ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL JAMS PREPARES PUBLIC HOUSING YOUTH FOR REMOTE LEARNING
Approximately 1,200 Educational Resources and Stationery Items Distributed to K-12 Students
Los Angeles County, September 1, 2020 – The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) hosted its annual series of Back to School Jams at the Carmelitos, Harbor Hills, Nueva Maravilla, South County (Scattered Sites), and Sundance Vista public housing developments. For 20 consecutive years, these events have provided public housing youth, as well as their families, with educational resources and school supplies to kick-start the new academic year.
Due to the pandemic, the Back to School Jam events were modified to accommodate social distancing protocols. Residents wore face masks, maintained a 6-foot distance from other households, and received their donations in a grab-and-go fashion. The highlight of the events includes the distribution of more than 1,200 informative materials and backpacks filled with stationery items for youth K-12. The LACDA continues to support public housing families and provides youth with the basic tools to thrive in their education. However, the public housing youth are among the approximately 600,000 Los Angeles Unified School District students learning virtually from home.
LACDA Acting Executive Director, Emilio Salas, said, “The LACDA recognizes education as a platform to end generational poverty, so every year we make it a priority to partner with local organizations and host our Back to School Jam events. With students learning remotely and not having access to the resources provided by schools, we are doing our best to address the educational inequalities.”
A special acknowledgment goes to Be the Change Coloring Co., established by four Long Beach Polytechnic High School students to create coloring books that encourage youth to stay healthy and be positive during these unprecedented times. The LACDA was the recipient of a donation from Be the Change Coloring Co., of 500 coloring books. The coloring books were part of the backpack and school supplies giveaways at all five public housing developments. The generous donation will not only keep youth entertained, but provide guidance on how to prevent themselves from getting sick.
Additional donors include Shelter Partnerships, HOPE Community Church, Central Neighborhood Health Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Women in Action Reaching Out, DJ Rara Foundation, The Brown Medical and Educational Foundation, Cottonwood Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Office of Samoan Affairs, Dwight Kay, Domino’s Pizza, Harbor Hills Resident Council, and Boys and Girls Club.
For more information on Back to School Jam events, please contact Jeanette Montaño, Los Angeles County Community Development Foundation Administrator, at (323) 260-2208. All media may contact Elisa Vásquez, LACDA Public Information Officer, at (626) 586-1762.
