela on Obesity: $30,600
Community partner: Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero
USC partner: USC School of Pharmacy
Program Description: Through the use of the fotonovela, this project addresses an urgent health issue confronting the Latino community. The ultimate goal is to develop an effective health communication tool to change the course of obesity among low income, low literacy Latino families in the neighborhoods surrounding the University Park Campus and the Health Sciences Campus by getting people to take care of themselves by helping identify the problem, prevention strategies and treatment options.
Contact: Dr. Melvin Baron, Phone: (323) 442-6556, Email: mbaron@usc.edu

FUENTE Initiative: $7,421
Community partners: East Los Angeles Occupational Center, East Los Angeles Skills Center, HSC Partner Schools [Griffin Avenue Elementary, Murchison Street Elementary, Sheridan Street Elementary, Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School]
USC partner: USC School of Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics
Program Description: The project uses the educational resources of the USC School of Pharmacy to coordinate local pharmacists and student pharmacists to provide specific poison prevention, appropriate drug-use and self-management education. Children and parents in the local East Los Angeles community will be provided with health awareness programs, fairs and health screenings to improve knowledge of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, HIV/AIDS, healthy pregnancy, STDs, etc.
http://www.usc.edu/community/health_care/fuente_initiative/index.html

HSC Community Health Fair 2009: $14,364
Community partner: HSC Partner Schools
USC partner: USC Civic & Community Relations
Program Description: The Community Health Fair is the annual signature event to provide preventive health services and screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, mammograms, dental, vision, exercise, Healthy Families, and clinic referrals. Information booths run by almost 200 volunteers provide access to these services to over 1,100 local parents, school children and community residents. The project will continue to expand community outreach capacity of departments and programs and strengthen USC’s role in the community.
Contact: Cesar Armendariz, Phone: (323) 442-3571, Email: carmenda@usc.edu

Proyecto Verde $12,105
Community partner: Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero
USC partner: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Program Description: Proyecto Verde will bring expertise from the Master Gardeners Association of Los Angeles, USC students, Clinica Romero staff and patients, and community residents to develop a large, multi-purpose community garden at Clinica Romero, a community health center in Boyle Heights. The purpose of the garden is to promote individual and public health principles and make a strong statement about the health benefits of green space, exercise and diet.
Contact: Matthew Calzetta, Phone: (831) 521-6778, Email: calzetta@usc.edu

USC Neighborhood Mobile Dental Van Prevention Project: $32,818
Community partners: 32nd Street/USC, Alexander Science Center School, Foshay Learning Center, Griffin Elementary, John Mack Elementary, Murchison Elementary, Norwood Elementary, Sheridan Elementary, St. Agnes, St. Vincent, Vermont Elementary, Weemes Elementary
USC partner: USC School of Dentistry
Program Description: This grant allows the mobile dental clinic to purchase the necessary supplies to provide preventative oral health services and referrals to elementary school children using the mobile dental van onsite at the USC Family of Schools and HSC Partner Schools. This year’s goal is to increase the oral health access to 1,500 children.
http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/community

USC Physical Therapy Fit Families Program: $19,050
Community partners: Bravo, El Sereno, Griffin, Murchison, and Sheridan schools
USC partner: USC Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
Program Description: The program’s mission is to provide pro-bono preventive, wellness, and rehabilitative physical therapy services to underserved elementary, middle, and high school aged children in the local community who are diagnosed with or at higher risk for diabetes and conditions associated with physical inactivity. In partnership with the community, intervention will focus on culturally relevant personalized and structured nutritional, exercise and physical activity-related education for children in collaboration with their families to enhance potential for long-term lifestyle change.
Contact: Cheryl Resnik, Phone: (323) 442-2868, Email: resnik@usc.edu

Updated July 2009