UCLA Daily Bruin Coverage
Check out an article on the Empowerment Community Garden at Morningside High School
SJLI Director joins speaker series
D'Artagnan Scorza joins the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) speaker series. Watch it on YouTube!
The Social Justice Learning Institute utilizes research-based methods to develop and manage programs that improve educational institutions for underserved populations in Los Angeles County and the state of California.
Educational institutions under serve many youth in urban schools, and this is evidenced by the large drop out/push out rates as well as severe under-representation in institutes of higher education. For example, there is disproportionate underachievement in the African American schooling experience in most urban schools. The result of social inequality in American schools is a direct influence on the prison and homicide rates in African American communities. This achievement gap continues to widen, and it is critical for the future of our nation, that we innovatively address this need. This has been called the number one problem facing this country.
The Institute create opportunities for academic development, self-motivated learning and serves as a replicable model for organizations who wish to address issues affecting underserved communities.
By helping students change their communities, we add value to schools through academic and critical literacy, college preparation and exposure, life and leadership skills development and approaching each of our youth holistically. We use develop and implement culturally relevant curriculum and participatory learning models that:
To successfully meet our goals, the foundation of the Institute is built on three critical components or pillars; research, programs, and resources. In each of these areas, we focus on the following:
- Research: to gather data and report findings that reflect the lessons we learn, best practices in the field and impact of our efforts.
- Programs: to develop and deliver programs of impact.
- Resources: to bring resources to underserved populations empowering members of the community to effect change.
The institute works with local school districts in an effort to increase educational opportunities through innovative programs and sustainable practices. We also develop and manage programs that advance academic, food and environmental justice.
We use research, programs and resources to help underserved students throughout Los Angeles County. We work to help youth graduate from high school, get into college and become leaders of their community. The Institute creates, supports, and provides resources to in-school programs specifically designed to address the needs of a specific underserved population. Our work creates a model that other schools and school districts can use to help their underserved populations increase academic performance and college access. These populations include but are not limited to African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and rural White youth.
