Youth Transform Their Futures with the Help of Sharefest

Sharefest works in six area LAUSD Continuation High Schools with students who face obstacles to success after high school. During the school year, Sharefest provides accelerated life skills and career development courses to help students earn their high school diploma. Each of the 231 Continuation High School students enrolled to receive weekly one-on-one and group mentoring, educational support, and access to personal development opportunities. With the support of partners like LA2050, Sharefest has been able to expand to serve more youth as well as further develop the Workforce Development Program.

As part of Sharefest’s coursework, students complete personal inventories that match their interests and skill sets to potential career paths. They also plan and take part in student-led service learning projects such as our upcoming Art Auction, Wilmington Clean Up and Beautification Project at one of our local continuation high schools. Throughout the school year, Sharefest arranges opportunities such as field trips to trade partners, special speakers from area businesses, and college campus visits to inspire youth to see the many options they have for their future. During the 2022-2023 school year so far, Sharefest has hosted 9 career development workshops including job fairs.

While Sharefest students are making tremendous strides toward bettering their futures, they do face challenges along their journey toward success. For example, some of our graduates are struggling to acquire work permits due to the new LAUSD FAFSA requirements. To help current students avoid the same challenge, a new FAFSA workshop has been launched at Sharefest’s partner schools. Other students struggle to uncover how many senior credits they have which makes it difficult to plan for their post secondary pathway. Sharefest works closely with our partner school principals and counselors to help ensure each student has an accurate credit count and can set their expectations. Additionally, Sharefest students often face personal challenges outside of school that they work hard to overcome.

As we look forward to the remainder of the school year and the summer, Sharefest has many wonderful opportunities in the works thanks to the support of grants like LA2050. Sharefest will be hosting the first ever Sharefestival Art Show featuring student art. Each piece will be auctioned off to fund a program of the students’ choosing. This summer, the second annual 6-week Sharefest Career Development Program will take place. During this second co-hort, we are offering youth the opportunity to take the program as a paid internship. During this program youth will learn resume writing, interview skills, work etiquette, financial budgeting, and job search skills – to name a few. These youth will have the necessary skills, experience, and mentorship to join the workforce, enroll in college, or start an apprenticeship program.

The Los Angeles area is becoming a better place as Sharefest youth graduate and enter career paths.

For example, Sharefest Alumni, Juan, was introduced to HireLAX through a Sharefest sponsored speaking engagement. Working with his Sharefest Instructor-Mentor, Juan was accepted into their apprenticeship program and is now a carpenter with Hensel Phelps Construction at LAX. Another Sharefest Alumni, Ariana, continues to receive mentoring as she is in her first year at a local community college where she is pursuing a Child Development degree. With the support of her mentor, she is advocating for herself in the college environment and is switching to in-person learning to help with her focus. Others are completing construction certifications to secure union employment, some are pursuing CNA and RN degrees, and many others are exploring both college and opportunities in the local trades.

Sharefest’s work is only possible because of partners who believe all youth deserve to transform their futures. We are truly grateful to LA2050 for helping us change the lives of our students and the Los Angeles Community.