Grant Abstracts 2012   Advancement Project Los Angeles, CA $250,000 – 1 year June 2012 Advancement Project is partnering with academic researchers, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the Children’s Defense Fund, and other stakeholders to examine the experiences of youth before, during and after their time in the probation system and the extent to which probation involved youth and their families also have contact with additional government agencies.  The aim is to better understand the experience of children who become involved in Los Angeles’ juvenile justice system and identify needed improvements to data collection and tracking, as well as opportunities for prevention, early intervention and rehabilitation.  Data collection will occur in 2012 and the study is projected to be completed by December 2013.  From the results of the study, a network of stakeholders convened by the Advancement Project, with the support of Children’s Defense Fund, will jointly develop a list of specific outcomes that will guide Probation’s practices to improve and streamline its internal service delivery, coordination with other County departments, and transition of youth back to the community.  A final report with recommendations on a set of outcomes will be issued.   Chrysalis Center Santa Monica, CA $200,000 – capital June 2012 Each year, across all of its sites, Chrysalis provides extensive employment resources including case management, job-readiness training, transitional employment opportunities, and job retention services, to over 3,500 homeless and low-income individuals with a desire to find work and improve their lives.  The downtown center on Skid Row, which provides services to 300-400 clients each day, is significantly over capacity.  The project will expand and renovate the downtown facility, nearly doubling program space.  Chrysalis has negotiated a long term lease for the storefront between its current program site and administrative and transitional jobs program offices.  Construction will be completed by August 2012.  One contiguous space will be created to include a computer lab, an additional classroom, offices, and an expanded lobby.  At least 2,750 people will participate in Chrysalis’ job readiness and employment programs and clients will improve their computer and customer services skills.   College Bound - Dollars for Achievers Cerritos, CA $150,000 – 2 years June 2012 In this era of rapid technological advancement, inadequate preparation and a lack of interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), particularly among underrepresented groups, is resulting in a dearth of knowledge and skills required to drive innovation and strengthen our global competitiveness.  However, the pool of qualified college applicants with interest and experience in STEM is insufficient.  To address this issue, College Bound provides supplemental, out-of-school activities for students in grades 4-12 to prepare them for college, while engaging students in STEM subjects.  College Bound will enhance its Saturday School, project-based curriculum for 7th grade (Renewable Energy Systems) and 8th grade (Communications Technology) to increase students’ interest in STEM subjects and their proficiency in algebra.  College Bound employs credentialed teachers with subject-matter expertise; engages African-American males who are particularly disengaged from the educational process; requires parent involvement; assesses students’ progress over time; and provides academic and college advising.  During the two-year project, 240 students and over 300 parents will be served.   East Valley Community Health Center, Inc. West Covina, CA $250,000 – capital June 2012 To expand access to primary care for low-income and uninsured patients, East Valley plans to renovate a 24,000-square-foot facility for which it has secured a long-term lease to replace its current 9,300-square-foot Pomona clinic.  Construction will begin in fall 2012 and the new clinic will open in July 2013.  The number of individuals receiving comprehensive health and mental health services will increase by over 5,000 to 12,800 within the first two years of operation.   Enterprise Community Partners Los Angeles, CA $200,000 – 2 years June 2012 Los Angeles leads the nation in homelessness.  As an affordable housing intermediary with a commitment to permanent supportive housing (PSH) in Los Angeles, and as a United Way/LA Chamber of Commerce Home for Good signatory, Enterprise will work to develop and provide affordable housing solutions for those struggling with and emerging from homelessness.  As a provider of the capital and tools needed to create affordable housing, Enterprise will build the capacity of (l) traditional affordable housing developers not oriented to or familiar with housing for homeless populations and (2) transitional housing operators that require programmatic and technical support in converting facilities and programs to PSH.  Staff and consultants will offer technical assistance, provide capacity building grants, develop financial tools and foster the policy support needed to create between 200 and 300 new PSH units in Los Angeles over the next two years.   P. S. Arts Venice, CA $250,000 – 2 years June 2012 The TakePART (Public-school Arts Regional Team) initiative is a collaborative effort to create and sustain arts education programs across three neighboring school districts in the Centinela Valley region of Southern California.  TakePART – Visual Arts is the visual arts component of the overall initiative.  The goal is to provide visual arts instruction either in school or after school for approximately 4,685 K-5th grade students that increases their competitive advantage for higher education and professional opportunities and engages the entire community.  P. S. ARTS, serving as the facilitator of the collaborative and arts coordinator for the three school districts, works to reduce costs and maximize resources, including human resources.  An outside program evaluator will measure the impact of the program to determine if this approach significantly increases arts program feasibility and sustainability.   Public Counsel Law Center Los Angeles, CA $250,000 – 3 years June 2012 In December 2010, Public Counsel and its partners reached a settlement with Los Angeles County to reform conditions for youth with developmental disabilities in the juvenile halls, in placement (foster care, group homes, relative caregivers), and home with family under field supervision.  Public Counsel will work through December 2014 to ensure effective implementation of the settlement agreement.  The overall goal is that developmentally disabled youth in the juvenile justice system will be immediately and effectively identified; will not be detained longer than others because of the lack of available, appropriate community placements; and will be provided with appropriate services and effective supports to successfully transition back to the community and avoid recidivism and violence.  Implementation of the agreement will be monitored through visits to the halls, observation, interviews, and document and data review.  Public Counsel will address problems through written communication with the Chief of Probation and opposing counsel; meeting with them to mediate disputes and develop action plans; accessing the courts as needed; and providing advocacy to individual youth to obtain school or Regional Center services as needed.   Spark Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA $150,000 – 2 years June 2012 Los Angeles has one of the highest high-school dropout rates in the nation.  Spark LA addresses this problem in the middle-school years by re-engaging at-risk students from disadvantaged communities in their education through individualized apprenticeships in their chosen “dream jobs.”  Spark LA taps volunteer resources to create a hands-on apprenticeship experience for each student in a career of their choice at a real workplace.  In parallel with the apprenticeship experience, a Leadership Class at school helps students connect the applied learning from the apprenticeships with their classroom curriculum, demonstrating the importance of their academics and improving classroom motivation.  Spark LA’s goal is to create a total of 650 apprenticeship experiences for low-income Los Angeles students over the next two years.   University of California System Oakland, CA $100,000 – 2 years June 2012 COSMOS is an intensive four-week summer residential program for students with a demonstrated aptitude for academic and professional careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.  Talented and motivated students completing grades 8-12 have the opportunity to work with UC faculty and scientists in state-of-the-art facilities while exploring advanced STEM topics beyond the courses usually offered in California high schools.  Through challenging curriculum that is both hands-on and lab intensive, COSMOS fosters its students’ interests, skills, and awareness of educational and career options in STEM fields.  Students apply to one of the four University of California COSMOS campuses – UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz.  The curriculum of each program builds on the teaching and research expertise of the faculty at the host campus.  With W. M. Keck Foundation support, a minimum of 36 low income students from Los Angeles will receive financial assistance enabling them to attend the program over the next two years.   Venice Arts Venice, CA $150,000 – 3 years June 2012 Venice Arts is expanding its Art Mentoring program, offered free-of-charge to low-income youths ages 6-18.  The program primarily reaches families in neighborhoods with high pockets of poverty on Los Angeles’ Westside, although youth from throughout the City may participate.  Currently enrolling 200 youth each year, project goals are to increase the number of youths served in Venice and at partner sites by 30% (to 260); and to prepare more youth for advanced learning and college through a new “Bridge” component, targeting two ends of the student population: middle-school students and their parents, for whom the Bridge offers a structured pathway into the Advanced Studies track; and a small subset of older teens who are recent high school graduates needing continued support as they transition to adulthood.   Grant Abstracts 2011   Alliance for a Better Community Los Angeles, CA $200,000 – 2 years December 2011 Alliance for a Better Community (ABC) proposes to build the capacity of parents to participate in various forms of civic learning and engagement in order to support their student’s achievement, strengthen their communities and promote the creation of high-quality public schools in the Southeast cities of Los Angeles.  ABC will lead this work in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District and other regional partners to enable parents to act as informed partners with schools and the District in the implementation and oversight of the Public School Choice Resolution and the Local School Stabilization and Empowerment Initiative.  In each of the next two years, 200 parents will participate in the training sessions.  In addition, ABC will work to standardize parent engagement accountability measures across multiple LAUSD initiatives, and continue to promote educational reform with LAUSD and local district leaders, as well as elected officials, civic leaders and other allies in the Southeast region.   Alliance for Children's Rights Los Angeles, CA $250,000 – 2 years December 2011 This project will work to ensure that implementation of the California Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB 12), which extends the right of foster youth to remain in care until age 21, is carried out in Los Angeles County so that youth can take full advantage of this landmark legislation and transition with improved outcomes.  The Alliance for Children’s Rights will partner with the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles and California Youth Connection, to:  (1) Educate youth, caregivers, judges, minors’ attorneys, social workers and community service providers about the benefits of extended foster care; (2)(a) Conduct a Courtroom Lab at Children’s Court to identify trends and challenges in transition planning for youth generally and to the implementation of AB 12 specifically; (b) Develop the findings of the Lab into written Best Practices for lawyers, judges, social workers, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) and other child welfare stakeholders; and (3) Share Lab findings with two separate work groups co-chaired with the Department of Children and Family Services and the Juvenile Court convened specifically to develop county-wide policies, practices and programs designed to support transition age youth.   California Hospital Medical Center Los Angeles, CA $250,000 – capital December 2011 California Hospital Medical Center is constructing a new facility for the Hope Street Family Center, which is a department of the medical center.  The new wellness and recreation center will be a 26,500 square foot, four-story, environmentally-friendly facility that will house Hope Street’s existing comprehensive child and family services as well as expanded wellness and recreation activities.  Currently serving the low-income neighborhoods of downtown, Pico Union and historic South Los Angeles, Hope Street Family Center will increase those served annually from 2,000 to 3,000 children and families.   Goodwill Industries of Southern California Los Angeles, CA $250,000 – capital December 2011 The Goodwill Today Campaign will:  (1) gut and reconstruct the San Fernando Valley campus (the focus of the W. M. Keck Foundation grant) and in so doing, will add 14,000 square feet (for a total of 51,000 square feet, to offer a new Job Service Center in Panorama City, expand and utilize space more efficiently, and launch new business areas; (2) In Los Angeles, renovate critical spaces, install HVAC and update energy efficiency and ADA compliance; and (3) In San Bernardino, repurpose the interior of the building and improve efficiencies.  All campaign decisions have been made with the following in mind:  Increasing (1) services and jobs to the community; (2) revenues to the organization, which help fund the programs and services; and finally, (3) updating efficiencies and access, and lowering operating costs.  Between 90,000 and 100,000 job seekers will be served annually.   Harbor Interfaith Services, Inc. San Pedro, CA $250,000 – capital December 2011 Harbor Interfaith Services is building a new, three-story Family Resource Center to co-locate and expand programs that serve 15,000 homeless and working poor clients each year.  When it opens in summer 2012, the new space will allow for the expansion of the infant-toddler center, preschool and afterschool programs to serve all children from its shelter and transitional housing programs.  Additional space will also allow the agency to improve and expand the food pantry, provide clients with more privacy during case management sessions and conduct life skills workshops on site while children participate in educational child care programs.  The new facility will have a computer lab for clients, space to organize donated clothing and household goods, a dedicated area for volunteers and additional parking.   Los Angeles County Arts Commission Hollywood, CA $250,000 – 3 years December 2011 The Los Angeles County Arts Commission has supported school districts county-wide in restoring arts education since 2002 through Arts for All, the regional plan for arts education.  Working with Los Angeles Basin California Arts Project, an affiliated site of The California Arts Project, the Arts Commission’s Teacher Professional Development Grant Program will advance the delivery of quality arts education in 12 school districts by supporting the development and implementation of robust arts education professional development plans for teachers.  School districts will enter an intensive multi-year partnership with Arts for All and participate in a series of cross district convenings to:  (1) gather data to measure the status of arts education in schools across each district; (2) develop professional development plans to address the gaps and needs identified in the data; and (3) receive matching funds to partner with local high quality arts education providers to implement professional development programs.  By the end of the initiative, approximately 6,000 teachers, reaching 168,000 students per year, will have increased their capacity to deliver high quality arts instruction within their classrooms.   L. A. Family Housing Corporation North Hollywood, CA $150,000 – 2 years December 2011 L. A. Family Housing helps families transition out of homelessness and poverty through a continuum of housing enriched with supportive services.  It operates three homeless shelters and 19 permanent affordable apartment buildings, and serves more than 3,300 people annually.  The Housing Resource Center (HRC) places residents in permanent affordable housing and helps ensure their long-term housing retention.  This project expands the capacity of the HRC to provide comprehensive supports, including placement and move-in assistance, case management, and access to direct services such as employment assistance, eviction prevention counseling, child care, medical and mental health care, and life skills instructions.  Over the two-year project, 280 families will transition into permanent housing and 500 households will achieve lasting housing stability.   Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust Los Angeles, CA $100,000 – capital December 2011 Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust is in the final phase of its $20 million capital campaign for its new home in Pan Pacific Park.  The Museum has a two-fold mission that has remained constant since its inception in 1961:  Holocaust commemoration and education.  The Museum provides free Holocaust education to the public, particularly students from underfunded schools and underserved communities.  Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust is a specific, focused, artifacts-based history museum which explicates the complex and enormous history of the Holocaust and its antecedents and aftermath within its chronological and historical contexts.  The Museum opened in October 2010 and anticipates hosting approximately 40,000 visitors a year.   Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Los Angeles, CA $1,000,000 – capital December 2011 The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s $135 million campaign is a multi-year project to transform the Museum.  It includes the renovation of historic buildings, installation of five new permanent exhibitions, and the creation of a 3½-acre outdoor urban nature experience with an indoor learning laboratory component.  Once completed, the Museum’s number of annual visitors will increase to more than one million, including 200,000 school children.  A grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation is supporting the development of Becoming Los Angeles, an exhibit about the transformation of Los Angeles.  Opening in late 2012, the exhibition delves into 500 years of L. A. history, from European contact to its rise as a global metropolis of today.  It weaves the city’s cultural and ecological histories into one cohesive narrative, illustrating how Los Angeles’ environment has encouraged human development, while its natural events have challenged human achievement.  The exhibit will include hundreds of artifacts from the Museum’s extensive collection of early Southern California artifacts, personal stories, immersive media and interactive activities for people of all ages and backgrounds.   Partnership for Los Angeles Schools Los Angeles, CA $250,000 – 2 years December 2011 In March 2011, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) chose the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (the Partnership) and Green Dot Public Schools (Green Dot) to reconstitute Jordan High School into two independently operated high schools, co-located on the same campus.  A third school operator, the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools, already serving the Jordan attendance boundary with its small high school, is collaborating with the Partnership and Green Dot to create a zone of school choice for the community.  The transformation project at Jordan High School started on July 1, 2011 and has the potential to serve as a model for how to structure school turnarounds in the future.  With the W. M. Keck Foundation’s support, the Partnership will implement its school turnaround model at Jordan to improve student achievement.  The core components of the model are talented school leaders, improving teacher practice, targeted student intervention, opportunities for students, and family and community engagement.   St. John's Well Child & Family Center Los Angeles, CA $250,000 – capital December 2011 To address the deep health disparities, significant primary health care needs and lack of access to primary health care services in Compton, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center’s capital project will expand its flagship Compton W. M. Keck Foundation Clinic Building.  Currently serving almost 10,000 patients annually, the new space will increase access to care for an additional 2,971 of the poorest residents of Los Angeles County.  Four medical exam rooms will be added for a total of 12, and patient flow will be improved.  St. John’s purchased the Compton campus from the Episcopal Church Diocese, from which it had been renting.   Verbum Dei High School Los Angeles, CA $190,000 – 2 years December 2011 Over the past four years, Verbum Dei High School, located in Watts, has had 100 percent of its graduating seniors gain acceptances into colleges and universities across the country.  However, the average entering ninth grader is behind grade level in all subjects, and recent data gathered from standardized tests show that current students score below the college ready benchmarks for math and science, compared to national norms.  To address this major issue, Verbum Dei developed the Math and Science Enrichment Initiative, which includes a partnership with Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Math and Science Teaching (CMAST) to provide teacher training and professional development opportunities for Verbum Dei Math and Science Department teachers.  Goals include:  (1) establish the CMAST system to foster hands-on, active learning at Verbum Dei; (2) establish AP Math and Science courses; (3) increase student college readiness; and (4) increase student engagement in math and science.   California Science Center Los Angeles, CA $190,000 June 2011 The California Science Center Foundation, working in partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Instructional Technology Outreach office, will build upon its independently evaluated preschool science professional development pilot program by integrating technological tools, software and web-based support for educators.  The program will include a hands-on, kit-based curriculum with complementary professional development training for preschool educators.  A technology investigation section will be added to each of the pilot’s six kit-based science investigation units.  I Am a Scientist!, the anchor module of the series about science process skills, will introduce the age-appropriate technology toolkit, which will be utilized throughout the program.  Educators from a total of 15 preschool sites, five per year, will receive the STEM-enhanced professional development training with the Science Center’s Discovery Rooms, areas designed for guests aged seven and younger, serving as demonstration sites.  The California Science Center is launching the first year of this three-year program with a grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation.   Children's Bureau Los Angeles, CA $250,000 June 2011 The Magnolia Place Community Initiative (MPCI) is a model for large scale community mobilization.  Its vision is that the 35,000 children and parents residing in MPCI’s 500 block catchment area of dense, low-income, multi-ethnic Los Angeles neighborhoods will break all records of success in their education and health milestones and in the nurturing they receive.  The Initiative’s key strategy is to build neighborhood resiliency including, but moving beyond, an integrated service strategy.  The mission is to unite the county, city and community to strengthen individual, family and neighborhood protective factors by increasing social connectedness, civic engagement, and access to needed supports and services.  Activities during the two-year grant period include facilitating participation by over 75 voluntary network partners, developing a communications plan with residents, organizing events that bring neighbors together, improving linkages and referrals among agencies and documenting collective impact.   Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles Gardena, CA $250,000 June 2011 The grant will support Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ Long Beach Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, which focuses on neighborhoods hardest hit by the economic downturn.  A total of 26 foreclosed and vacant houses will be acquired and renovated and three new homes will be built in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Building standards.  The properties will be sold with affordable loans to targeted low-income families.  Each homebuyer will contribute up to 500 hours of physical labor (sweat equity) towards their home and complete 16 hours of homebuyer education and financial literacy classes, providing them with the tools to become successful long-term homeowners.  In addition, the project will train more than 100 at-risk youth to work in the construction trade, and engage as many as 10,000 community volunteers.   Los Angeles Education Partnership Los Angeles, CA $250,000 June 2011 This two-year project will create a community school at Bethune Middle School, providing a mechanism to link together the service providers at the school, ensure that services reach students who need them most, and connect the services with overall school reform.  A full-time community-school coordinator will be placed at the school and a collaborative will be established to coordinate and integrate services and use data to inform change.  Bethune, whose graduates attend Fremont High School, is part of the larger Fremont Initiative, a five year effort by the Los Angeles Education Partnership and the Los Angeles Unified School District to raise academic achievement by improving teaching and learning “inside” classrooms while establishing community schools to organize and integrate “outside” community resources.  The overall goal is to increase the percentage of Fremont High students who graduate from high school, prepared for postsecondary opportunities and life.   St. Joseph Center Venice, CA $150,000 June 2011 St. Joseph Center’s Family Center and Food Pantry and Homeless Service Center are central to the agency’s efforts to help working poor and homeless families and individuals achieve stability as they move toward self-sufficiency.  The Family Center and Food Pantry aids families in achieving short-term goals such as alleviating hunger and provides case management, emergency services, educational workshops and recreational opportunities for low-income, housed clients.  The Homeless Service Center provides long-term case management aimed at permanent housing and offers emergency services such as shelter placement, showers, laundry, and mailboxes, as well as referrals for critical interventions such as substance abuse treatment and medical care.  During each of the next two years, 850 families will be helped to achieve self-sufficiency through the Family Center & Food Pantry and another 2,400 individuals will access services through the Homeless Services Center.  St. Joseph Center will also improve and align intake and coordination procedures between both programs to ensure that clients’ multiple needs are met and referrals are timely and appropriate.   Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind Reseda, CA $250,000 June 2011 In response to a regional needs assessment, Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind is constructing a 19,270 sq. ft. Children’s Center to provide comprehensive, coordinated and specialized programs for children birth to five who are blind or visually impaired and have multiple disabilities.  The Center will serve at least 150 families per year with programs that include a 48-student preschool, home-based early intervention services for infants and toddlers and a range of family support services, vision screening, advocacy training and wrap-around before and after school childcare programs.  The project will complete the continuum of services the agency provides to disabled populations.   Venice Family Clinic Venice, CA $150,000 June 2011 Venice Family Clinic recently completed renovation of a six-chair dental clinic at its Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center in Santa Monica as part of its 40th Anniversary Campaign: Five Ways Forward.  A two-year grant will help support a second dental team, which will enable the Clinic to expand services from 750 to 1,500 unduplicated patients annually.  Current services are limited to adults, and expansion would enable these services to become available to children.   Westside Children's Center Culver City, CA $250,000 June 2011 The Westside Infant-Family Network (WIN) provides free, private, in-home infant mental health (IMH) therapy for families in collaboration with Westside Children’s Center, St. Joseph Center and Venice Family Clinic.  Bilingual, masters-level therapists work with young children (prenatal through 3+) and parents whose relationships have been disrupted by trauma, neglect and mental illness to affect substantive, measurable improvement in 1) secure attachment behaviors, 2) children’s social, emotional and cognitive development, and 3) parental stress.  While WIN therapists work, partner agency case managers ensure that families get intensive, cross-agency early care, social services and health clinic support before therapy and throughout the therapeutic process, such that unmet critical needs don’t interrupt treatment.  The entire network of services are managed in “real time” via WIN’s communications infrastructure and web-based data system to make sure families facing substantial challenges get what they need, when they need it.  The two-year grant from W. M. Keck Foundation will help WIN sustain these services and add individual, in-home adult therapy – key to long-term family transformation, as the program transitions to independence and establishes itself as  a long-term resource for the community.   Grant Abstracts 2010   A Noise Within Glendale, CA $250,000 2010 A Noise Within (ANW) has entered into the final phase of a $13.3 million dollar capital campaign, Building a Home for the Classics, to build a new theater in Pasadena, California. With seating doubling to 300 seats at the new 33,000 square-foot facility, ANW will soon serve over 50,000 constituents per year, including 20,000 students in education programs. The move to a new, permanent home will provide ANW expanded artistic possibilities, a greater scope of educational opportunities and the capacity to meet demand and reach its full potential.   Bet Tzedek Legal Services Los Angeles, CA $200,000 2010 The transition of developmentally disabled individuals from minors to adults is accompanied by major changes in legal status and the ability of their family caregiver(s) to make decisions on their behalf. Bet Tzedek Legal Service’s Mobile Family Conservatorship Clinic provides legal assistance that enables low income families with developmentally disabled children to make the transition in a healthy and supportive way. The Clinic is designed to help the families of the most severely disabled youth obtain limited conservatorships by providing them with legal representation and information on a range of critical issues. In addition, the staff conducts in depth assessments of the families’ social service needs, and connects them with appropriate resources. Support from the Keck Foundation is enabling Bet Tzedek to expand the successful pilot program, bringing it to approximately 200 families in two special education schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District over the next two years.   City Year Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA $200,000 2010 With Keck Foundation support, City Year Los Angeles (CYLA) is expanding its “Whole School, Whole Child” program model into Gompers Middle School in Watts. Young leaders, called corps members, participate in a year of full-time service as tutors, mentors and role models to help students stay in school and on track. The program addresses three early warning indicators that have been identified to lead to high school dropout: poor attendance, negative behavior and course failure in math and English. Corps members currently work in 14 Los Angeles Unified School District elementary and middle schools providing targeted intervention to the students who are deemed “off-track” and most at risk of dropping out because they exhibit a combination of the early warning indicators. In each of the next two years, CYLA will deploy a team of 17 corps members to Gompers to provide in-classroom academic assistance to the 324 sixth graders most at risk, organize after-school programs for 136 youth, and run events and initiatives to engage the entire student body and enhance the school climate.   COPE Health Solutions Los Angeles, CA $180,000 2010 With Keck funding, COPE Health Solutions is providing diagnostic testing to 580 uninsured and low-income patients suffering from cardiac disease via a mobile echocardiogram service and training primary care physician “champions” to identify warning signs, make appropriate referrals to specialists at County/USC Medical Center, and manage follow-up care. Patients are served by community clinics in Central and West Los Angeles that are members of the Camino de Salud (Healthy Road) Network, a public-private partnership managed by COPE Health Solutions. This one-year project is part of a larger County effort to better integrate primary and specialty care for uninsured patients in preparation for health care reform. COPE Health Solutions is a non-profit organization dedicated to assuring accessible, culturally sensitive health care services to underserved populations.   Corporation for Supportive Housing Los Angeles, CA $250,000 2010 The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), in partnership with the Child Welfare Initiative (CWI), will facilitate the creation of 50 units of permanent supportive housing (PSH) in Los Angeles for transition-age former foster youth at risk of homelessness. During the two year project, CSH and CWI will help build service provider capacity to create and operate youth PSH units; educate housing developers and match them with service providers; maximize use of PSH funds; and advocate for improved and increased youth PSH funding.   Harmony Project Los Angeles, CA $150,000 2010 Since April 2009, Harmony Project has been engaged in a cost-sharing partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District’s Beyond the Bell branch to provide after-school music education to students at three elementary schools and one middle school in the communities of East Hollywood/Koreatown. Harmony Project provides music instruction and social support while Beyond the Bell provides instruments and onsite staff. A three-year grant is supporting the orchestra conductor, music teachers and staff needed to expand the program from 120 to 250 students.   Inner-City Arts Los Angeles, CA $150,000 2010 Inner-City Arts’ Performing Arts Institute and Visual and Media Arts Institute offer low-income Los Angeles youth opportunities to study theater arts, dance choreography and production, stand-up comedy, animation, visual arts, digital photography, film production and graphic design/multi-media in a workshop environment after school and on Saturdays. Workshops are year-round, taught by professional artists, and afford students the chance to progress from rudimentary to advanced content by participating in multiple sessions from year-to-year. For students desiring to pursue advanced education and potentially work in an art-related field, mentoring, portfolio development, and partnerships with arts organizations and colleges enable Inner-City Arts to help students attain their goals. During the three-year project, a minimum of 1,365 students will enroll in workshops.   KIPP LA Schools Los Angeles, CA $250,000 2010 KIPP LA Schools is a non-profit charter school management organization that operates KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools in underserved communities in Los Angeles. It is in the process of expanding from five to fourteen schools by 2016. This project will support renovation of a former retail site in East Los Angeles to provide a long-term facility for KIPP Raíces Academy elementary school, the first new school in KIPP’s expansion effort in Los Angeles. Since opening in summer 2008, KIPP Raíces achieved strong results, despite the challenge of operating in tight quarters and on a split campus. By providing KIPP Raíces a suitable long-term home, the school will be able to grow from 300 students in grades K-2 to 500 students in grades K-4 by 2012.   Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA $250,000 2010 The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) is a frontline law firm for the poor in Los Angeles County, and has been providing civil legal services for over 80 years. LAFLA has now embarked on a “Building Justice” capital campaign to invest in upgrading its legal center facilities in several underserved communities. This project supports the renovation of a newly acquired building in South Los Angeles. The new facility maintains LAFLA’s long-standing presence in South Los Angeles and will allow for a 20% increase in the number of cases adjudicated and residents served.   Los Angeles Regional Foodbank Los Angeles, CA $100,000 2010 The participation rate by Californians and residents of Los Angeles County in the federal Food Stamp Program (now called the CalFresh Program in California) is among the lowest in the nation. County caseworkers are overwhelmed and potential applicants are often uniformed and intimidated, resulting in high benefit denial rates. With Keck Foundation funding, the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank is continuing its Food Stamp Outreach Program to improve the health of low-income, food-insecure individuals and families in Los Angeles County by increasing their access to nutritious food. Activities will include determining eligibility, completing food stamp applications, following up with County staff on clients’ behalf to ensure approval, and working with the County Department of Public Social Services and the state to reduce barriers for qualified applicants to access benefits. During the two-year project, 985 households will receive food stamps benefitting almost 2,200 children and adults and generating over $7 million in economic activity for the region.   MLA Partner Schools Los Angeles, CA $245,000 2010 MLA Partner Schools (MLA) currently operates two Los Angeles Unified School District high schools, West Adams Preparatory and Manual Arts, with a combined student population of more than 6,000 students. Under its contract with LAUSD, MLA has full authority for managing these schools as neighborhood public schools. During the two-year project, MLA will implement a new performance evaluation system that centers on professional development, data-driven instruction and accountability for teachers and school leaders to meet school-wide goals and improve academic performance. Grant funding will support two new performance analysts for teacher evaluation, data and planning, as well as associated technology infrastructure.   St. Anne's Maternity Home Los Angeles, CA $150,000 2010 This two-year project will support St Anne's Transitional Housing Program, which provides subsidized housing and an array of supportive services to help struggling 18- to 24-year-old mothers aging out of the foster care system gather the emotional and practical resources they need to create safe, self-sufficient lives. Disconnected youth aging out of the foster care system are at particular risk for chronic homelessness, unemployment, community and family violence, failure to complete high school, and other prospect-limiting threats. Offering multiple supports that former foster care youth can draw on to build stable, productive futures are considered to be the most effective route to better outcomes for such individuals. Toward this end, the Transitional Housing Program offers safe housing, educational aid, help to prepare for and secure jobs, mental health treatment, on-site infant, toddler and preschool care, life skills training and family literacy assistance.   Students Run LA Tarzana, CA $100,000 2010 Students Run LA’s (SRLA) “Training for the Marathon…Training for Life” is a 26-week physical fitness and mentoring program for low-income teenagers in Los Angeles that teaches them to set and achieve goals by preparing them to complete the LA Marathon. While running is the core activity of the program, participating students learn discipline, perseverance and hard work. SRLA students enjoy school, stay in school and graduate at a higher rate than their peers. Grant funding is supporting 218 students during the first year of the project and 217 students during the second year. These students attend 16 schools at which at least 90% of the students qualify for the free/reduced lunch program.   TreePeople Beverly Hills, CA $150,000 2010 TreePeople’s Urban Forestry Regional Initiative is a program of targeted community engagement to inspire and empower local residents to take charge of their environment through urban forestry. “Citizen Foresters" are recruited, trained and supported to lead multiple planting or tree care events in their neighborhoods. With Keck Foundation support, the program is training 125 volunteer leaders and more than 2,500 volunteers to conduct over 100 planting and care events during the two-year project. Not only will Los Angeles’ urban neighborhoods become more livable, but community leaders emerge in the process, and in turn drive neighborhood improvements. Since 2007, TreePeople has targeted three areas of high environmental need: the Northeast San Fernando Valley, select areas of South Los Angeles and the Harbor/Gateway Region.   Union Station Homeless Services Pasadena, CA $150,000 2010 Union Station Homeless Services in the San Gabriel Valley is a comprehensive social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income people to rebuild their lives. Clients are offered the housing, employment and life skills they need to become productive, stable and self sufficient. Approximately 2,000 people annually receive assistance through one of the following Union Station programs: Passageways, a one-stop intake center that serves as the entry-point to Pasadena’s homeless services network; Adult Center, a 56-bed adult shelter for men and women, and the site for the Community Meals and Shower Programs; Family Center, a 50-bed shelter for homeless families; Euclid Villa, a 14-unit transitional housing program for families; Sources, a career development and job search assistance program; and Centennial Place, a 144-unit single room occupancy building providing permanent supportive housing for low-income adults. A two-year grant is supporting the Family Center, a home-like environment that offers shelter, meals and supportive services to help families permanently escape homelessness. Last year, 90% of families exiting the Family Center moved to stable housing, including rental units, long-term transitional housing and permanent supportive housing.   Variety Boys & Girls Club Los Angeles, CA $250,000 2010 The Variety Boys & Girls Club has launched a $10.1 million capital campaign to replace its 85 year-old facility with a new, 28,500 square-foot building. The new facility will insure that the Club can deliver high-quality academic, recreational and social programs to the youth of Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, East Los Angeles and Downtown Los Angeles far into the future. The new facility will allow Club membership to increase from 1,577 to 2,175 and overall daily participation to increase from 255 to 400 youth. The new facility will include dedicated, yet flexible space to provide new programs for teens and families and also accommodate programs and events hosted by other community organizations. This new facility will be built at the Club’s current location in Boyle Heights and will open in early 2012.   YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA $250,000 2010 The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles will construct the new Anderson-Munger Wilshire Family YMCA in Koreatown. The Silver LEED-rated building will be a two-story, 30,000 square foot facility with a 20,000 square-foot roof top recreation area. The YMCA will offer programs that will engage area youth in progressive development opportunities, support families and individuals in pursuit of wellness and community, provide recreation and activity for people of all ages, and offer the tools necessary for its neighbors to build their best lives. The branch will partner with the adjoining Charles H. Kim Elementary School to develop joint programming and share resources. Last year, the YMCA served more than 250,000 people across the Los Angeles metropolitan region, over half of them youth. The new facility is expected to be completed by August 2013 and serve upwards of 10,000 men, women and children annually.   Grant Abstracts 2009   Arts and Culture Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation Los Angeles, CA $150,000 2009 Everybody dance! provides free or low-cost dance instruction to underserved, inner-city children in Los Angeles. Since 2000, when Everybody dance! opened its doors in a low-income housing project just west of downtown, the rigorous program has grown from 12 weekly classes and 35 students to 105 courses serving over 1,300 youth. Classes are offered in school to students at Gabriella Charter School and Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and after school to youth at studios in Pico-Union. Everybody dance! has an 18-member faculty of professional instructors. This two-year project will expand the after-school program by adding 19 courses and engaging 400 more young people.   Civic and Community American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA $250,000 2009 The United States Geological Survey is predicting that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake will strike Southern California sometime in the next 30 years. As the result of a 2007 comprehensive planning and simulation exercise conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it is expected that a collapse in the infrastructure may delay the arrival of outside assistance including government resources and the national American Red Cross. Consequently, the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles recognized the need to establish response capabilities within the community to respond independently of outside assistance. Resulting analysis projected the need for the Los Angeles Chapter to shelter 250,000 evacuees and serve two million meals per day for up to five days. This grant will help the Red Cross continue to build its catastrophic response capacity over the next two years.   Civic and Community Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor San Pedro, CA $150,000 2009 The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor’s College Bound Program Expansion Project will establish College Bound Programs at the organization’s Port of Los Angeles Club and Wilmington Teen Center that mirror what is currently offered at the San Pedro Teen Center. Since College Bound was implemented at the San Pedro Teen Center in 2002, the high school graduation rate of Club Members increased from less than 50% to 88% today, with 95% of the graduates going on to a two-year college or four-year university in the fall. The project will provide youth in Wilmington and the neighborhoods surrounding the Port of Los Angeles with the guidance, support and resources they need to reach their academic and personal goals – resources that are not readily available or even accessible to the majority of youth in these communities. The goal of this three-year expansion project that began in 2008 is to increase the high school graduation and college acceptance rates in the San Pedro and Wilmington communities. By June 2011, College Bound will serve 1,000 youth annually.   Civic and Community Children's Institute Los Angeles, CA $350,000 2009 Children's Institute, Inc. (CII), a 103-year-old children's service agency, is constructing a new campus located near the comer of Temple and Alvarado Streets just west of downtown Los Angeles. The new Otis Booth Campus will be comprised of three buildings that collectively provide more than 48,000 square feet of space and includes CII's new headquarters. The new facility will enable CII to bring life-changing services to 5,000 additional children and families whose lives have been affected by violence, including child abuse, domestic violence, and gang and community violence. Scheduled for completion in Fall 2010, the Otis Booth Campus will enable CII to fully realize its comprehensive, community-based services model; expand its capacity to develop and disseminate new programs; increase its impact on the larger field of children's services through its training and research activities; and realize its strategic goal of doubling the number of children and families served from 10,000 to 20,000 by 2011.   Civic and Community MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity Pacoima, CA $100,000 2009 MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity’s emergency food pantry, clothing center and client intake program form the core of its operations, providing food and clothing to 30,000 clients each month who have few, if any, other options. MEND’s professional staff is able to maintain a high level of service and meet the growing needs of impoverished families in the San Fernando Valley by utilizing the skills of 2,900 volunteers who fill roles in all facets of the organization. Despite the recent economic downturn, MEND remains committed to growing its programs by approximately 10% each year by continuing to focus on volunteer labor and positive interactions between the volunteers and clients. As a result of its recent capital expansion, which was also supported by the W. M. Keck Foundation, MEND has the necessary space and other resources for growth. This challenge grant will support the core programs and leverage MEND’s large volunteer base, excellent facilities and good name in the community to serve an increasing number of individuals and families in need.   Civic and Community P. F. Bresee Foundation Los Angeles, CA $150,000 2009 Through its Education and Career Development programs, Bresee Foundation enriches and improves the lives of at-risk youth in central Los Angeles. Building on over 20 years of youth development experience, Bresee’s educational and experiential activities include mentoring by staff and volunteers to help young people achieve academically and socially, avoid gang involvement and delinquent behavior, and encourage their growth and development as successful, productive members of society. Education assistance includes homework help, one-on-one tutoring in reading and math, college preparation, scholarships, technology and multimedia training, leadership development, workplace readiness and paid internships. Bresee places a strong emphasis on mentoring by staff and volunteers, but also on peer mentoring as high school leadership students mentor the middle school students. This encourages a sense of responsibility and a habit of community service among participants. Other youth services offered include sports, leagues, summer camps, trips, parenting classes and a health clinic. Through all of its programs and services, Bresee will assist 1,500 youth, ages 11-18, to set and achieve positive goals as students and for their long-term success in life. The grant will support the education and career development programs over two years.   Early Learning Child Development Institute Woodland Hills, CA $250,000 2009 The Child Development Institute (CDI) will renovate the former Canoga Park Library to create an Early Learning Center. Founded on extensive research regarding the most effective early childhood programs, the new Center will provide inclusive services for young children of all abilities age five and under. It will house a broad array of play and learning opportunities and services designed to reach all children in the community, helping to ensure their optimal growth and development and mitigating the risks for developmental challenges. As approximately 1,000 young children and their families explore their world at the Center annually – in the Children’s Discovery Zone, Head Start program, state-of-the-art playgrounds and more – they will be supported by CDI’s staff and team of developmental specialists in a non-stigmatizing, culturally congruent environment. In addition to supporting children’s learning, staff will identify risk factors, conduct developmental assessments, counsel and educate parents, and provide intensive intervention as needed, to ensure the best outcomes for local children.   Health Care Children's Dental Health Clinic Long Beach, CA $150,000 2009 The project will provide oral health treatment and education for low-income children up to eight years of age and special needs patients to age 18. To address increased demand for pediatric dental services, another dental team will be deployed one day per week to provide treatment for an additional 1,500 patients over two years. Pediatric Dentists are specifically trained (two-year residency after Dental School) to administer oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide analgesia to provide a safe and comfortable treatment environment. In addition, Pediatric Dentists have advanced training in pediatric life support, patient management and treating patients in a hospital setting. All patients treated in the Pediatric Dental Treatment Program will receive oral health instruction through demonstration of proper oral health techniques and video presentations to prevent the recurrence of dental disease. They will also be provided oral health kits consisting of a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, timer and an educational brochure in the appropriate language.   Health Care JWCH Institute, Inc. Los Angeles, CA $225,000 2009 JWCH recently opened the Center for Community Health – Downtown Los Angeles in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health, Public Health and Health Services. In this newly renovated 20,000 square foot clinic, homeless patients receive health and mental health care with an integrated, patient-centered approach. The Center also creates the opportunity for interdisciplinary case conferencing so that mental health care is effectively coordinated with primary care and other services. The two-year project covers the start-up phase, and the grant will augment the services of the existing personnel from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health by supporting a licensed clinical social worker and a master’s level social worker.   Precollegiate Education Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools Los Angeles, CA $300,000 2009 The Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools is creating a charter school campus for 875 middle and high school students in South Los Angeles. This campus will provide a quality neighborhood school alternative to families in and around the Angeles Mesa community, where existing public schools are seriously overcrowded and underperforming. The goal of the middle school and high school that share this campus is to ensure that every child graduates from high school prepared to enter and succeed in college. This is being accomplished through five core values including: high expectations for all students, small personalized schools/classrooms, increased instructional time, highly qualified teachers and working with parents as partners. Also key to this goal is providing a safe, personalized learning environment in which students can grow and thrive.   Precollegiate Education California Charter Schools Los Angeles, CA $250,000 2009 ZOOM! Data Source is a comprehensive student achievement data management program designed to help member schools increase student achievement through data-driven decision making while at the same time providing the Association with access to student-level data for research and analysis of charter school performance. The program meets the unique data management needs of charter schools by providing access to an intuitive on-line data management system, DataDirector™, which allows schools to upload and analyze state-level summative data alongside school and classroom-level formative assessment and student demographic data. Access to this tool is coupled with custom in-person and web-based technical support, training and professional development to build strong data cultures in participating charter schools. The project will serve 125 charter schools in Los Angeles County in 2009-2010 and 150 charters schools in 2010-2011.   Grant Abstracts 2008   Civic and Community Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County Temecula, CA $300,000 2008 Since 2000, Southwest Riverside County's population has more than doubled to over 360,000. Because this rapid growth has outpaced available youth resources, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County is constructing a 15,000 square foot clubhouse to provide safe, neighborhood-based youth development programs for children and teens from low income families in the French Valley area. The facility will include a teen center, educational center, arts and crafts room, library, recreational and games room, computer lab, and multipurpose room, as well as office space and a conference room. The eight acre site also contains sports fields, a swimming pool facility and playgrounds.   Civic and Community Downtown Women's Center Los Angeles, CA $500,000 2008 Women are the fastest growing segment of the local homeless population. With more than 16,000 women nightly without a home in Los Angeles, there is an urgent need for additional long-term housing and supportive services for this group. Downtown Women's Center is responding to this need by renovating a six-story building that will increase permanent supportive housing; expand drop-in services; provide the first women's medical and mental health clinic on skid row, and create a social enterprise/job training program.   Civic and Community Shelter Partnership Los Angeles, CA $350,000 2008 The project involves the rehabilitation of a 108,000 square foot warehouse in the City of Bell, where the S. Mark Taper Foundation Shelter Resource Bank operates. The Resource Bank distributes donated new goods to over 200 agencies/unique projects annually, providing them with essential items for both their operations and the clients they serve. For 19 years, the Federal government provided free rent for the warehouse. In July 2007, under the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act, ownership of the warehouse and accompanying six acres of property was transferred to Shelter Partnership at no cost. The warehouse complex was built in the early 1940s and has never been significantly rehabilitated or upgraded. Although safe, it does not meet today’s building codes. This project will upgrade the major systems of the warehouse and also increase the Resource Bank’s storage capacity by more than one-third, ensuring sufficient potential for future growth.   Civic and Community Union Rescue Mission Los Angeles, CA $750,000 2008 There is a startling lack of programs that are effectively freeing families from homelessness, and there are few transitional housing options for families in Los Angeles. Hope Gardens Family Center responds to this need. It is designed to provide a safe, healthy and positive living environment away from skid row for up to 225 women and children. Through rehabilitative, educational, and life skills-building services, the program aims to transition families out of homelessness in a sustainable way and break the cycle of homelessness within these families.   Early Learning Information and Referral Federation of Los Angeles County San Gabriel, CA $300,000 2008 211 LA County (211) operates the First 5 LA Parent Help-Line with trained specialists that provide information and referral services and support to parents and/or caregivers of children birth to five years of age. The Parent Help-Line serves an average of 3,000 to 4,000 low-income families monthly. In this three-year pilot project, 211 project staff will be trained to use the high-quality Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status Screening tool (PEDS) with parents who already contact 211 for other information and express a concern about their child’s development. When a problem is flagged, the child will be referred for a more comprehensive assessment and, when needed, to services through a partnership with the Early Identification and Intervention Collaborative (EIIC), a network of more than 250 organizations serving children and families throughout the County.   Health Care Children's Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA $1,000,000 2008 Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has provided state-of-the-art medical care to children in a family-centered environment throughout its 107 year history. When the hospital's current inpatient facility was dedicated in 1968, it supported the best possible care available at that time. However, medical technology and practice significantly evolved over the last 40 years. Further, the current inpatient building does not meet the new state-mandated seismic requirements (SB 1953) that were passed after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. To continue offering the highest standards of medical excellence and quality care for children, it became imperative that the existing inpatient building be replaced. The seven-story, 460,000 square foot, 317 bed new hospital building will enable CHLA to expand key acute care services; incorporate advances in medical technology; enhance family-centered care; and exceed new seismic safety standards.   Health Care Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center Los Angeles, CA $150,000 2008 The goal of the expansion/capital project is to increase high quality, affordable and culturally competent healthcare for low-income women of all ages. Existing space will be renovated to create a dedicated home for the Women’s Health Center (WHC), which offers a wide range of comprehensive perinatal and gynecological services, including preconception, perinatal and post-partum clinical care; health management and education classes; childbirth services (on site at California Hospital Medical Center); high-risk pregnancy care; and family planning and reproductive health education. When operating at capacity, the WHC will be able to provide women-focused medical care to over 3,000 unduplicated clients every year, while improving patient flow in the adult and pediatric clinics and freeing exam rooms for anticipated growth in the demand for primary care.   Precollegiate Education Green Dot Public Schools Los Angeles, CA $400,000 2008 The mission of Green Dot Public Schools is to transform public education in Los Angeles. The strategy is to restructure large, failing high schools into clusters of small, successful schools. Green Dot’s first School Transformation was launched around Jefferson Senior High School in South Los Angeles. In fall 2006, five new charter high schools were established around the campus. Animo Pat Brown was one of those new schools, opening in temporary quarters with its first class of 150 ninth graders. By fall 2009, it will be at full capacity with 560 students in grades nine through twelve. This project will construct a permanent facility in South Los Angeles that will help Animo Pat Brown solidify and increase its students’ academic gains.   Precollegiate Education Unite-LA Los Angeles, CA $750,000 2008 UNITE-LA promotes secondary school success and options for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District through the College & Career Success (C&CS) Network and C&CS Schools. This project engages a broad team of administrators, specialists, educators and corporate leaders to work collaboratively to directly support the small schools and small learning communities (SS/SLCs) being launched as part of reform efforts at four new and seven traditional high schools. UNITE-LA provides leadership development, staff training and communication strategies. UNITE-LA also leverages resources from key partners to cultivate sustainable business-school partnerships to improve student achievement at more than 350 SS/SLCs.