…learning today, leading tomorrow

	News to Note...
	This year, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of our first Human Services Academy. From our first class of first 17 students, we’ve grown to serve 750 students at the two Academies we sponsor.

Introduction

Combining classroom education, community experience and college planning, our Human Services Academy guides high school students toward careers in mental health and other human services. We give young people, many of whom of are educationally or economically disadvantaged, experience in and exposure to human services jobs. We help them see college and career as possibilities and work for a nonprofit or public agency as worthwhile.

The Academy, one of our training models, marks the first time a Los Angeles-area nonprofit has sponsored a school-to-career academy. We also have the only Los Angeles academy dedicated to nonprofit/public helping professions. By demonstrating a “pipeline” approach that attracts and assists bilingual and bicultural young people to our field, the Academy will help strengthen the human services network, especially its need for diversity.

Working with our partner, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), we sponsor academies on two high school campuses and serve 500 students. A “school within a school,” the Human Services Academy offers a supportive environment for students in grades 9 through 12.

Our learning themes are building blocks that add to students’ academic, personal development and career skills each year. For freshman, “organization and relationships” activities help them understand their learning style, how they relate to teachers and peers, and how to respect differences. Using a “communication and leadership” theme, sophomore activities help develop skills in problem solving, listening and conflict resolution. Work experience is the heart of the junior year’s “career exploration” theme, and “college preparation” is the focus for senior students.

Services

To build a broad model, we emphasize a direction toward college and career; motivation to do well in school and in service to the community; and attention to remedial and personal support needs.

		Career-Related Curriculum In our small learning community, a team of specially trained LAUSD teachers brings a human service focus to English, social studies, science and math classes. Academy students take other courses within the regular high school to fulfill the requirements for graduation and college. For more support, after-school tutoring helps our students overcome learning barriers.
		Work Experience Through our “Introduction to Human Services” class, we provide semester-long jobs at service agencies. Our 11th graders work four afternoons a week under the guidance of their work-site mentors, complemented by our weekly classroom instruction. Many students tutor elementary children or lead after-school homework and recreation activities for Boys and Girls clubs, YMCA, libraries and recreation departments. Some work at mental health, health or probation agencies. Others help at care centers for seniors.
		College Planning The Academy works with all seniors and their families on researching colleges, meeting application deadlines, identifying financial aid sources and completing applications. An annual workshop, offered in English and Spanish, familiarizes students and their parents with the range of university and college systems and with financial aid resources. Field trips to college fairs and campuses, for every grade level, give students exposure to post-secondary options.
		Personal Development After-school labs help our freshmen and sophomores build their skills. For freshmen, the lab focuses on self-discovery and team building. An after-school communications lab helps sophomores begin to learn and practice helping skills.
		Career Exploration Visits to agencies, special class projects and a career fair are some of the ways we help young people learn about the wide variety of human service jobs. As a team project, our students research community needs and design a service agency. Our annual career fair features talks by different kinds of human service professionals and a workshop on getting a job, including job search, resume writing and interview etiquette.

Funders

A 10-year lead gift from a generous donor provided the first funds for the Human Services Academy. The program was established and is enhanced by the ARCO Foundation, The California Wellness Foundation, Crail-Johnson Foundation, Entertainment Industry Foundation, W. M. Keck Foundation, B. C. McCabe Foundation, Northrop Grumman, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, S. Mark Taper Foundation and Weingart Foundation. The cities of Huntington Park and Torrance have sponsored students’ work experience jobs. Our schools receive funds from the California Department of Education’s Partnership Academy program.