NEWS

Reaching Back, Moving Forward: Sankofa Summer Academy at the Beach

At California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), Dr. Amber Johnson often returns to a simple but transformative question: What would it look like if students experienced college as a place where they inherently belong, years before they ever apply? As an associate professor of Health Science and director of the Center for Health Equity Research, Dr. Johnson helped launch the Sankofa Summer Academy in partnership with CSULB’s College of Health and Human Services, the Sankofa Parent Village, and the Long Beach Unified School District’s (LBUSD) Black Student Excellence Center. As part of the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative, convened by UNITE-LA, these partners came together to intentionally design an early pathway rooted in culture, belonging and opportunity. What began as a pilot effort has become a living example of how aligned systems can expand access and reimagine student futures.

PUBLICATION

L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative Publication: Strengthening L.A.’s Health Care Talent Pipeline

Los Angeles County is home to one of the most diverse and expansive public education systems in the nation. Its health care sector represents both a critical economic engine and a unique opportunity to drive equitable workforce development. As of 2022, the health care services industry employed nearly 500,000 payroll workers in Los Angeles County, accounting for more than 11 percent of the region’s employment. As nearly 42,400 new health care jobs are already expected by 2026, educators play a critical role in guiding students into these growing, stable and often well-compensated fields. However, the systems that prepare students for these roles—K-12, community colleges and universities—face significant challenges in terms of equity, alignment and capacity. This report provides key labor market data and actionable recommendations for educators at every system level.

NEWS

L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative: Computer Science & Engineering in Action at the Metropolitan Water District

On Sept. 18, the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative hosted faculty and administration from K-12 and higher education institutions from across the region for an immersive visit to the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) F.E. Weymouth Water Treatment Plant & Water Quality Lab in La Verne. The session brought together K-12, community college and university career technical education administrators with workforce development specialists, and featured a guided facilities tour, a briefing from MWD leaders, and a skills-and-opportunities discussion highlighting how the computer science and engineering pathways power one of California’s most essential industries. 

PUBLICATION

UNITE-LA Publication: Student-Centered Transfer Redesign Process

Over the course of two summers, UNITE-LA worked closely with groups from California State University, Dominguez Hills and California Polytechnic University, Pomona and their respective feeder community colleges to explore institutional data, hear from students, and assess transfer barriers and opportunities. Collectively, participants from transfer offices, academic affairs, admissions, academic departments, and student services identified root causes to problems that students experience and ideated and piloted solutions to support student success. This new report on the student-centered transfer redesign process details what it took for campus partners to come together, critically assess their own policies and practices, and work together to make sustainable changes that have transformed their approach to the transfer system.

NEWS

Opening Doors, Inspiring Futures: Project CAMINOS STEM Summer Academy at Cal Poly Pomona

This summer, the Project CAMINOS STEM Summer Academy at Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) welcomed high school students from across Los Angeles for a week of hands-on STEM exploration. Project CAMINOS, now in its sixth year, has been fortified by the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative since Cal Poly Pomona established the East L.A. County Subregion in 2023.

NEWS

K-16 Collaborative South Bay Subregion Summit

In early March, the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative’s South Bay Subregion hosted a summit at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), which brought together education, workforce and community leaders to discuss education-to-career pathways. 

NEWS

Expanding Work-Based Learning for High School Students

California is making unprecedented investments in work-based learning programs through initiatives like the Golden State Pathways Program, regional K-16 collaboratives and Gov. Newsom’s Master Plan for Career Education.