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Community Engagement

Families and communities provide the solid foundation children require to succeed, in school and life.

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Parents, caregivers, and other responsible, caring adults are critical partners. Their cultural wealth and knowledge are a tremendous asset to every child. To close the equity gap, we must engage and empower communities to harness their skills and resources towards that end. 

Since its inception, LAEP has known that educational transformation starts in the community. We began by bringing early childhood education into homes and neighborhoods, empowering parents in their role as their child’s first teacher and advocate. 

That work expanded when we became a lead for the First 5 LA Best Start Community Northeast San Fernando Valley (NEV). Through that program, we supported capacity-building for communities in Pacoima, Arleta, Sylmar, and San Fernando. LAEP: 

  • Hosted twice-monthly community engagement meetings to identify and address community priorities and concerns
  • Organized workshop series and trainings
  • Shared community events and resources
  • Built community capacity through tools like participatory budgeting 

Community Engagement in Action

Because LAEP supports communities to identify, prioritize, and meet their own needs, our work looks different from one community to the next. Here are some examples of the work that we’ve supported:

Community Directed Public Funding

The Participatory Budget Project (PBP) empowers communities to determine how public funds should be invested. In the NEV Best Start Community, community members received PBP training, identified areas of need, launched an application process for proposed projects, and awarded funding to winning projects. Funds have gone toward mental health workshops, community art events, college preparation workshops, college scholarships, bilingual and multicultural community storytimes, and more.

Summer Fest Back-to-School Celebration

The NEV Best Start Community and El Nido Family Centers came together to host a local resource fair. More than 600 attendees were connected to 30 local resources, while enjoying entertainment from Aztec and folklórico dance groups.

Parenting Workshops

In addition to meetings that connect community members with community resources, LAEP connected the NEV Best Start Community to parenting workshops the community wanted. Topics included advocating for your child in school, decolonizing parenting, healing strategies for parents, health-conscious virtual cooking classes, and early childhood development.

Partner with Us!

LAEP connects communities to partners that can further their vision for safety, health, and opportunity for all children. Contact us for more information on how to partner with community engagement initiatives.

SHARE YOUR TIME AND EXPERIENCE

Lend support for activities that make a difference in the lives of at-promise youth.

Volunteer

Eric Barela, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant, Raya Cooper Impact Consulting

Dr. Eric Barela has worked as a measurement & evaluation professional for over 2 decades, helping organizations to better understand and act on their social impact. He’s currently a Senior Consultant with Raya Cooper Impact Consulting and previously worked at Salesforce, where he led efforts to measure the social impact of the company’s work with nonprofits and educational institutions across the globe. He began his career working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and with the nonprofit, Partners in School Innovation. Eric previously served on the Board of the American Evaluation Association and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Eric grew up in East LA and was educated in the Montebello Unified School District. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. He loves a good road trip, with his husband serving as trusty navigator.