Changing the Story: Connecting Los Angeles Communities Through Volunteering

Central LA

East LA

South LA

Westside

City of Los Angeles

LAUSD (please select only if you have a district-wide partnership or project)

In Los Angeles, over 80% of LAUSD students qualify for free or reduced price lunch and only 42% of LAUSD students met English standards last year. Additionally, “a prominent factor in education quality” is the student-to-teacher ratio, in which California ranks last in the nation. The Review of Educational Research found that “students who work with volunteer tutors are likely to earn higher scores on assessments related to letters and words, oral fluency, and writing compared to their peers who were not tutored.”

826LA’s programs pair students with volunteers who support them with homework, reading, and writing. 826LA provides consistent, individualized attention from multigenerational volunteers who guide students through the creative process and support teachers and families in under-resourced schools and communities. Attention from caring adults outside young people’s own families has been shown to play a significant role in providing a number of developmental assets.

For 15 years, 826LA has mobilized volunteers to support students through engaging, creative programs. Working with thousands of volunteers has taught us the importance and impact of connection, especially in times of crisis. 826LA will continue to grow by providing highly-requested trainings, digital platforms, and new outreach models that will allow volunteers in Los Angeles to support students year-round, in our centers and online.

Volunteers provide the one-to-one attention that makes 826LA’s programs exceptional. Last year, over 1,100 volunteers provided 22,000 hours of volunteer work. Through this project, 826LA’s volunteer base will grow and diversify and the rate of volunteerism in the city will increase. Support from LA2050 will enable us to focus on connecting with 1,000 new volunteers through new outreach tools and providing trainings developed with an equity lens to better support new and existing volunteers with cultural competence.

Direct Impact: 1,000

Indirect Impact: 9,000

826LA’s Changing the Story project has two components: outreach and trainings.

The first part of 826LA’s project is outward-facing, centered around volunteer outreach and appreciation. 826LA would use support from LA2050 to reimagine the presentation materials (digital and physical) we use at festivals, fairs, and events around the city and design and purchase high-visibility items like standing pop-up or feather banners, postcards and pamphlets, and useful, branded items for take-aways. We would be able to invest in public radio advertisements and newspaper placements, to increase visibility beyond our online and in-person outreach campaigns.

The second area is aimed at improving our training systems. 826LA will create quarterly training modules for new and existing volunteers. These trainings will focus on improving the cultural competencies of volunteers, such as race, gender, and identity; restorative justice; behavior management; working with neurodiverse learners; supporting English language learners; the fundamentals of volunteering in anti-harassment spaces; and emergency, safety, and health protocols. The LA2050 grant will open up the possibility for 826LA to move our trainings online, by allowing us to use subscription-based training management platforms.

Measurable goals include connecting with 1,000 new volunteers and developing four cultural competency trainings.

Access to the LA2050 community

Communications support

Strategy assistance and implementation