Stories

High school students get hands on experience at UCLA School of Dentistry
By Yasmeen Al-Shawwa

While other 17-year-olds are lounging at the pool or hanging out with friends this summer, San Fernando High School senior Emilio Frias is assisting science researchers at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Frias is part of UCLA’s pre-college science education program, which exposes gifted urban youth to careers in oral healthcare.

The program is funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute [HHMI] Biomedical Research Institutions Initiative Grant. The award, a total of $748,337 over five years, is only conferred upon 31 programs each year. The UCLA School of Dentistry is the only dental program in the country to receive that grant.

Student Karolyn Blancas works on experiment at UCLA School of Dentistry lab

The two-year program starts in the students’ junior year of high school, with eight Saturday Academy Science workshops followed by a six-week summer research internship at the university. Throughout their senior year, students – with the assistance of UCLA staff members – work on their own research projects. Finally, they present their findings to UCLA scientists, their own parents, and fellow students at a Poster Fair and Awards Luncheon.

All students in this program are housed on the UCLA campus for the duration of their internship. This experience exposes participants such as Karolyn Blancas, 16, and Marisol Nunez, 17, to the university experience. Surrounded by students and staff, they have been able to absorb an inside look of the college experience.

To give all youth an equal opportunity to participate, Mayor Villaraigosa’s Summer Youth Employment Program [SYEP] partnered up with UCLA’s School of Dentistry program to pay the participants a bi-weekly stipend. The SYEP is a part of the City of Los Angeles Hire L.A. Youth program. Hire L.A. is the city’s youth-employment initiative designed to give all area youth access to work experience. This is how students, such as Frias, were able to take advantage of the UCLA dentistry program. “I’ve always liked medicine,” says Frias. “I have cousins who are dentists, and I knew I wanted to work in that field.”

Student Emilio Frias works on experiment at UCLA School of Dentistry lab

Frias is now taking part in the summer research internship stage of the program. He gets hands-on experience in the laboratory and works closely with oral health researchers. “You only see [opportunities like this] in movies,” says Frias. “Now, I feel motivated to reach my goal of successfully studying medicine.”

This experience is definitely beneficial in more ways than scientific instruction. “Just being here, seeing how cells react to chemicals,” says Nunez. “You learn so much more. Doing this helps you be organized, not just in the lab, but also in life.”

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Sybil Brand Commission Scholarship vindicates reformation efforts of recipients
By Yuri Pacheco

Grinning ear-to-ear as he held his $200 check up to the cameras, Brian Quinteros beamed, “Mami y Papi, you always told me that the sky’s the limit, and now I know you were right.”

Alongside him, fellow scholarship recipient Travion Mixion shook the hands of various Sybil Brand Commission members, and thanked them for their support.

Quinteros, 20, and Mixion, 18, were two of four students awarded the 2008 Sybil Brand Commission Scholarship. The Sybil Brand Commission for Institutional Inspections offers annual scholarships to youth who have overcome adversity within the Los Angeles County foster care or criminal justice systems. Funding for the scholarships comes directly from the personal accounts of members of the LA Board of Supervisors.

Both men have experienced run-ins with the law – Quinteros spent time in the LA County Central Men’s Jail, and Mixion was released from Juvenile Probation Camp David Gonzales two years ago – and both have worked hard to rise above their pasts.

Following his release from jail, Brian Quinteros discovered the Los Angeles Youth Opportunity Movement’s center in Watts [YO! Watts]. He took advantage of the center’s Probation Making it Through program, and enrolled as a culinary arts major at Los Angeles Trade Technical College [LATTC]. His studies provided him with the background to secure a job at the Bonaventure Hotel as a busboy and line cook.

Since then, Quinteros has substantially advanced his career path. He is now the lead chef at M’Dears Bakery and Bistro, and in June he graduated from LATTC. Community involvement has also become a high priority to him; he has participated in forums discussing societal concerns and volunteers at the YO! Watts Center.

Travion Mixion was connected with the LA Youth Opportunity Movement while he was still incarcerated; his high test scores and desire to change his lifestyle led him to the Students for Higher Education [SFHE] program within his probation camp. Through SFHE, Mixion enrolled at LATTC for vocational training in the plumbing industry.

Mixion is currently taking classes in GED preparation at the Abraham Friedman Occupational Center. Through YO! Watts, he has taken courses in anger management and job-readiness, and he earned his fork-lifting license from the United Forklifting Company. His community service record is similarly impressive; he recently completed a 50 hour internship and he regularly volunteers at the YO! Watts center.

However, his most remarkable achievement is something that he didn’t do. “Travion’s greatest accomplishment – and he will agree – is not being part of the recidivism rate,” said his probation case officer, James Wade.

For their successes, Quinteros and Mixion each received $200 scholarships to help fund their educational endeavors. In addition, they were formally commended by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.

Inspirational stories such as those of Quinteros and Mixion would not be possible without the community programs that helped them succeed. The LA Youth Opportunity Movement is designed to support the efforts of young people who want to break free from the disadvantages of their environment; if every individual success of YO! participants is a reflection of those people’s determination to change, so too is it a reflection on the necessity of the continued presence of YO! in the community.

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Hire LA’s Youth career fair showcases job opportunities for young people
By Nicole Graves

Fusing the sounds of today’s urban youth with the message of opportunities for advancement, the Hire LA’s Youth Careers and Opportunities Fair was not a typical suit and tie affair.

The job fair, held on July 31st at Los Angeles Southwest College, was a joint production of the Hire LA’s Youth program, the City’s Employment Development Department, and various WorkSource Center partners. The fair was devised as an avenue for young people to learn more about career opportunities available to them, and to educate them with the employment process.

Personal style was evident at the fair, as young people with clothes and hair as colorful and vibrant as the scenery on the LASC campus perused employers’ booths. Not to be confused with professional discourtesy, most youth interpreted the “come as you are” summons as an invitation to browse career paths within their elements.

News team reporter Nicole Graves interviews job seeker at Southwest College job fair

This new generation not only sees the need to thrive in the business world, but to break the mold while doing so. Thus, with resumes in hand, they brought a message to potential employers: Show me a new opportunity and I will show you the new face of success.

Ariel Age certainly posses the potential to realize that success. Ariel, a 16-year-old aspiring actress at Washington Preparatory High School, came to the job fair in hopes of finding any attainable job. Ariel says that in spite of her extensive skill in various Microsoft programs, her age is her biggest barrier to employment. Although she has all of her documentation prepared, she often feels underestimated by her employers and receives fewer hours than others. By attempting to push beyond the issues that hold her back, she knows that she has a bright future ahead.

Ariel’s commitment to advancing her career is typical of the youth that attended the fair, and of Los Angeles youth as a whole. Through city initiatives that serve that enthusiasm, such as the Hire LA’s Youth job fair, every young person in Los Angeles now has access to an entry-level position in the field of their choice.

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Latin Business Association and Hire LA give youth jobs
By Kevin Miguel

The Latin Business Association [LBA] is a private, non-profit organization established in 1976 for the purpose of supporting Latino entrepreneurs. Today, that objective directly interfaces with the broader goal of providing education and assistance to community youth. The LBA’s pledge to serve the community inspired them to join forces with Mayor Villarigosa and the City of Los Angeles’ HIRE LA’s Youth initiative; through this partnership, the LBA is able to directly employ city youth between the ages of 18 and 24.

Such youth include Christina Mendez, the Front Desk Administrator at the LBA. Although Mendez is only 20, she possesses an unmistakable aura of power and elegance; her desk is cluttered with awards from various programs, and her handshake is firm enough to leave an impression on its recipient.

Mendez comes from a humble background. A Los Angeles native, she always looked for avenues to self-improvement. At age 15, Mendez discovered the HIRE LA’s Youth program through her local One Source Center. “I told myself, ‘This is your opportunity, this is the door,’” Mendez recounts of her initial exposure to the program. After taking job-training courses at the One Source Center, she received her Work Readiness Certificate. The certificate acted as a beacon to prospective employers: Christina Mendez was a dedicated, qualified, and competent applicant who stood out from the crowd.

Larissa Ordaz, LBA Operations Manager, hired Christina Mendez last year through HIRE LA’s Youth. So far, Ordaz is pleased with Mendez’s work ethic and attitude, and she continues to promote the HIRE LA’s Youth program at every opportunity. “The LBA, and every business that is involved in HIRE LA’s Youth, is making an investment in the next generation of future business leaders through their participation in this program.”

At the LBA, Mendez’s duties range from clerical tasks to interacting with clients to attending events. Mendez also attends Los Angeles City College, and hopes to transfer to a local university as a business major. The experience she has gained from working at the Latin Business Association has inspired her to use business as a way to better her community.

The LBA staff feels fortunate to have gained such a steadfast employee as Mendez through HIRE LA’s Youth. She came into the position prepared and ready to work. Christina loves to learn, and treats every day as an opportunity to learn something new, proclaiming, “You’re still learning. I don’t care if you’re 60 with a Ph.D; you’re still learning.”

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LA Scholars hosts job fair
By Talor Williams

On August 14th, the quad of the Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) was the site of the LA Scholars Job Fair.

LA Scholars is a program that places high school seniors and recent graduates in child-development classes in the Los Angeles Community College [LACC] system, and then gives the students a chance to apply their theoretical curriculum in the field.

HIRE LA’s Youth, Mayor Villarigosa’s initiative to employ Los Angeles youth between the ages of 16 and 24, is affiliated with LA Scholars through the City of Los Angeles’ Community Development Department. In addition, LA Scholars works in conjunction with the LA’s Best: School Enrichment Program, to provide certain LA’s Best middle-school sites with LA Scholars instructors.

Job seekers at LA Scholars Job Fair

The program’s recent job fair at LATTC was devised as a way to facilitate initial contact between LA Scholars participants and potential employers. Organizations such as Americorps, the Boys and Girls Club, and the California School-age Consortium [Cal SAC] all sent representatives to the fair in order to seek qualified candidates who were interested in working with children.

Deidre Corwin, the Early Education and Extended Learning Programs supervisor at Cal SAC, was more than happy to elaborate on her experiences working with LA Scholars graduates. “They are often more qualified and experienced than the hires we get off the street,” she said, adding that she recommends LA Scholars graduates to other employers who need trust-worthy applicants.

However, Corwin did have suggestions for the continued growth of the program, namely the recruitment of more participants. LACC High School Outreach Counselor Janine Julian is working to fill that need by actively enlisting high school students in the program.

Julian certainly does not suffer from a lack of incentives to offer potential Scholars. Besides the curriculum/practicum integration, LA Scholars also provides work skills training; students are taught how to professionally engage prospective employers with efficient resumes. Overall, the program thoroughly prepares participants for a career where they will be working with children.

LA Scholar Brenda Lopez agrees. “Everyone who wants to be a teacher should be involved in LA Scholars…hands-on training is the best way to learn.” For Lopez, 18, the motivation to stick to a career in early education is the satisfaction she feels when teaching children to be active participants in the world around them.

Motivational Speaker Deidre Corwin speaks at LA Scholars Job Fair

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LA Conservation Corps youth work to improve selves and city
By Laura Yoo

Uniformed in green T-shirts and black industrial pants, the youth workers of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps Youth Program work to make an impact on the environment around them.

The LA Conservation Corps employs young people to provide conservation services for government agencies and private contract sponsors throughout the greater Los Angeles area. These youth are responsible for planting trees and performing maintenance on a daily basis, in order to keep the city clean and green.

Clean and Green members do rockwall climbing at ropes course

Youth conservation worker Michael Molina, 14, has already learned the value of hard work; the lack of complex technology involved in such endeavors as planting a tree have given him insight into the simplicity of nature. “I’ve truly learned how to take care of a tree,” Molina beams.

The youth program is not solely based on conservation efforts, however. Counseling, life skills training, legal referrals, and job search coaching are all offered to youth employed by the Conservation Corps, and a special transitional living program is offered to young adults who would otherwise be homeless during their employment at the Conservation Corps.

This spirit of teamwork is reinforced by the group activities in which the Conservation Corps youth routinely participate, such as their August 12th ropes course at Bill Botts Park. By helping teammates successfully navigate through a mid-air obstacle course, the program youth established trust within a team and gained a sense of individual accomplishment.

Such “fun” events are all part of the growth that the youth program actively nurtures in its participants. Program Supervisor Tania Plascencia observed that group challenges, such as the ropes course, “…seek to instill leadership and confidence in these youth, so that they may better themselves across the board.”

And that confidence is more pronounced then ever in these youth, who now seek to make Los Angeles a cleaner place. As Michael Molina puts it, “The quality of the community is a reflection of you.”

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Kaiser Permanente’s LAUNCH program inspires teens to work in health care
By Esmeralda Salguero

Through the Hire LA youth employment initiative, 14 ambitious young people are participating in Kaiser Permanente’s Learn About Unlimited New Careers in Healthcare, or LAUNCH, program. Students who participate in LAUNCH work within various departments at Kaiser hospitals, including Pediatrics, Rehabilitation, Internal Medicine, Neurosurgery, Emergency Room, Cardiac Surgery, Labor and Delivery, Intensive Care Unit, Safety and Services.

Kaiser LAUNCH interns participate in team building ecercise at Kaiser Hospital

Integrated throughout the course are educational sessions and work readiness seminars geared towards improving communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving, safety, technology, and other employment skills. Not only does LAUNCH serve as a gateway into the medical field for the youth of Los Angeles, it also inspires the students to obtain higher education in order to pursue medical professions.

Although LAUNCH has existed since 1968, Kaiser Permanente has never worked in conjunction with Hire LA to select interns. This year Workforce Investment Board [WIB] member and Kaiser Permanente executive Victoria Bittle arranged to serve as a Hire LA youth-employer facilitator. The WIB oversees all city employment initiatives, including Hire LA Youth.

Thanks to Bittle’s efforts, Hire LA Youth applicants experience working in an operating room first-hand. Brittany Bell, 17, energetic and bright, attends El Camino Real High School. This summer, she is working in one of Kaiser’s Cardiac Surgery Laboratories. “I was exposed to the program at my local youth center, Youth Outreach Watts. I filled out an application, and before I knew it, a panel of Kaiser representatives was interviewing me. Within the first few days of working at Kaiser, I was taken to the [Cardiac Lab] and witnessed crucial cases involving 7-13 year-olds who underwent open-heart surgery.”

Similarly, Jeffrey Hernandez, 17, is spending his summer interning at the Intensive Care Unit at another Kaiser Hospital. “I feel incredibly blessed to be here,” Jeffrey says. “It’s an incredible opportunity.”

As a result of their experience in LAUNCH, both Brittany and Jeffrey now plan to work in the medical field. Kaiser Permanente’s dedication to youth education has ensured that there will be a new generation of doctors to serve their community.

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High school students create change with UCLA IDEA program
By Laura Yoo

Dania’s boyfriend was killed in gang violence. Aaron was the victim of racial profiling by law enforcement. Haamin felt unable to impact her community due to her age.

Their varied experiences have led them all to the same ultimate goal: to be catalysts for change in their communities. This summer, as a part of the UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education and Access [IDEA], these students have the opportunity to participate in the IDEA Summer Seminar: Counsel of Youth Researchers program.

Over the course of this four-week program, students are taught to research and critically analyze the social issues that directly affect them. They then formulate public policy initiatives based on their findings. Throughout the course of the school year, the students will also act as ‘apprentice researchers for IDEA.

IDEA summer program at UCLA School of Law

The Summer Seminar is almost completely-youth driven, as teenage analysts gather data from on-site interviews at high school campuses. The program allows room for students to express their sentiments through creative mediums such as spoken word.

IDEA Director and Associate Professor of Education at UCLA John Rogers explains, “The IDEA program seeks to help students develop research, communication, and investigation skills in order to become more powerful civic actors.”

IDEA is supported by the Surdna Foundation, the Annenburg Foundation, and the UCLA School of Law. The Summer Seminar works in partnership with the City of Los Angeles’ Hire LA’s Youth program, so students receive monetary compensation for their time.

“Before, I was only one voice; I didn’t know that I could create change,” says summer seminar student Richard McClaim. “Now, I know I can do more.”

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Summer program gives disadvantaged youth inspiration to succeed
By Talor Williams

The manicured lawns and spotless walkways at UCLA lead to more than magnificent buildings; they are the physical representations of the pathway to success that the university offers to all that traverse them. This summer, non-attendees of the university were accorded that same opportunity, as the Summer Youth Initiative Program trained high school students to be leaders in the workforce.

The Summer Youth Initiative Program receives its funding from the city’s youth-employment initiative, Hire L.A., and is supervised by the UCLA Community Programs Office. Through this initiative, urban high school students are provided with clerical jobs at the university, as well as an informal education in relevant minority issues. These dual components enable recipients to explore their culture through discussion, learn to work in a business capacity, and network with people who could potentially aid them in the future.

Angel Coronado, 15, has been able to monitor his personal progress in these areas over the course of the time he has spent in the program. “I’ve been learning how to greet and assist people. My computer skills have improved thanks to the work I do here. I get to communicate with the staff.”

Program Director Daniel Farris believes in the power of this program to change lives and build dreams for urban youth. However, it is the students’ exposure to post-secondary education and the university environment, which he believes will benefit them the most. “Education is a right that inner-city students have been denied, and access to higher education should be of utmost importance,” Farris proclaims.

The impact of that exposure is evident after interacting with the students themselves. Melisa Ortiz, a 14-year-old program participant, has become increasingly interested in college, and now has plans to attend a university after high school.

These young adults have learned that education is just as important as gaining work experience, and they are aware of the demands of the future. They, and other individuals, will flourish if they continue to build on their community as their community builds on them. It’s a win-win framework for success.

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Hire LA’s Youth gives single father a chance to succeed
By Kevin Miguel

Before his involvement with the Hire LA’s Youth program, Travon Richardson was a single father in a “ghetto” neighborhood. His days were spent avoiding gangs and drugs. Travon did not feel that he had a bright future ahead of him. Even though he would have loved to go to different places, the world seemed to have shackled him down to the streets of his neighborhood.

Hire LA worker Travon Richardson with Newsteam reporters Talor Williams (left) and Kevin Miguel (right)

One day Travon picked his cousin up from the Watts Youth Opportunity Center, and became intrigued by the programs the center had to offer. Workers there informed him of the job opportunities they had available, and Travon decided to fill out a few applications.

Within two weeks, Travon was already on his career path. After taking classes at the Watts One Source Center, he received certifications in Work Readiness, CPR/First Aid, Learn-Landscape, and Building Ground Maintenance. Smart Irrigation Construction Company then hired him as an irrigation specialist.

Travon’s new job entails reading blue prints, digging ditches, inspecting and changing sprinkler-heads, rewiring and connecting to satellites, and rebuilding valves. His work sometimes takes him to places few people have access to, including Universal Studios and the mayor’s home.

Most importantly, Travon was provided the opportunity to fix parks and other recreational areas in South Central LA. He now has the power to make a change in the streets were he grew up. “I’m proud to be helping the younger generation in the ‘hood,” Travon says.

Travon’s story does not end there. While attending Mayor Villaraigosa’s conference on Hire LA’s Youth, Travon met Kenny Bailey, an executive at the Boeing Company. After Bailey saw Travon’s potential, he offered him a job at Boeing. Travon now has a chance to obtain the bright future he always dreamed of.

Though Travon does not always wake up wanting to go to work, the motivation to do so is always close by – he is determined to give his three-month old son the life he wished he had. Hire LA’s Youth has opened up doors in Travon Richardson’s life, doors that would have otherwise remained locked to him forever.

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Dream Center is a safe haven for inner-city youth
By Kevin Miguel and Talor Williams

As the City of Los Angeles slumbers, it dreams of change, of streets that are free of crime and poverty, of a brighter future for its youth. Although these utopian notions seem unrealistic in a concrete world, they are slowly becoming reality thanks to the efforts of The Dream Center.

Work Readiness Orientation at the Dream Center

A non-profit, faith-based organization, the Dream Center’s purpose is to provide resources to the most disadvantaged sectors of the Los Angeles community. The center offers a variety of enrichment programs to struggling Angelenos, including job training workshops, educational services, and rehabilitation clinics. There is even an on-site shelter that caters to the needs of youth from broken homes.

At the Dream Center, youth are a top priority. Dream Center Director Michael Jacobs works hard to sustain a safe environment where youth can play sports, sing, dance, and get involved in other activities. The center’s numerous after-school programs include dance classes, basketball, and free tutoring.

One of the most popular after-school programs is “Hip Hop after Homework”, an activity that challenges youth to achieve academically by having them complete homework assignments before play. “A lot of kids have brought up their grades just to participate in this program,” Jacob says.

The Dream Center also hosts its own radio station, gym, and televison/sound recording studio. Access to these resources provides creative youth with an outlet to express their voices.

Chris Bridges, the Dream Center’s Outreach Coordinator, notes that the center sponsors many off-site programs as well, including the wildly popular Adopt-A-Block. Through Adopt-A-Block, over 700 teens and young adults volunteer to provide the general populations of 26 inner-city communities with basic necessities. Struggling families receive food, diapers, soap, and other essentials to improve their quality of life, while children are exposed to the mentorship and guidance of the volunteers.

The Dream Center’s impact is readily confirmed by the success stories of its participants, such as Angel Ingartra, 18, a former recipient of Adopt-A-Block services. Angel’s involvement with the Dream Center began when he was just 16, and was experiencing family turmoil at home.

“Then I met this great guy, named Jason Funk, who invited me to play basketball out of nowhere…from there, my life completely changed,” Angel explained. “I kept coming back here because it was fun; I felt welcomed, and [the Dream Center] helped when I needed an escape from the problems at home.”

Since then, Angel has taken an active role in the Dream Center’s volunteer opportunities by visiting convalescent homes, baking cookies for the elderly, and working with kids younger than himself who need help.

Hire LA News Team at the Dream Center