Study on Education Organizing and Academic Improvement

About this grant

This grant will support efforts by the Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment to develop and implement an initiative to achieve universal access to college preparatory courses for south Los Angeles high schools. South Central Youth Empowerment thru Action (SCYEA), created to promote youth leadership and activism as an alternative to gang violence and delinquency, is the youth organizing component of the coalition.Multiyear funding will enable SCYEA to expand the number of high-school-based SCYEA organizing committees from four to at least six; recruit and train at least 50 leaders each year; launch school-site campaigns in at least three schools to gain immediate curriculum changes, improve student safety: advocate for qualified teachers; participate in communications training with the goal of developing increased media attention for the "Equal Access to College Prep Courses" campaign; and work with partners and allies to initiate the campaign in south Los Angeles high schools.Recent accomplishments included launching the "Equal Access to College Prep Courses" campaign; increasing academic counseling for students to make them aware of graduation and college application requirements; and securing more class space for south Los Angeles students to enroll in college preparatory classes.