Imagine a fifth-grade student attending an LAUSD elementary school in South Los Angeles. He has always been fascinated by the ocean, especially sharks, sea turtles, and marine life. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he says, “I want to study the ocean.” But there is a gap between his curiosity and his sense of possibility. He doesn’t know any marine biologists, and no one in his family or neighborhood works in marine science. He doesn’t know what the career entails or how someone like him could pursue it. Then comes an LAEP Exposure Trip to Algalita. Before the trip, his teacher introduces careers in marine science. During the experience, he meets professionals addressing ocean plastic pollution, participates in hands-on activities, and learns how scientists use math, science, and technology to protect marine ecosystems. Suddenly, marine biology becomes more than something he watches in documentaries. It becomes a career he can imagine pursuing.
Back in the classroom, his teacher helps students reflect on their experience and connect what they learned to their academic studies. He begins to recognize that the skills he practices in math, science, reading, and writing are the same skills professionals use to solve real-world challenges. Although he still doesn’t know a marine biologist in his family or neighborhood, he has now met people doing the work he dreams of pursuing and understands that a pathway exists for him, too. That is the power of LAEP’s Expose, Inspire, Connect model: introducing students to new possibilities, connecting classroom learning to real-world careers, and inspiring them to see futures they may never have imagined were within reach.
At LAEP, we know equitable education from diapers to diplomas℠ extends far beyond four classroom walls. Like many education advocates, we believe exposure trips aren’t a luxury. They are essential. Actress, writer, and producer Quinta Brunson, who helped launch a similar campaign in Philadelphia, has spoken about how field trips “opened my world” and expanded her sense of possibility. That sentiment reflects LAEP’s goal of ensuring all students can access transformative learning experiences beyond the classroom.
For many students, the greatest barrier to their future isn’t a lack of potential, but a lack of exposure to what’s possible. LAEP’s Exposure Trips bridge that gap by connecting classroom learning to real-world careers, introducing students to inspiring professionals, and transforming curiosity into possibility. Through our Expose, Inspire, Connect model, we’re doing more than expanding students’ experiences. We’re shifting mindsets, building hope, and helping young people see a future where their dreams are within reach.
The classroom door is open, but we need your help to bridge the gap.
Step 1: Rally your network. Giving is always more powerful and a whole lot more fun when we pull together. Think about your community circles: your active group chats, block clubs, or neighborhood networks.
Step 2: Decide how you want to move mountains together. Whether you’re pooling your resources to fund transportation, or collaborating to fuel the fun with lunch and snacks sponsors, every collective action creates a ripple effect of change right here in Los Angeles.
When you support an LAEP Exposure Trip, you aren’t just funding a day away from the classroom, you are opening doors to a world of possibility for our students. The majority of the students we serve identify as Black and Latino, coming from under-resourced, low-income households where free or reduced-lunch programs are a vital support. By donating or sponsoring an Exposure Trip, you help bridge the opportunity gap, giving these deserving young scholars access to enriching, real-world experiences that expand their horizons from diapers to diplomas℠.
Your Impact:
Igniting Curiosity: Sparking lifelong passions across STEAM, the arts, humanities, and career exploration.
Expanding Horizons: Exposing students to new environments, universities, and professional industries beyond their neighborhoods.
Unlocking Potential: Showing every student that their future and possibilities have no boundaries.
What Your Support Provides:
Safe, reliable transportation to and from destination sites.
Specialized learning materials, admission, and equipment for hands-on experiences.
Direct access to expert mentors and community leaders.
Melissa Peña serves as the Chief Program Officer at the Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP), bringing more than two decades of experience advancing educational equity, youth development, and community-centered systems change. A mission-driven and strategic leader, she has dedicated her career to eliminating barriers to learning and seeking equitable outcomes for historically underserved youth. Prior to joining LAEP, Melissa spent over 14 years at Green Dot Public Schools where she launched and scaled high-impact initiatives that reduced chronic absenteeism by 27%, expanded access to wellness services, and built network-wide support systems for more than 600 homeless and foster youth across 18 schools. Her leadership is rooted in both entrepreneurial vision and disciplined execution—designing programs, teams, and infrastructure that strengthen outcomes for students while supporting the adults who serve them.
Melissa’s commitment to equity has shaped her work across roles in education, youth development, and human services, including senior leadership positions at The Door in New York City and national diversity recruitment efforts at Teach For America. She began her career as a fourth-grade teacher in Newark, New Jersey, a formative experience that continues to ground her belief that the key to ensuring every young person meets their full potential lies in the power of family–school–community partnerships. At LAEP, Melissa leads program strategy with empathy, clarity, and a deep belief that children thrive when systems work together from “diapers to diplomas.” She holds a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara. Outside of work, she enjoys researching her family history, exploring nature, and family movie nights with her husband and two children.
LaCora is a seasoned communications professional with a passion for using multimedia
storytelling to empower movements for social justice and equality. For over 13 years, she has
honed her skills as a versatile multimedia director, overseeing media operations across diverse
organizations, including the NAACP Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch and The Shirley Chisholm
Education Foundation. Her deep understanding of the education and equity landscape fuels her
creative vision, allowing her to craft impactful narratives that resonate with audiences.
With strategic communication and collaboration, LaCora excels in developing and executing
compelling multimedia campaigns that not only raise awareness of critical issues but also
inspire action and drive meaningful change. Her proficiency in concept development, production
execution, and team leadership ensures projects are delivered with exceptional quality.
Furthermore, LaCora fosters strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders,
cultivating partnerships that maximize campaign reach and impact.
LaCora's educational foundation began with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Education from
Florida A&M University. She then pursued a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages) from Alliant University of San Diego. This passion for
storytelling, fueled by her background in education, translates to her belief in the power of
shared narratives. Her work in this area was recognized through her selection as a Women in
Film Mentee and film director for Viola Davis’ sponsored film showcase, Diversity in Cannes.
Now, LaCora leverages her love of storytelling and commitment to educational equity in her role
leading marketing and communications for Los Angeles Education Partnership, while also
serving on the board of the Pasadena African American Film Foundation.
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.
