2013-2014 Annual Report
Transcription
2013-2014 Annual Report
o d e w g Nothin t n a t r o p is as im t c e f f e e as th . d l i h c a it has on Our Values 1 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Tomorrow is here. In April 1988, a diverse and prestigious Education Council appointed by Mayor Tom Bradley was commissioned to lay the foundation for America’s best after school education and child care program. Mayor Bradley’s vision was to keep children safe from the streets, give them someone to look up to, someone to help them with homework, something new to learn, and something fun to do — to engage their minds, and to put their working parents’ minds at ease. He wanted the after school program to be based in the Office of the Mayor in the City of Los Angeles. Of course, this program had to be called something. But how do you capture the intent, intelligence and audacity of such a plan in a name? It had to be simple yet profound, comprehensive yet comprehensible, traditional and visionary. LA’s BEST. To add a layer of meaning, they made BEST an acronym for Better Educated Students for Tomorrow. And so, from the beginning, the mission, the vision and even the name of this program were anticipating tomorrow. Tomorrow is here. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR VALUES 1 Transition. Education reform is underway in countries around the world, including China, Canada, Finland, Singapore, Britain, France, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and, of course, the United States — most notably with the roll out of the Common Core standards by nearly every state in our Union in the current school year. Amid the sea change all around us, LA’s BEST is navigating a profound transition of its own. As two icons in the field of education — founding President & CEO Carla Sanger and Governing Board Chairman Sir Marvin Suomi — consign the stewardship of the organization, LA’s BEST is transitioning from the leadership of today to the leadership of tomorrow. It is a time of risk and reward, a time of constraint and liberty, a time to wait and to hurry, to embrace and to abandon, to listen and to speak, to learn and to lead, a time to innovate and a time to stand fast. No matter what changes, at LA’s BEST we know this is always true: Nothing we do is as important as the effect it has on a child. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR VALUES 3 Our program. We see it every day: children often perform poorly in school because they are hungry. In fact, some of our children are so hungry they fall asleep in class; in those cases, they literally cannot learn. At LA’s BEST, we feed them. This year, we upgraded what we offer from a snack to a full meal. We want our children to have hungry minds, not hungry bodies. We know from brain research that a poor or insufficient diet has a direct impact on brain function. We know a good diet could be the key to their academic success. This is why nutrition was one of the key benefits of Mayor Tom Bradley’s original vision for LA’s BEST — one of the 3½ beats that summarize the services we deliver to 29,000 children at 195 Los Angeles schools every day. Beat 1: Homework assistance. Beat 2: Something academic to learn. Beat 3: Something fun to learn. The ½ Beat: Something healthy to eat. 4 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR VALUES 5 LA’s BEST is based on values, not rules—timeless ideals that guide us through constant and unpredictable change. For 26 years these values have helped us adapt to each era of education reform, to connect to every kind of student and to prepare for all the tomorrows. We believe: Nothing we do is as important as the effect it has on a child. Engaging activities are seen as vehicles for creating values, building skills and solidifying peer and adult relationships. Children are viewed as individuals to be developed, not problems to be solved. Children should be involved in choosing how, when, in what and with whom to be engaged. When we listen for understanding, everyone learns—children and adults alike. 6 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR VALUES 7 Site Visit Observation Points You can see the core values of LA’s BEST in action at every school site. Our Advisory Board — comprised of child development experts, educators and other professionals — visits each site periodically to assess the quality of the program. Here are the questions they ask themselves: General Environment: • Did you have an opportunity to speak with the Principal or LAUSD administrator? • Is the site generally well-maintained? • Is the site activity schedule posted? •Are the majority of the LA’s BEST enrichment activities conducted in classrooms or an appropriate space? Management & Staff: •Are all LA’s BEST staff wearing the required uniform? •Is the site staff well-informed? •Does the LA’s BEST staff-to-student ratio appear to be 1:20 (One LA’s BEST staff member to every 20 students)? •Are all LA’s BEST staff engaged with the students? Programming: •Are all of the LA’s BEST students engaged in activities? •Do the activities appear to be well-planned? •Are the activity instructions clear? Are students engaged, participating, asking questions, etc.? •Did you observe any involvement with the school-day personnel (e.g., teacher, librarian)? •What is the atmosphere in the classroom (happy, vibrant, serious, etc.)? •Does the staff appear to be motivated? •Are there adequate supplies for the activity? •Is there volunteer or parent participation? •Are any of the students involved in assisting in the activity? Reflection: •How were you engaged? •Was any specific site information shared with you? •Did you receive information pertaining to any upcoming events? •Did you leave the site feeling generally satisfied with the program? •What points of interest resonated with you? If you are interested in visiting an LA’s BEST site, please send an email to: lasbest@lacity.org 8 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR VALUES 9 Writing: Belma Michael Johnson Photography: Ben Gibbs and John Metcalf Design: Nida Sanger Printing: Weber Printing Co. The mission of LA’s BEST is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment and recreation program for elementary school children ages 5 to 12 in the City of Los Angeles. Find out more about LA’s BEST! lasbest.org facebook.com/lasbest twitter.com/lasbest LA’s BEST Corporate Office Office of the Mayor 200 North Spring Street, Suite M-120 Los Angeles, CA 90012 T 213.978.0801 / F 213.978.0800 instagram.com/lasbestafterschool 10 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT LA’s BEST Operations Office Los Angeles Unified School District 711 East 14th Place Los Angeles, CA 90021 T 213.745.1900 / F 800.267.0342 s e i t i v i t c a g n i g a g En r o f s e l c i are veh , s e u l a v creating s l l i k s g buildin g n i y f i d i l and so t l u d a d n peer a . s p i h s n relatio Our Program 1 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT A classroom without walls. There’s nothing like being there, nothing like living it, nothing more engaging for children than putting their whole mind and body inside an experience. In the education field, we call it experiential learning. In the after school community, we call it Expanded Learning. At LA’s BEST, and in similar programs around the country and throughout the world, we are expanding the definition of learning. We are expanding the definition of the classroom. We are developing a classroom without walls — a classroom for every kind of learner — a classroom for tomorrow. All of life is a learning opportunity, the entire world is an expansive classroom. From the playground to the art museum to the kitchen floor, every venue provides learning opportunities and should be used intentionally, systematically, and strategically by educators. It is the Education for Tomorrow. And it is what we do best at LA’s BEST. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR PROGRAM 1 Connections. Children need to feel empathy for others — a connection to the world around them — in order to have a stake in what they are learning. They need to see the small tasks in their lives, like completing a homework assignment, in a larger context in order for those little tasks to have larger significance. With proprietary curricula such as Connecting For Success (conceived, developed, implemented and tested by LA’s BEST), our program is a worldwide leader in developing this skill in children that leads to success in school and a productive life. 2 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT LA’s BEST AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT 3 Enhanced Programs In addition to the core components we provide every day, LA’s BEST has several special programs available to students. These core and enhanced programs provide a structure for after school that is otherwise highly customized, based on students’ needs and the site staff’s interests and experience. Adventures In Peacemaking (AIP) is a conflict resolution program that features games, team challenges, songs, reading and writing activities that integrate multiple intelligences. In addition, the program addresses the social and emotional needs of children ages 5-12. After School Arts Program (ASAP) includes hands-on visual art, music, dance, and drama programs led by artist educators-in-residence working with children enrolled in LA’s BEST. Each 10-week residency concludes with a special culmination event, which brings the community together to celebrate the talent and accomplishments of the children. BEST Fit is a health-centered, culturally relevant and intentional approach to education pertaining to physical exercise, nutrition and gardening. The goal is to provide fun and innovative opportunities for LA’s BEST children and their 4 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT families to develop healthy eating habits, make physical activity a daily part of their lives and to encourage them to become advocates for a healthy future. Connecting for Success fosters global civic awareness and reduces a tolerance for violence while encouraging LA’s BEST staff and students to impact their community through positive social action. Students increase their capacity to constructively deal with stressful situations through conflict resolution. Digital Learning provides students and staff with critical technology skills and enhances their working knowledge of computers, software and other digital platforms. LA’s BEST also offers Digital Media Arts Residencies — 10-week courses in areas such as filmmaking, music, stop-motion animation and graphic design. Junior Achievement teaches the LA’s BEST children the basic concepts of business, economics and work-readiness. The program includes six sequential themes for kindergarten through 5th-grade students that lay the groundwork for financial literacy and productive citizenship in a global economy. KidzLit and KidzMath are research-based literacy and math programs developed specifically for use in after school programs by the Developmental Studies Center, and help LA’s BEST foster a love of reading and math in its students. KidzScience, an inquiry-based, hands-on science program for grades 3–6 from the developers of KidzLit and KidzMath, emphasizes teamwork through activities that help students discover important science concepts. LA’s BEST Celebrate Science Program provides opportunities for LA’s BEST children to have fun, engaging, interactive science experiences within a “team-inquiry” model—developed under the guidance of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This program culminates with a citywide Celebrate Science Fair. LA84 Foundation Sports Program provides students with a positive team concept and a method for developing their physical and social skills through sports engagement. Students in grades 3-6 participate in year-round sports, which include flag football, basketball, softball and soccer competitions. Legos Simple Machine and Story Starter materials are utilized at 50 sites throughout LA’s BEST to teach students basic machinebuilding and creative writing. Legos curriculum encourages teamwork, creative thinking, communication, and English language development. Science Explorer provides a collection of activity kits designed at the San Francisco Exploratorium for K–6 students to engage in scientific discovery. Young Authors, based on Alma Flor Ada’s and Isabel F. Campoy’s work on transformative education, gives students in grades K–6 the opportunity to discover “the author within” and in the process learn self-efficacy, appreciation for diversity and how to create the conditions for a better world. Zula Patrol, a science program for students in grades K–2, builds new academic understanding through guided inquiry and hands-on activities. It also encourages written expression through journaling and introduces students to new science vocabulary. OUR PROGRAM 5 Grit. Some children don’t perform as well as they could in the classroom because they simply give up. They lack perseverance, grit, determination. If they could develop these social-emotional skills, they would perform better across the board in all their academic endeavors and, in fact, in every area of their lives. That is why sports are not just games at LA’s BEST. When we take our kids to a Dodger game, we certainly want them to witness the highest level of athletic skill. We don’t discourage their dreams of playing professional sports: after all, LA’s BEST alumni like UCLA and NBA star Baron Davis reached that goal. We use sports to teach patience, persistence, camaraderie, team work, goal-setting, and plain old grit—the ability to overcome a setback with a comeback. 6 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR PROGRAM 7 Special Activities & Excursions We take our children all over the city, whether it’s to the convalescent home around the corner from the school or to a major university to see the world’s great art. Oh, the places they went… EDUCATIONAL Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Aquarium Tour California Science Center Science Exploration Museum Tour Los Angeles Police Museum Museum Tour Franklin Canyon Nature Walk Nethercutt Museum Museum Tour The Getty Villa Museum Tour Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits Museum Tour Griffith Park Observatory Tour Placita Olvera Learning Mexican History & Culture Iota Coffee & Bakery Experiencing Korean Culture Port of Los Angeles Museum Tour The Japanese Garden Garden Tour Reyes Adobe Historical Site Tour Ronald Reagan Library Library Tour San Fernando Audubon Society Nature Education Sepulveda Basin Environmental Education Six Flags Magic Mountain Read to Succeed John’s Incredible Pizza Co. Pizza-Making Tour LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Summer of Learning Museum Tour Los Angeles Central Library Library Tour Kid Tech Redux Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden Guided Tour Los Angeles County Fair – Pomona Fairview Farm Garden Pavilion & Exhibition Skirball Cultural Center Museum Tour South Coast Botanic Garden Garden Visit Sylmar Public Library Library Tour Toyota USA Automobile Museum Press Friends 5th Annual Conference Travel Town Museum Foundation Train Ride & Tour UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Tour UCLA Fowler Museum Museum Tour Van Nuys Public Library Library Tour 8 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Pantages Theatre War Horse Wizard of Oz Staples Center Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Rosenthal Theatre SAG/ASAP Class Performance Theodore Payne Foundation Learning about Gardening Valley Performing Arts Center LA Ballet / The Nutcracker NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Imagine Mars Natural History Museum Museum Tour Mission College Meet and Greet NBA Players Screen Actors Guild Screening of “Tio Papi” Miramar Park Oceanography Education Fox Studios Studio Tour Museum of Latin American Art Latin American Art RECREATION West LA College STEAM Nation! William S. Hart Museum Museum Tour Wilmington Public Library Library Reptile Show VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS Camp Idyllwilld Annual Visual & Performing Arts Camp HOLIDAYS SPORTS Dodgers Stadium Dodgers vs. Giants Alumni Park WCCCC Championship Kids Day Lake Street Community Center Clippers Basketball Clinic Bolsa Chica State Park State Park Trip Pepperdine University Women’s Soccer Game Camp Max Straus Camp Activities Rose Bowl UCLA Football Game/Youth Day UCLA vs. Colorado Football Game Gable House Bowl Bowling Keystone Lanes LA Clippers Bowling Clinic Staples Center LA Clippers Game StubHub Center UCLA Youth Day UCLA UCLA/USC Track Meet I’m Going to College / Gymnastics The Colburn School Strings Program Performance DreamWorks Screening of “Home” Juan Cabrillo Elementary Children’s Lifesaving Foundation Holiday Celebration Lucky Strike Season of Giving Mary Knoll Church Winter Party Lincoln Heights Christmas Parade Los Angeles Elementary Japanese American Optimist Club Halloween Festival Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade Mattel, Inc. Winter Wonderland COMMUNITY El Camino Marsee Auditorium The Nutcracker Agoura Hills Animal Shelter Connecting for Success Elephant Stages SAG Class Performance The Getty Center Museum Tour Lowman School Wheelchair Dancing The Grammy Museum Museum Tour Malibu Creek State Park Nature Walk / Outdoor Activities Hammer Museum K.A.M.P. Kid’s Art The Music Center / Grand Park National Dance Day 2013 Jim Henson Studios Studio Tour Palos Verdes Bowl Bowling LACMA Museum Tour San Clemente State Beach Camping Trip Madrid Theatre Theatrical Performance Temescal Canyon Gateway Park Hike & Bike Donation MOCA Museum Tour USC Lyons Center Dance of Tennis Fig at 7th H&M Grand Opening LA Live CP3 Shoe Launch Legoland California Resort Legoland & Aquarium Visit Little Tokyo Nisei Parade Los Angeles Environmental Learning Center At Hyperion Wondrous Water Club Mattel, Inc. Everything Barbie Day of Play Pershing Square “It’s Christmas Snoopy!” Temple Emanuel Friars Charitable Foundation Holiday Annual Luncheon Toyota Sports Center Mattel Holiday Event Van Nuys High School Keyes Holiday Giving OUR PROGRAM 9 Focus on the child. At our Family Health Festival, we test the eyesight of every child. We identify children who need glasses and get them their glasses. For free. Parents are often too busy, too financially strapped, or just too tired to realize that their child needs glasses. That basic need could be the reason the child performs poorly on standardized tests. At LA’s BEST, we see that the child is not the problem; the problem is that the child cannot see. We have the time, energy and commitment to focus on the child. 10 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR PROGRAM 11 Citywide Events LA’s BEST hosts a wide variety of signature events each year so that children, their families and different communities can come together to share in the excitement of the organization. Year after year, children anticipate these exciting opportunities to perform, compete, learn and play—and build life-long memories of their elementary school years. Celebrate Science Fair is a yearly event where teams of young LA’s BEST scientists from sites throughout the city compete for top honors and extraordinary prizes, showcasing their inquiry-based projects. Autumn Kidfest celebrates the fall season with fun activities, carnival games and treats for students at sites across the city. Dance & Drill Team Showcase brings nearly 5,400 students together at Cal State L.A. for incredible performances in drill team and dance. This annual showcase provides children with an opportunity to proudly demonstrate leadership, teamwork, self-confidence and performing arts skills mastered through hundreds of hours of dedication and hard work. 12 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Community Jam Against Violence is organized by the After School Arts Program (ASAP) department and brings together children and families from different communities to decry violence. Each year, LA’s BEST students sing, dance, act, share original videos and visual art in a talent showcase to take a stand against violence. In 2013, more than 1,200 LA’s BEST children and their families attended the 20th Annual Community Jam Against Violence: Making a Difference, held in Royce Hall at UCLA. Family Health Festival is an annual event of the BEST Fit program that brings together students and families for a day of fun and fitness. Thousands of participants sample healthy snacks, engage in fitness games, receive free medical, dental and vision health screenings and engage in hands-on activities designed to promote an awareness of healthy lifestyles. OUR PROGRAM 13 Writing: Belma Michael Johnson Photography: Ben Gibbs and John Metcalf Design: Nida Sanger Printing: Weber Printing Co. The mission of LA’s BEST is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment and recreation program for elementary school children ages 5 to 12 in the City of Los Angeles. Find out more about LA’s BEST! lasbest.org facebook.com/lasbest twitter.com/lasbest LA’s BEST Corporate Office Office of the Mayor 200 North Spring Street, Suite M-120 Los Angeles, CA 90012 T 213.978.0801 / F 213.978.0800 instagram.com/lasbestafterschool 14 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT LA’s BEST Operations Office Los Angeles Unified School District 711 East 14th Place Los Angeles, CA 90021 T 213.745.1900 / F 800.267.0342 e r a n e r Child s l a u d i v i ind , d e p o l e to be dev s m e l b o r not p . d e v l o s to be Our Supporters 1 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Development. People complain that some kids just can’t sit still. They say some do not know how to calm themselves. Or they see kids who act out from hunger, tiredness, or both. These are real-life issues that educators address every day; and behind these issues are young people with feelings, with personal challenges and great potential. They need our help. Some activists attempt to impose an enterprise mind-set on the education of children. Businesses become successful by identifying problems, engineering solutions and rolling out those solutions to scale. When one attempts to apply these methods to children, the results can be disastrous. Human beings are neither companies nor widgets. The ones that are failing cannot be discarded or written off. At LA’s BEST we seek supporters who see children, not problems. We seek those who share our belief that every child has assets — positive attributes to build upon. To reward. To encourage. To develop. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR SUPPORTERS 1 Philanthropy for tomorrow. As times change, the strategies for securing needed resources have evolved, and will only continue evolving. LA’s BEST must be creative when fundraising. We are working with the new generation of emerging philanthropists in our ground-breaking board of young professionals, BEST Friends. One BEST Friends’ signature fundraiser uses stationary cycling to raise money and another is built around wine tasting. LA’s BEST is seeing the future and positioning itself to receive the philanthropy for tomorrow. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR SUPPORTERS 3 Signature Fundraising Events Photo by Leroy Hamilton The LA’s BEST Family Dinner originated as the Annual Family Brunch in 1996 as a unique fundraising event emphasizing the philosophies of the organization. The event salutes the importance of family and provides an opportunity for LA’s BEST to honor those in our community who exemplify the child-centered values of our organization and enrich the lives of Los Angeles’ most vulnerable young people. The event includes a silent auction, raffle and live auction to raise funds for the program. This year’s Annual Family Dinner was held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. In conjunction with the dinner, LA’s BEST holds a creative writing and art contest open to all LA’s BEST students. For 2014, children submitted creative writing and art pieces on the theme “How Does LA’s BEST Help Me Connect with Others?” Our 22 winning students were selected from a field of more than 1,000 entries and were invited to attend the Dinner along with two guests. This year, LA’s BEST offered supporters the chance to have a “kid’s eye view” of the program. The LA’s BEST Experience allowed adults to sample 4 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Photo by Zachary Istrin a few of the engaging, Expanded Learning activities that our students enjoy every day at LA’s BEST. The five interactive stations in the Ahmanson Ballroom represented our Arts, Science, Nutrition & Health, Sports and Digital Learning programs. During the dinner, LA’s BEST honored a Corporate Partner, Foundation Partner, and Children’s Champion. Accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP, represented by Managing Partner Michelle Kerrick, received the Corporate Partner Award for providing vital financial analysis to LA’s BEST. The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation was awarded the Foundation Partner Award for its contributions and donations to the children of LA’s BEST. The final honoree was the LA’s BEST founding President and CEO Carla Sanger, who received the Children’s Champion Award for her 26 years of dedication to the program, the Los Angeles community and its children. This year’s Annual Family Dinner raised over $700,000 for LA’s BEST. In addition, in honor of the retiring President & CEO, Carla Sanger, an anonymous donor pledged $1,000,000 to launch the LA’s BEST Legacy Fund. Cycle 4 LA’s BEST is an innovative fundraiser, spearheaded by our BEST Friends Board, that takes place on stationary bikes. Each team solicits sponsors to pledge funds for its participation in a morning cycle class led by a volunteer instructor. This year’s event was sponsored by Wendy’s of LA and for the first time, cycle teams pedaled on the blacktop at Leo Politi Elementary, an LA’s BEST school site. Thirty-one teams participated in the 2014 event,and in the end, there were three top fundraising teams — The Bucky Badgers, led by BEST Friends board member Michael Lynn; Team Travers, led by Board of Directors member David Travers; and team La Dolce Vita, led by LA’s BEST Friends board member Tian Mu. By the end of the event, Cycle 4 LA’s BEST surpassed its goal of $80,000, raising over $100,000 for LA’s BEST. UnWINEd with LA’s BEST is an annual wine tasting and fundraising event with a silent auction hosted by the BEST Friends board. The popular event, sponsored by Huron Legal and Irell and Manella, was held at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica and included offerings from over a dozen wineries, delicious desserts and a silent auction with a variety of irresistible items. Some 600 friends and supporters of LA’s BEST participated in this event, which included a VIP reception featuring a variety of 95+ rated wines from the private collections of three donors and a special cabernet barrel pouring of Tanner DaFoe. Former City Controller Wendy Greuel, who helped create the after school program under Mayor Tom Bradley, led a toast to LA’s BEST and the organization’s CEO & President Carla Sanger, honoring 25 years of operating the successful and highly-acclaimed program. The event raised over $100,000 for LA’s BEST After School Program. OUR SUPPORTERS 5 Social enterprise. Philanthropy for tomorrow does not look like philanthropy from yesterday. As Millennials come of age, they are starting companies with a strong commitment to give back to their communities in a hands-on, tangible, systematic way. More and more, these companies are lending their employees to a cause that moves them. They are adopting classrooms, or schools, or programs they believe in. They are sharing their professional expertise with the organizations themselves. We are seeing a convergence — a connection — we have never seen before. Companies are doing more social good, and non-profits are becoming more enterprising. Together they are innovating a hybrid: the social enterprise. 6 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Photo by Will Fallon OUR SUPPORTERS 7 Supporters $200,000 AND ABOVE LA84 Foundation $100,000 – $199,999 David and Lucile Packard Foundation JPMorgan Chase & Co. W.M. Keck Foundation McCall Family Foundation Target $50,000 – $99,999 Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation The Max H. Gluck Foundation The Green Foundation Rosenthal Family Foundation Skirball Foundation $20,000 – $49,999 California Community Foundation Deloitte & Touche, LLP Guggenheim Partners, LLC Kaiser Permanente Keyes Motors, Inc. The Mark Hughes Foundation Mattel, Inc. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Steve Tisch Family Foundation United Airlines Foundation Warner Bros. Music and Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Wells Fargo Bank Wendy’s of LA Wendy & Jay Wintrob and American International Group The Zolla Family Foundation $10,000 – $19,999 American Federation of Teachers Anonymous Max and Lubov Azria / BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP, INC. Ambassador Frank & Kathy Baxter Garrett Q. Bland Marilyn Brown The Rebecca Susan Buffett Foundation California State Parks Foundation Sarah & Christopher Dusseault FedEx Corporation Friends of LA’s BEST Greenberg Traurig, LLP Russ Hagey and Bain & Company The Hauptman Family Foundation Huron Legal Gerald L. Katell Legoland California Lexus Pursuit of Potential Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation Neutrogena Corporation Nickelodeon Rhea Perlman & Danny DeVito Rustic Canyon Partners Robbie Shipp and RDS Investments Southern California Gas Company Candy Spelling Vons Foundation The Wallis Foundation Wilson Family Foundation Donna & Martin J. Wolff $5,000 – $9,999 Arey Jones Educational Solutions The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation The California Endowment California Readers Clever Crazes For Kids, Building Healthy Lives Foundation Colburn Foundation Shane Connell Duty Free Shops of North America DreamWorks Animation Studios Tina & Nick Elowitt GE Capital Real Estate Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP Jeff Goad The Grainger Foundation Nathalie & Michael Huddleston Irell & Manella LLP Leslie Joseph Nigel Lythgoe Occidental Petroleum Corporation Mary & Glen Odell Toni A. Ritzenberg Rose Policy Solutions Frederic D. Rosen Fran Morris Rosman & Richard Rosman 8 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT The Riordan Foundation The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger Debbie & Tom Shapiro Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP Sony Pictures Entertainment UniHealth Foundation Vopak North America and Subsidiaries Barry B. Waldo The Walt Disney Company WHH Foundation The Winnick Family Foundation World Duty Free Group $1,000 – $4,999 David Adefeso /AXA Foundation The Honorable Richard Alatorre American Endowment Foundation (Benevity) American Go Association Foundation The Angell Foundation Anonymous (2) Automotive Marketing Consultants, Inc. William Bamattre Courtney Behrenhausen & David Sanger Diane & Jim Berliner Nancy & Bud Bigelow Alice Desobry Bowens Sarah & Doug Brown Steve Butler California United Bank Mark Carliner Sze Wai Cheng Richard S. Cheung Kathleen & Moze Cowper David and Leila Carpenter Foundation Kristen DeLeo Diamond Sky Productions, LLC Douglas Foundation The Duvoisin Group Charmayne & Raymond Ealy Terena & Anders Eisner Adrienne Fayne Pamela & Jack Fluor Irene & Wallace D. Franson Foundation James Freund Michael Garwood Dorothy Gibbons-White, Esq. Benita & Bert Ginsberg Mr. & Mrs. Gary Goldfein The Honorable Wendy Greuel & Dean A. Schramm Donald Halliburton Helen Hartel Fred Hayman Family Foundation Heestand Foundation Winnie W. Huang Mabelle & John Hueston Integrated Media Technologies The J.B. Berland Foundation JDG Recycling, Inc. Katy Jakle & Dave Travers Jordan Kaye Paul Keltner Michelle Kerrick The Kleiner Cohen Foundation LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Chef LaLa Nicolas Landinez Lois Lee Ling Li Angela Loh Linda Lopez Anne & Scott Lukowski Mandy Ma Elliot and Rusty Maltzman Family Trust The Maynard Cooper and Gale PC Charitable Foundation Carol McElvain Milken Family Foundation Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation Joanne & Joel Mogy Tian Mu Bonnie Nash & Donald Wing New Deal Studios, Inc. Sarah Nickerson & Scott Cerreta Timothy Noonan David Obst / SunnyEd Foundation Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Tom Ortenberg Lynn & David L. Paulson Sharon Harroun Peirce Pepp Family Support Foundation Terry & Scott Peterson Jacqueline Petri Michael Pontrelli Faith Porter, Artist John Remeny Julia & Ian Richter Tobin Richter The Honorable Richard J. Riordan Paula Rodgers Cristina Rose Peggy & Raymond Rosenthal R. Rosenthal June & Samuel Sale Carla & Jonathan Sanger Nida & Christopher Sanger Cynthia L. & William E. Simon, Jr. Foundation Staples Center Foundation Staples Foundation Mariclare & Marvin J. Suomi Tyler Development Corporation Janet Unterman Rhonda Vilardo Esther Viros Walt Disney Imagineering Dennis and Dale Weiss Trust Westmount Asset Management, LLC Jodi & Andy Wing Stan Winston School of Character Arts Women’s Professional Network Yahoo! Matching Gifts Program Peg Yorkin Irv Zuckerman Zurich Financial Services $500 – $999 Sayeeda Hina Ahmed Laura Evangeline Alexon Tammy Amirault Anonymous James Armstrong George Azarian Bank of America Ida Barba Deborah C. Blake & David F. Pruitt Robert Brachman Kelli Brooks Kathy & Tony Burris Karen & Jacques Capelluto The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Twilla Case Ronnie Cavalluzzi Lisa Chang Nicholas Chanock Luhan Chen Nancy & Matt Clemo Kate Craig Charity Dailey Lynn Dann Mark Eddy Josh Evans Teresa Fiallos & Michael Scanlon FLIR Systems, Inc. Steven M. Frankel, Inc. Sara Frisch Mark Funston Daniel, Liz & Matthew Gabbay Ting Gao Betty & Fred Goldstein Helena Cho / Good Work(s) Make A Difference Miriam Graddick Adrian Grant Toy Gregory Sandra Gutierrez Devon Handy Rochelle Handy, Michelle Salvatore & Rhonda Vilardo Vivian Haun & Michael McCollum Studio William Hefner H&M Austin Hice Liz Levitt Hirsh / The Mortimer Levitt Foundation Terry Hoffmann Fran & Dennis Huddleston John Jakle Lorraine Johnson Kristian Kerr Ann Reiss Lane Lehman Family Charitable Fund Matthew Lenard Lewensztain Family Jim Licate Debra & Joseph Loggia Shelley & Phil London Michael Lynn Dr. & Mrs. William Mandel Mallory Maske / Thrive HR for Start Ups Lauren & Lee McCollum Carrie McLain Amber & Carl Melius Ashley Merrill Beth & Leslie D. Michelson Steven Mocalis Carmen Moch William Morrow David Niven, Jr. Pardee Properties Gary & Casey Park Eileen Powers Katherine Procter RBC Wealth Management Ronald McDonald House Charities / Asian Pacific American Students Increasing Achievement Program Eric Rosenbaum M.J. Rosenmayer Co. Bradley J. Rumble Lois Saffian Jason Schlossberg Jason Schreiber Stefanie Schwartz Reva Shakkottai Ronald J. Silverman Smart & Final Charitable Foundation Lawrence Solomon Lissa & Ken Solomon David Stainton Robert Travers Rebecca Unterman Virginia M. Victorin Danielle & John Walker Lynne Wasserman Robert L. Wicke Tanya Wilkins Johnathan Williams Barbara Yaroslavsky Joseph Yousem $1 – $499 Charles Abbott Danielle Abraham Ricky Abramson Pixie Amber Acia Daniel Acosta Active Fox Productions, LLC Jeremy Adams Michael Adams Ned Adams James Adamy Frank Addante Kristy Agamegwa Jennifer Agatep Jamie A. Agnew Julie Agostini Khalid Ahmad Kholla Ahmad Munir Ahmad Qumar Ahmad Air, Weather & Sea Conditions, Inc. Scott Alderton Bryant K. Alexander, Ph.D. Logan Allin Mark Alonzo Prateek Amar Beatriz Amaro AmazonSmile Foundation Chris Amen Renee Amen Amgen Foundation Matching Gifts and Volunteer Programs Melanie Amhowitz Lindsay Amstutz Alejandra Anderson Elliott Anderson Allison Andrus Catherine Andrus Ryan Andrus Michele Angeloni Keri Anisgarten Mark Anne Anonymous (11) Lauren Appell Melinda Aragon Channone Arif Mark Arkin Reuben Arthur Whitney Ashley J.M. Athey Melissa Atwell Anne Aubert–Santelli Molly & Brian Auld Darlene Avila Billy Badalato T.C. 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Riordan Cristina Rose Sattva Yoga LA Scratch DJ Academy, Los Angeles Debbie & Tom Shapiro Shaun White Enterprises Simms Restaurants / MB Post Simply Salad Mr. & Mrs. Sinaiko Skirball Cultural Center Skullcandy Soul Cycle Spa Benjamin Sprinkles Cupcakes Stubhub! Center Foundation SusieCakes Target Theodore Payne Foundation Tieks by Gavrieli A Touch of Nikki Andrea Tseng Twist by Oliver Salon Janet Unterman Via Dolce Salon Victoria’s Secret Wolfgang’s The World Academy Yarden Wines Yogaworks, West Lake Village Yorkshire Stables SPECIAL THANKS 4Play Wines 42 West American Chemistry Council Buffalo Trace California State Parks Foundation Control Industry Cookie Casa CP3 Foundation Cupcake Fusion LA Deliciously Diablo Don & Sons Dorchester Collection Duty Free Shops of North America Factor’s Famous Deli Jordan Farmar FIG Friars Charitable Foundation Rene Garcia Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP GoodWork(s) Make A Difference H&M Hoffman Brown Company (Hain Celestial Group) Jim Henson Studios Joy of Athletics Judge Judy Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Kenwood Vineyards Keyes Motors, Inc. Kirkland & Ellis, LLP LA Cake LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes L.A. SHARES Le Metro Los Angeles Clippers Lululemon Nail Garden NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pressed Juicery Resqwater Sadie Kitchen & Lounge Safe Moves Skirball Cultural Center Tanner Dafoe Terrance the Trapezoid Turning the Wheel Mike Vallely Vanilla Bake Shop VeeV Villa Dolce Vita Coco Coconut Water Vosges Wendy’s of LA OUR SUPPORTERS 17 Financials LA’s BEST in partnership with LAUSD Comparative Combined Schedule of Revenues and Expenses REVENUES AND SUPPORT BEGINNING NET ASSETS* 57.5% State 32.1% In-Kind Contributions 3.2% City 2.6% Private Foundations 2.0% Federal 1.4% Fundraising Events, net 1.1% Corporations and Individuals 0.1% Dividends, Interest and Other Income FY 2013-14 FY 2012-13 $10,185,917 $10,563,098 $671,186 26,945 281,432 25,684,081 2,998,045 1,610,864 15,991,431 1,630,717 –3,830 191,399 691,297 60,439 $946,087 117,530 502,056 23,866,257 2,705,508 1,635,864 12,838,581 1,319,016 –12,192 584,792 1,078,645 59,225 TOTAL REVENUES AND SUPPORT $49,834,006 $45,641,369 EXPENSES PROGRAM OPERATIONS – LAUSD Personnel & Benefits including Grants issued to LAUSD In-kind Expenses Other Costs including Grants issued to LAUSD Supplies & Equipment including Grants issued to LAUSD Contracts / Contract Support / Consultants including Grants issued to LAUSD Mileage / Transportation including Grants issued to LAUSD Performing Arts / Visual Arts Evaluation Staff Development / Training Special Program Events Literacy / Science / Nutrition $25,837,761 15,911,228 1,656,437 2,117,625 53,241 768,356 462,476 44,455 275,930 396,193 130,314 $25,308,865 12,715,535 1,701,450 1,939,193 248,123 740,255 256,873 96,835 163,369 327,274 232,390 PROGRAM OPERATION EXPENSES REVENUES AND SUPPORT US Dept. of Education / 21st Century CLC / LAUSD** US Dept. of Education / 21st Century CLC US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development / City of LA CA Dept. of Education / ASES / LAUSD** CA Dept. of Education / ASES City of LA / General City Purposes In-kind Contributions Restricted Private Donations*** Unfulfilled Pledges Unrestricted Private Donations Fundraising Events, net Dividends, Interest & Other Income EXPENSES 89.4% Direct Program Operations 10.6% Administration* IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS BY CATEGORY 97.8% Nutrition 1.4% Supplies and Materials 0.5% Facilities 0.3% Special Events $47,654,016 $43,730,162 ADMINISTRATION – LA’s BEST Personnel & Benefits Fund Development In-kind Expenses Contracts / Contract Support / Consultants Communications Other Costs $1,539,776 45,886 80,203 214,799 198,918 217,411 $1,448,036 29,989 123,046 314,841 150,918 221,558 ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES $2,296,993 $2,288,388 $49,951,009 $46,018,550 –$117,003 –$377,181 $10,068,914 $10,185,917 TOTAL EXPENSES SURPLUS / DEFICIT**** ENDING NET ASSETS* *The beginning and ending net assets are comprised of unrestricted net assets, temporarily restricted net assets and board-designated reserves. **The California Department of Education awarded funds directly to LAUSD in the amount of $29,380,257 in FY2013-14 for use at LA’s BEST program sites. These funds are audited by LAUSD auditors, and not LA’s BEST. LAUSD awards are combined with LA’s BEST audited financial statements for information purposes only to present the total program activity of LA’s BEST in partnership with LAUSD. ***Restricted private donations include multiple year pledges. These pledges were recorded as revenue in prior fiscal years, with services provided (and expenditures incurred) in this current fiscal year. Accounting requirements mandate that the total value of multi-year private pledges be recorded as revenue in the year pledged. ****For the fiscal year ending June 30,2014, expenses exceeded revenues resulting in a net deficit of $117,003. The net deficit was comprised of an operating deficit of $368,633 and a temporarily restricted surplus (donor restricted) of $251,630. LA’s BEST maintains reserve funds to cover the operating deficit. *Administrative costs as a percent of total expenses are comprised of LA’s BEST corporate office and LAUSD administrative expenses. 18 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT AN AUDITED FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FY 2013-2014, INCLUDING THE AUDITORS’ OPINION OF LA’s BEST CORPORATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IS AVAILABLE BY MAIL OR ON LINE AT WWW.LASBEST.ORG. OUR SUPPORTERS 19 A Worthwhile Investment LA’s BEST students are 30% less likely to commit juvenile crime.* LA’s BEST students are 20% less likely to drop out of school.* $7.05 Per day pays for enrichment activities for one student at LA’s BEST. $9.68 Per day pays for enhanced enrichment for one student at LA’s BEST. $1,750 Pays for an entire year of enhanced enrichment at LA’s BEST for one child. * UCLA/CRESST Study 20 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR SUPPORTERS 21 Writing: Belma Michael Johnson Photography: Ben Gibbs and John Metcalf Design: Nida Sanger Printing: Weber Printing Co. The mission of LA’s BEST is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment and recreation program for elementary school children ages 5 to 12 in the City of Los Angeles. Find out more about LA’s BEST! lasbest.org facebook.com/lasbest twitter.com/lasbest LA’s BEST Corporate Office Office of the Mayor 200 North Spring Street, Suite M-120 Los Angeles, CA 90012 T 213.978.0801 / F 213.978.0800 instagram.com/lasbestafterschool 22 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT LA’s BEST Operations Office Los Angeles Unified School District 711 East 14th Place Los Angeles, CA 90021 T 213.745.1900 / F 800.267.0342 d l u o h s n Childre n i d e v l o v be in , w o h g n choosi t a h w n i when, m o h w h t and wi . d e g a g n to be e Our People 1 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Educators for tomorrow. Early in its history, LA’s BEST brought the most-talented teachers we could find to the communities we served. But we soon discovered that there were some teachers who were more tired than engaged by 6 pm. We learned that the children connected faster to people who were more like them — people from their own communities. So we changed our approach. We began to recruit and train aspiring educators from the communities we served. As a result, our staff commonly shares cultural idioms, references and language with the children. We’ve developed an entirely new pool of talent — educators for tomorrow. The result: our children thrived. This approach is not easier, but it is better. Better for the program, the community and better for the child. To make it work, this philosophy demands a commitment to the community. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR PEOPLE 1 Training for tomorrow. We realize that just because you hire someone from the neighborhood doesn’t mean they are qualified to help develop a child. We have a robust, year-round training program for staff education, mentorship and continuous improvement. We teach our staff how to talk to children, and more importantly, how to listen. Each site strives to be the village it takes to raise a child — the on-campus community of support, knowledge and respect with a sincere desire to help. The goal: to give a child a variety of good choices. If you only offer good choices, you can afford to let the child choose how she wants to learn and from whom. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR PEOPLE 3 LA’s BEST School Sites 1988 Ann Street / Lincoln Heights Canoga Park / Canoga Park Hawaiian Avenue / Wilmington Hobart Boulevard / Koreatown Logan Street / Echo Park Manchester Avenue / South Los Angeles Sylmar / Sylmar Utah Street / Boyle Heights Weigand Avenue / Watts Westminster / Venice 1989 68th Street / South Los Angeles Grape Street / Watts Hillcrest Drive / Crenshaw Hillside / Lincoln Heights Langdon Avenue / North Hills 1990 Alta Loma / Mid-City Hart Street / Canoga Park Selma Avenue / Hollywood South Park / South Los Angeles 1994 49th Street / South Los Angeles Napa Street / Northridge 1995 Menlo Avenue / South Los Angeles 1996 Esperanza / Westlake Sierra Park / El Sereno 1999 Albion Street / Lincoln Heights Aragon Avenue / Cypress Park Baldwin Hills / Crenshaw Figueroa Street / South Los Angeles First Street / Boyle Heights Gates Street / Lincoln Heights Grant / Hollywood Hazeltine Avenue / Van Nuys Hooper Avenue / South Los Angeles Loren Miller / South Los Angeles Loreto Street / Highland Park Monlux / North Hollywood Murchison Street / Boyle Heights Shenandoah Street / Mid-City Sheridan Street / Boyle Heights Sunrise Street / Boyle Heights Vaughn Street / Pacoima Vena Avenue / Arleta 2000 Bandini Street / San Pedro Braddock Drive / West Los Angeles Bridge Street / Boyle Heights Broad / Wilmington Broadous / Pacoima Bushnell Way / Highland Park Canterbury Avenue / Arleta Cohasset Street / Van Nuys Coliseum Street / Crenshaw Compton Avenue / Watts Fair Avenue / North Hollywood Fernangeles / Sun Valley Glenwood / Sun Valley Gratts / Westlake Kittridge Street / Valley Glen Latona Avenue / Montecito Heights Leo Politi / Pico Union Limerick Avenue / Canoga Park Main Street / South Los Angeles Manhattan Place / South Los Angeles Montague Street / Pacoima Noble Avenue / North Hills Plummer / North Hills Roscoe / Sun Valley Stonehurst Avenue / Sun Valley Strathern Street / North Hollywood Sylvan Park / Van Nuys Telfair Avenue / Pacoima Valley View / Hollywood Van Nuys / Van Nuys Vinedale / Sun Valley 2001 2nd Street / Boyle Heights 15th Street / San Pedro 92nd Street / Watts 109th Street / South Los Angeles 112th Street / Watts 116th Street / South Los Angeles Arminta / North Hollywood Cahuenga / Koreatown El Dorado / Sylmar Elysian Heights / Echo Park Garvanza / Highland Park Grand View / Venice Griffin Avenue / Lincoln Heights Hubbard Street / Sylmar Los Angeles / Pico Union Magnolia Avenue / Pico Union Oxnard Street / North Hollywood Pacoima / Pacoima Pinewood / Tujunga Ramona / Hollywood Stagg Street / Van Nuys Stoner Avenue / West Los Angeles Sunny Brae Avenue / Winnetka West Vernon / South Los Angeles Wilton Place / Koreatown 2002 20th Street / South Los Angeles Castelar / Chinatown Fletcher Drive / Atwater Village Hoover Street / Pico Union Lankershim / North Hollywood Lowman School (Special Education) / North Hollywood 2003 Aldama / Highland Park Allesandro / Elysian Valley Coldwater Canyon / North Hollywood Columbus Avenue / Van Nuys Dyer Street / Sylmar El Sereno / El Sereno Glen Alta / Lincoln Heights Micheltorena Street / Silver Lake Raymond Avenue / South Los Angeles Saticoy / North Hollywood 2004 135th Street / Gardena Burton Street / Panorama City Cabrillo Avenue / San Pedro Euclid Street / Boyle Heights Fenton Avenue / Lake View Terrace Mayberry Street / Echo Park Saturn Street / Mid-City Vine Street / Hollywood Yorkdale / Highland Park 2005 42nd Street / South Los Angeles Aurora / South Los Angeles Bakewell PC / South Los Angeles Buchanan / Highland Park Cesar Chavez / El Sereno Clifford / Silver Lake Crescent Heights / Mid-City Farmdale / El Sereno Gault / Van Nuys Gledhill / North Hills Glenfeliz / Atwater Village Harvard / Mid-City Hooper PC / South Los Angeles Kingsley / Hollywood Lizarraga / South Los Angeles Mariposa-Nabi PC / Koreatown Maurice Sendak / North Hollywood N.E.W. Academy / Canoga Park Panorama City / Panorama City Osceola / Sylmar Rio Vista / North Hollywood Rosa Parks / North Hills Toland Way / Eagle Rock Wilshire Crest / Mid-City 2006 28th Street / South Los Angeles Arlington Heights / Mid-City Bassett / Van Nuys Bright / Mid-City Burbank Boulevard / North Hollywood Cienega / Mid-City Flournoy / Watts Glassell Park / Glassell Park Griffith-Joyner / Watts King Jr. / South Los Angeles La Salle / South Los Angeles Lassen / North Hills Lockwood / Hollywood Los Feliz / Hollywood Monte Vista / Highland Park Rosemont / Westlake Santa Monica / Hollywood Tom Bradley / Crenshaw Trinity / South Los Angeles Victory / North Hollywood YES Academy / Hyde Park 2007 The Accelerated School / South Los Angeles Anatola / Van Nuys Annandale / Highland Park Dorris Place / Elysian Park Harding / Sylmar Kim / Mid-City Mayall / North Hills Primary Academy / Panorama City Riordan PC / Highland Park Wilshire Park / Mid-City Winnetka / Canoga Park 2011 Alta California / Panorama City Andres & Maria Cardenas / Van Nuys Dolores Huerta / South Los Angeles Estrella / South Los Angeles Julie Korenstein / North Hollywood Owen Knox / South Los Angeles Stanley Mosk / Winnetka 2012 Atwater / Atwater Village Gratts PC / Westlake Normont / Harbor City 2013 Lawson Academy / South Los Angeles Marguerite LaMotte / South Los Angeles Michelle Obama / Panorama City Sally Ride / South Los Angeles Washington PC / South Los Angeles 2014 Sylmar Leadership Academy / Sylmar PC = Primary Center School Sites by Region Central City: 20 Eastside: 19 Northeast LA: 15 Hollywood: 9 Mid-City: 16 San Pedro: 6 North Hollywood: 14 San Fernando Valley – East: 37 San Fernando Valley – West: 15 Southside: 40 Westside: 4 The result. This year, the after school programs of the State of California are ranked No. 1 in student participation and satisfaction in a nationwide survey of students, parents, community leaders and children’s advocates, according to the Afterschool Alliance, an advocacy group. As a result of 26 years of intentional, purposeful, visible commitment to the families and neighborhoods we serve, LA’s BEST is a respected institution in the city, the state, across the country and around the world as a leader in the Expanded Learning movement — expanding the definition of learning one day at a time, one child at a time. Every school day. (And even on weekends.) 6 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR PEOPLE 7 Map of Accountability & Responsibility City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office City of Los Angeles City Council LAUSD Board of Education Private Funders LA’s BEST Board of Directors LA’s BEST Advisory Board LAUSD Superintendent’s Office LA’s BEST Friends Board of Directors LA’s BEST Corporate Office President & CEO LAUSD Beyond the Bell Executive Director Senior Vice President LA’s BEST Operations Office Chief Operating Officer Chief Financial Analyst (Consultant) Vice President Communications & Public Affairs Director of Administration Corporate Financial Analyst Director of Communications Vice President Development Director of Development: Grants Social Media & Communications Manager Consultants Director of Development: Fundraising Events Development Operations Manager Director of Development: Strategic Relationships Budget Technician Administrative Assistant Principal Administrative Analyst Director of Evaluation Director of Volunteers Financial Analyst Accounting Technician Grant Managers (2) Director of Operations Contracts Assistant Executive Assistant Administrative Assistant Transportation Coordinator Our children are taught largely by community staff, supervised by young peers steeped in the program’s values and best practices, and supported by a matrix of specialists in the various aspects of education and administration that are required for an operation of the scale of LA’s BEST. This is the safety net for our staff and, ultimately, for our children. In our corporate office, we raise the funds, manage the finances and promote the program publicly. In our operations office, we manage the expenditures, develop the programming and administrate the work we do in the field. 8 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Director of BEST Fit Director of After School Arts Program (ASAP) Director of Student Support Services Director of Staff Development Regional Directors (2) Citywide Events Coordinator Accounting Associate Director of Digital Learning Recreation Support Workers (4) Administrative Aide Senior Office Technician BEST Fit Coordinator Office Technicians (2) ASAP Coordinator Learning Facilitators (8) Program Coaches (36) Director of Education Director of Program Compliance Director of Technology Director of Human Resources Programmer Human Resources Coordinator Technology Coordinator Administrative Aide Regional Directors (2) Traveling Program Supervisors (36) Data Managers (2) Site Coordinators (195) IT Field Services Technician Senior Office Technicians (2) Field Staff (2,160) Students (29,000+) OUR PEOPLE 9 LA’s BEST Administrative Staff Partners CORPORATE OFFICE OPERATIONS OFFICE Carla Sanger President & CEO Debe Loxton Chief Operating Officer Connie Aguilar Administrative Assistant Edith Ballesteros Director of BEST Fit Beatriz Amaro Contracts Assistant Tommy Brewer **** Director of Staff Development Christine Bell Executive Assistant Lynette Bynoe Director of Volunteers Kirby Chong Corporate Financial Analyst Jennifer Cano Director of Digital Learning Morenike Evans * Director of Communications Ronnie Cavalluzzi Director of Student Support Services Francine Harcum Director of Administration Regino Chavez Director of Evaluation Sylvia Hernandez Transportation Coordinator Kristina Crafton Grant Manager Belma Michael Johnson Vice President, Maria Cuevas Regional Director — Program Communications & Public Affairs Cassandra Krause Director of Development, Strategic Partnerships Mario Davila Director of After School Arts Program Deanna Galarza Regional Director — Operations Alicia Green ∆ After School Arts Program Coordinator Robin Manzer Director of Development, Grants Juli Emmel J After School Arts Program Coordinator Cathy Negrete Accounting Associate Anne Marie Johansen Principal Administrative Analyst Lorena Parra Manager of Development, Operations Amelia Lopez Regional Director — Operations Patty Phillips Director of Development, Oscar Lopez Director of Technology Fundraising Events Emily Roberts Social Media & Communications Manager* / Director of Communications** Justine Lozano Human Resources Coordinator Teresa McGee Technology Coordinator Nineth Montoya Regional Director — Program Robyn Ritter Simon Vice President, Development Robin Morhar Grant Manager Carmen Sumpter*** Social Media & Communications Rajesh Narainº Financial Analyst Manager Sharon Yarbrough Senior Vice President Stela Oliveira Director of Education Richard Prieto Regional Director – City Wide Dee Ann Rivera Director of Operations Olivia Romo Director of Human Resources Rebecca Turner Director of Program Compliance Bay Tran BEST Fit Coordinator Mildred Zozulenko I Financial Analyst * Through June 2014 ** As of June 2014 *** As of September 2014 **** Through July 2014 ∆ Through November 2013 J As of February 2014 º As of August 2014 I Through April 2014 10 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT A high-quality, community-based after school program like LA’s BEST owes much of its success to strong partnerships. We are an independent nonprofit organization, but we work hand-in-hand with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and City leadership. LA’s BEST is a program of Beyond the Bell, which collaborates with national and community-based organizations to provide after school programming in LAUSD. CITY OF LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Bureau of Engineering City Administrative Office City Attorney’s Office City Clerk City Council Commission on Community & Family Services Los Angeles Housing & Community Investment Department Creative Services Division Department of Cultural Affairs Department of General Services Department of General Services —Special Events Department of Public Works Department of Recreation and Parks Department of Transportation Department of Water and Power Duplicating Services Information Technology Agency LA Cityview 35 Los Angeles Fire Department Los Angeles Police Department Los Angeles Zoo Office of the Mayor Personnel Department — Commute Options & Parking Section Publishing Services Volunteer Bureau Accounts Payable Accounting and Disbursement Division Beyond the Bell Branch Board of Education Budget Services & Financial Planning California State Parks, Los Angeles City Libraries and California Readers Chief Financial Officer Civic Center Permits Office Classified Transactions Services Branch Crisis Counseling and Intervention Services District Nursing Services Deputy Superintendent - Instruction Division of Risk Management & Insurance Services Division of Special Education Educational Service Centers Employee Performance – Accountability Environmental Health & Safety Early Childhood Education Division Facilities Services Division Food Services Division General Counsel Government Relations Human Relations Human Resources Information Technology Division KLCS Television LAUSD Libraries Mail Unit Maintenance and Operations Branch Office of Communications Office of the Superintendent Personnel Commission Procurement Services Division Radio Unit Real Estate Management Branch School Mental Health School Police Department Specially Funded Accounting Section Staff Relations Senior Deputy Superintendent School Operations Telecommunications Branch Transportation Services Division OUR PEOPLE 11 Volunteer with LA’s BEST Volunteers play a critical role by bringing special talents and skills that add depth to the program and offer children additional role models. Whatever you’re good at, kids can learn from you. And you can learn from them too! We can tailor the program and location to fit you. Our Director of the volunteer program can help you determine how best to get involved. Daily, weekly, or maybe just on occasional weekends. Daily program volunteers participate during the program hours between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, as homework helpers or activity assistants. Special events volunteers join in at various citywide events on weekends. Corporate volunteers are employees participating in their company’s volunteer program. Ongoing, periodic or one-time event opportunities are available. Administrative volunteers assist with office duties at our Corporate office at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Sports volunteers help coaches and share their expertise in a favorite sport. LA’s BEST kids play practically everything at some point during the year. Mentors offer support, friendship and a constructive example to individual students. A mentor’s guidance and encouragement helps children explore their special talents and navigate their life decisions. If you have any questions or wish to volunteer, contact Lynette Bynoe, Director, Volunteer Program, via email at lynetteb@lasbest.lausd.net or apply online at: www.lasbest.org/involved/volunteer 12 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Photo courtesy of Mattel, Inc. OUR PEOPLE 13 Writing: Belma Michael Johnson Photography: Ben Gibbs and John Metcalf Design: Nida Sanger Printing: Weber Printing Co. The mission of LA’s BEST is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment and recreation program for elementary school children ages 5 to 12 in the City of Los Angeles. Find out more about LA’s BEST! lasbest.org facebook.com/lasbest twitter.com/lasbest LA’s BEST Corporate Office Office of the Mayor 200 North Spring Street, Suite M-120 Los Angeles, CA 90012 T 213.978.0801 / F 213.978.0800 instagram.com/lasbestafterschool 14 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT LA’s BEST Operations Office Los Angeles Unified School District 711 East 14th Place Los Angeles, CA 90021 T 213.745.1900 / F 800.267.0342 n e t s i l e When w , g n i d n a t s r e d n u for — s n r a e l everyone d n a n e r child . e k i l a s t adul Our Leadership 1 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Leader for tomorrow. For the first time in the organization’s history, the Governing Board of LA’s BEST fulfilled its duty to select a new President and CEO. They determined that the next leader needed certain attributes: a rich understanding and appreciation for the values and operations of LA’s BEST; a deep commitment to child development and youth advocacy; a national reputation for thoughtleadership in the Expanded Learning movement and a vision for the future of after school and non-profits. After screening dozens of highly qualified candidates, the Board has selected Eric Gurna. Gurna served two years as Director of Staff Development at LA’s BEST, where he not only was immersed in the organization’s values, he also was the first to codify them. He has worked for Educators for Social Responsibility and as Education Coordinator for the Harlem Children’s Zone. As the founder, President and CEO of Development Without Limits, Gurna has earned a national reputation for designing and facilitating staff development, curricula and other resources for community organizations and schools. He is our leader for tomorrow. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT Photo by Jesse Banks III OUR LEADERSHIP 1 Governance for tomorrow. LA’s BEST has three critical requirements: to operate efficiently and responsibly in every aspect of the organization; to deliver valuable services to the children and families we serve; and to anticipate and prepare for changes that will affect our ability to fulfill the first two objectives. We have three volunteer boards of highly qualified, highly specialized professional members of the community who serve these purposes. Ultimately, they serve one purpose: to ensure the sustainability of the program for the future — creating LA’s BEST for Tomorrow. 2 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR LEADERSHIP 3 Governing Board of Directors Advisory Board The Governing Board shoulders the fiduciary responsibility of the organization. Its duties this past year included selecting a new President and CEO for the first time in the program’s history. The Advisory Board members are the stewards of the educational quality of LA’s BEST. These educators and child-development experts make sure LA’s BEST After School Enrichment Program lives up to every word in its name. Chair Marvin J. Suomiº President & CEO, KUD International, LLC Chair Alice Desobry Bowens, M.A. Educator Vice Chair Trudi Ferguson, Ph.D.I Professor, USC, Marshall School of Business Vice Chair Mary Odell President, UniHealth Foundation CFO Robert L. Wicke Director, Technology Practice, Deloitte Consulting Chair Elect Christopher D. Dusseault ºº Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Bryant Alexander, Ph.D. Dean, College of Communication & Fine Arts, Loyola Marymount University Marilyn Brown Parenting Consultant The Honorable Richard Alatorre President, Richard Alatorre & Co. Olivia Campos-Bergeron Director, Community Relations, CBS2/KCAL9 Garrett Q. Bland Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Kevin Carnes President, Lakeshore Learning Materials Alice Desobry Bowens Educator and Advisory Board Chair Richard S. Cheung, D.C. Private Practice and Assistant Clinical Professor, Pamela Buffett President, The Rebecca Susan Buffett Foundation Marlyn M. Gates Attorney Southern California University of Health Sciences Bill Coggins, MSW I Founder and Former Executive Director, Kaiser Permanente Watts Dorothy M. Gibbons-White Attorney Counseling & Learning Center Andrew Goldfarb* Former Executive Cheryl Cruz, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Accounting, California State University, Los Angeles Sharon Graves* Chief Financial Officer, Phorus Kristen DeLeo Senior Executive Assistant, Neutrogena Corporation and BEST Friends Board Representative Russ Hagey Global Chief Talent Officer & Partner, Bain & Company Inc. / Los Angeles Raymond Ealy President, Allira Amy Moynihan Heyward* Co-President, A Squared Entertainment, LLC Ray Gonzales Former Producer/Host “Pacesetters,” KTLA Channel 5 Gerald L. Katell Board Chair Emeritus and President, Katell Productions, LLC and Katell Properties, LLC Jordan Kaye, Account Manager, Hatch & BEST Friends Board Chair Lorena Guzman Program Coach, LA’s BEST After School Enrichment Program Sweet Alice Harris I Executive Director, Parents of Watts Nigel Lythgoe CEO, Nigel Lythgoe Productions and Executive Producer, “So You Think You Can Dance” Helen Hartel, M.A. Former Principal, Lowman Special Education Center Amber Melius* Attorney, Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP and BEST Friends Board Chair Andrea Kannike Analyst, United States District Court Carmen Moch* Regional Vice President, Target Stores Ann Reiss Lane Founder & Chair, Women Against Gun Violence Gary W. Park Partner, The Oxbridge Law Group David L. Paulson I CEO, Paulson Enterprises Peter McAllister, Ph.D. Dean, College of Arts and Letters, California State University, Los Angeles Sharon Harroun Peirce Director, BritWeek Nancy Ramirez* Deputy Chief, Los Angeles School Police Department Matthew D. Petersen Chief Marketing Officer, Jafra Cosmetics Doris Roberts Actor Tracy Rafter* Principal, Rafter Group, Inc. The Honorable Richard J. RiordanI Former Mayor of Los Angeles and Founder, The Riordan Foundation Laura C. Romero, Ph.D. President & CEO, Brillante Strategies James Rosser, Ph.D.I President Emeritus, California State University, Los Angeles Cristina Rose President & CEO, Rose Policy Solutions June Sale I Advisory Board Chair Emeritus and Child Care Consultant Lois Saffian I Community Activist June Sale I Advisory Board Chair Emeritus and Child Care Consultant Carla Sanger * I President & CEO, LA’s BEST Carla Sanger, M. Ed.* I President & CEO, LA’s BEST Dean Schramm Principal, The Schramm Group Lt. Christopher Stevens Commanding Officer, Valley-West Division, Los Angeles School Police Dept. Carmel B. Sella Vice President, Community Development, Wells Fargo Bank Rebecca Unterman, M.Ed. K-12 Education Policy Analyst, MDRC Reva Shakkottai Senior Vice President, RBC Wealth Management Virginia Victorin* Education Advocate Tom Shapiro President & Owner, Trade Supplies, Inc. Deborah Villar* Senior Vice President, Bienvenidos Children Services Robert D. Shipp* President & Owner, RDS Investments Martha Watson, MSW Psychotherapist/Consultant Candy Spelling Commissioner Emeritus, City of Los Angeles and American Humane Association Board Member Barbara Yaroslavsky Community Activist Cecilia Pascuzzo Travelling Program Supervisor, LA’s BEST and LA’s BEST Parent David Travers Partner, Rustic Canyon Partners Barry B. Waldo Consultant, Coca-Cola Martin J. Wolff * Chairman, Martin J. Wolff & Co., Inc., Insurance Agents * Retired from the board in 2014 º Retired as Chair in November, 2014 ºº Chair as of November, 2014 I Board Members Appointed by Mayor Tom Bradley in 1988 to oversee the development of the after school program that became LA’s BEST. 4 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT * Retired from the board in 2014 I Board Members Appointed by Mayor Tom Bradley in 1988 to oversee the development of the after school program that became LA’s BEST. OUR LEADERSHIP 5 BEST Friends Board Carla Sanger, President and CEO of LA’s BEST, discovered the opportunity to tap into the community of young professionals for support after seeing the volunteer initiatives of her two sons. The 18-member board was created in February 2004, with Mario Marin as the founding board chair. Today, the board is comprised of 26 members, and a network of over 3,500 BEST Friends, who advocate for LA’s BEST and support the group’s fundraising events and volunteer initiatives. Fundraising by the BEST Friends Board has grown from $35,000 in 2004 to more than $400,000 annually. BEST Friends events fall under three categories: Friendraisers, Fundraisers and Volunteer events. Throughout the school year, there are First Friday events every month that involve volunteering at an LA’s BEST site by engaging in a fun activity with students. The BEST Friends also host site visits regularly, and they organize Park Day, which emphasizes “good old-fashioned fun” with relay races, picnicking with students and even bombarding a board member with water balloons! Chair Jordan Kaye Account Manger, Hatch and Governing Board Representative Vice Chair David Lessoff Counsel, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Vice Chair Jennifer Searle Public Relations Consultant Emily Benowitz Account Coordinator, Twitter Matt Clemo Director of Business Development, TRG Insurance Services Moze Cowper Senior Counsel, Amgen Inc. Kate Craig Director, A&R, Warner Bros. Records Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Kristen DeLeo Senior Executive Assistant, Neutrogena Corp. and Advisory Board Representative Jack Fluor Chief Financial Officer, Integrated Media Technologies Justin Fredericks Director of Business Development, iAmplify Sara Frisch Attorney, Helton Law Group Jeff Goad Director of Supply Chain, Drybar Tiffany Graddick Attorney, Kaye Scholer LLP Vivian Haun Education Attorney Terry Hoffmann Senior Vice President, Fleishman Hillard Nathalie Huddleston Founder, Green Source Coffee Company Paul Keltner Regional Industry Leader – Construction, Zurich North America Michael Lynn Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch Mallory Maske Founder, THRIVE HR for Start Ups Maureen McLellan Senior Manager, Corporate and Community Affairs, United Airlines Amber Melius Partner, Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP Tian Mu CEO, Naked Sky Entertainment Sarah Nickerson Program Manager – Employee Social Responsibility, Google Kelechi Ogbunamiri Vice President, Investment Research, Guggenheim Partners Julia Richter Product Marketing, Lifestyles, Yahoo, Inc. Amani Roberts Principal, Woodside Media Group 6 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR LEADERSHIP 7 Words of Praise for LA’s BEST “The significance of LA’s BEST is hard to exaggerate.” ir Ken Robinson, Ph.D. — Author, speaker and leader in the development S of education, creativity and innovation “In my view, LA’s BEST offers one of the most effective public-private models for delivering programs that keep kids safe and learning after the schools close their doors.” Connie Rice — Advancement Project Co-Director, civil rights attorney and civic leader LA’s BEST “has one of the most consistent records of accomplishment of any after school program in the country.” William S. White — Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation “After being traded to the Clippers in 2011, (Chris) Paul formed an alliance with a local after-school program, LA’s BEST. In addition to hosting fundraisers, the six-time All-Star is known for interacting closely with the organization’s young members, whether it’s teaching them healthy lifestyle habits at the annual CP3K Walk or bringing them handpicked holiday gifts.” LA Confidential, December 2013 — “A Sporting Chance” “ When educators partner with the community in after school programs, kids flourish both inside and outside the classroom. I have seen firsthand how these programs support and build on the work of our teachers. After school programs of the quality of LA’s BEST are an important piece of public school reform.” Randi Weingarten — President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO “Can we name any other reform with this empirical track record and low cost? Linking after school in the context of community full-service schools makes good sense, given evidence of its success in international and US settings.” Eva Baker — President, World Educational Research Association 8 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT OUR LEADERSHIP 9 Writing: Belma Michael Johnson Photography: Ben Gibbs and John Metcalf Design: Nida Sanger Printing: Weber Printing Co. The mission of LA’s BEST is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment and recreation program for elementary school children ages 5 to 12 in the City of Los Angeles. Find out more about LA’s BEST! lasbest.org facebook.com/lasbest twitter.com/lasbest LA’s BEST Corporate Office Office of the Mayor 200 North Spring Street, Suite M-120 Los Angeles, CA 90012 T 213.978.0801 / F 213.978.0800 instagram.com/lasbestafterschool 10 LA’s BEST 2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT LA’s BEST Operations Office Los Angeles Unified School District 711 East 14th Place Los Angeles, CA 90021 T 213.745.1900 / F 800.267.0342