LA's BEST 14th Annual Family Brunch – Sunday, June 7th, 2009

LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program invites you to celebrate LA's BEST with the theme "Imagine the Future" at the 14th Annual Family Brunch on June 7, 2009 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The Annual Family brunch salutes the importance of family and provides an opportunity for LA's BEST to honor those in our community who support our program and enrich the lives of children. This year five time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Usher Raymond IV will be honored with the Family Focus Award; Harvard graduate and Teach for America corps member at an elementary school in South Los Angeles Mirla Urzua will be honored with the Alumnus Award; and Variety will be honored with the Community Partner Award for their creative support of LA’s BEST. LA's BEST will also celebrate 20 student winners of the LA's BEST citywide writing and art contest, "I dream that one day…" and their families. If you would like to purchase a table, tickets or have any other questions regarding the Brunch, please contact Patty Phillips, LA's BEST, Donor Relations & Events Manager at (213) 978-0797.

Sunday, June 7, 2009
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
506 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Download the Invitation here (PDF)

Location: Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Click here to purchase tickets for LA's BEST 14th Annual Family Brunch

LA's BEST Annual Dance and Drill Team Competition – Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Please join 2,100 kids from 140 different LA’s BEST schools for an exciting Dance and Drill Team Showcase!  The performances will take place on Saturday May 2, and Saturday, May 9, 2009 in the Eagle’s Next Gymnasium at California State University, Los Angeles.

California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032

Saturday, May 2, 2009
8:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  (Small Dance and Large Military)
12:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Small Hip Hop and Large Dance)
3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Pom/Song Leading and Prop Novelty)

Saturday, May 9, 2009
9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (Small Hip Hop and Large Dance)
11:00 a.m.  – 1:15 p.m.  (Small Hip Hop and Medium Hip Hop)
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  (Large Hip Hop and Small Military)

LA's BEST will be collecting voluntary donations at the door for much needed general operating support.

Location: Eagle's Nest Gymnasium at California State University, Los Angeles

BEST Friends Casino Night – Friday, April 17th, 2009

Double down in 2009! 

Please join us for a night of gambling, food and drinks to support the LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program. 

All tickets include food, drinks and gambling chips; VIP high rollers receive additional chips, access to the High Stakes Poker Table and a gift bag.  

Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting LA's BEST at 213-978-0801.

The event will be held from 8 pm to Midnight. See you there!

Location: Vibiana - Downtown Los Angeles

LA's BEST Community Jam Against Violence – Sunday, December 14th, 2008

Sponsored by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

 Sunday, December 14, 2008

3 p.m. to 5 p.m

Kodak Theater

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood, CA 90028

Please join us on December 14th at the Kodak theater to inspire hope for a better tomorrow when kids from LA's BEST take the stage with stars from the hit television shows So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol in the most spectacular talent showcase of the season. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, civil rights activist and attorney Connie Rice, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton and many others will help deliver the message that gang violence in Los Angeles neighborhoods - and children living in fear - should be a thing of the past.

With special guests: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Chief William Bratton, Connie Rice, stars from So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol Band, LA's BEST student performers and surprise celebrity guests.

For sponsorship opportunities or VIP tickets please contact Daryl Niemerow at Daryl.Niemerow@lacity.org or (213) 978-0798.

For tickets starting at $22.50 please visit Ticketmaster. http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0900415DF5088073?artistid=1270101&majorcatid=10005&minorcatid=0

 

Location: Kodak Theater

20th Anniversary Celebration – Friday, November 21st, 2008

LA's BEST is celebrating 20 years of helping children in Los Angeles. Please join us for breakfast and a viewing of the anniversary exhibition* at the City Hall Bridge Gallery.

 Friday, November 21, 2008

9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

City Hall Bridge Gallery and Rotunda

200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Light breakfast and refreshments will be served.

 

At 10:00 a.m. we will be joining Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in City Council Chambers for a City Council recognition of the LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program.

RSVP by November 19 to lasbest@lacity.org or to Zainab Ali at 213-978-0795. City hall parking available.

*The LA's BEST 20th anniversary exhibition opens November 4th and runs through November 23, 2008.

Location: Los Angeles City Hall Rotunda

BEST Friends Summer in Full Bloom – Friday, September 12th, 2008

Summer in Full Bloom is LA's BEST Friends signature fundraiser with a fabulous wine-tasting and auction to benefit LA's BEST. Last year Summer in Full Bloom raised $65,000 and we hope to do the same or better this year! Auction items include luxury goods and services as well as "one of a kind" items such as a private screening with an Academy Award winning Producer. Please make sure to buy your ticket prior to the day of the event.

Friday, September 12, 2008

7:30-11:30 PM

Fairmont Miramar 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90401

Please contact Cassandra.Krause@lacity.org with any questions or call at 213-978-0790.

Location: Fairmont Miramar Hotel

LA's BEST to Complete Mural Project at Detention Center – Friday, July 11th, 2008

CONTACT:  
Catherine Stringer
Vice President, Communications
(213) 978-0793

LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program

MEDIA ALERT
July 8, 2008

MAYOR AND CHIEF ‘DO TIME’ WITH LA’s BEST
 LA’s BEST, City Leaders Complete Mural Project at Detention Center Construction Site

LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year by continuing the dialogue in the Los Angeles community about gang violence and crime and the role after school programs play in preventing these sort of behaviors in the youth of the city. Last week part of the construction wall around the new LAPD Metro Detention Center in the Downtown Los Angeles Civic Center was white-washed, creating a 260-ft. canvas for a mural along Los Angeles Street between Temple Street and Parker Center. Artist Marcus Suarez has been painting a mural which reads, "Do Time at LA's BEST."

The intent of the mural is to bring awareness to the crucial after school hours between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. when many students are often left unsupervised and rates of juvenile crime go up. This mural depicts the importance of after school supervision and engagement in healthy, enriching and educating activities and the role it plays in juvenile crime abatement. In 2007, the Department of Justice commissioned UCLA’s National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (CRESST) to do a long-term evaluation of the LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program and its impact on juvenile crime rates. The results show that students in LA’s BEST are 30 percent less likely to commit juvenile crime than their peers. Using conservative estimates, the study also found that for every dollar invested in the LA’s BEST program, the City saves $2.50 in costs associated with crime.

We invite you to meet the team of artists, learn more about the inspiration behind this project and to support the message of LA's BEST, that children who "do time" at LA's BEST are far more likely to make positive choices down the road. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief William J. Bratton will help finish painting the mural on Thursday, July 10 with LA’s BEST students and the mural artist, Marcus Suarez.

Marcus Suarez has been an accomplished artist for twenty years who got his start painting the steel on the sides of subway cars and now works with many celebrities and renowned artists such as photographer David LaChappelle. Fine artist Jillian Kogan art directed the mural project; she recently completed the annual promotional campaign for the California Arts Council.

WHO
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Chief William J. Bratton
Councilmember Wendy Greuel
Carla Sanger, President & CEO, LA’s BEST
Artist Marcus Suarez
LA’s BEST students

WHAT
Culmination of painting of the LA’s BEST mural on the construction wall around the LAPD Metro Detention Center

Visual: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief William Bratton will finish painting the LA’s BEST mural on Los Angeles Street with LA’s BEST students and the mural artist, Marcus Suarez

WHEN
Thursday, July 10, 2008
9:00 a.m.

WHERE
Next to Parker Center at the mural site
150 N. Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

About LA’s BEST
LA's BEST — Better Educated Students for Tomorrow — is a nationally recognized after school education, enrichment and recreation program serving more than 26,000 children with the greatest needs and fewest resources throughout the City of Los Angeles. LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program provides a safe haven for children ages 5 to 12 at 180 elementary school sites each day during the critical hours after school — at no cost to parents. Established in 1988, LA’s BEST is a partnership including the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the private sector. For more information, please visit www.lasbest.org.

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LA's BEST 17th Annual Dance/Drill Team Showcase – Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

On April 26 and May 3, 2008, LA's BEST students participated in the 17th Annual Dance/Drill Team Showcase at California State University, Los Angeles. This annual event brought more than 2,000 students together 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. The proud first-place winners of the two-day showcase were:

April 25, 2008

Small Dance - Yorkdale, Small Military - Micheltorena, Small Hip-Hop - Accelerated, Medium Hip-Hop - Telfair, Prop Novelty - Gates, Medium Hip-Hop - Coliseum

May 3, 2008

Medium Dance - Glassell Park, Small Hip-Hop - Hillcrest, Large Hip-Hop - Bradley, Large Dance - Sunny Brae, Pom/Song Leading - Vaughn, Large Military - Mayberry

Congratulations to all of the participants for their enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and excellent performances!

Location: California State University, Los Angeles

6th Annual Family Health Festival – Saturday, April 5th, 2008

In collaboration with the California Nutrition Network at East Los Angeles College, the LA’s BEST Health Festival plays an important role in addressing the trend in obesity TODAY! This free celebratory and educational event aims to improve the well-being of our students, families and staff from 180 schools throughout Los Angeles with interactive activities and information booths designed to promote lifelong healthy habits.

WHEN: Saturday, April 5 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Weingart Stadium
East Los Angeles College
1301 Cesar Chavez Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91754

For more information contact:
Edith Ballesteros
(213)745-1900 Ext. 52939

 Special Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Network for a Healthy California

KRAFT

East Los Angeles College

Abraxis BioScience

Molina Healthcare

Shaun Livingston Foundation

Care 1st Healthplan

1st Choice Dental

Class Parks

National Latino Children's Institute

Queens Care Family Clinics

AltaMed

Location: East Los Angeles College

LA's BEST Annual Celebrate Science Fair – Saturday, March 29th, 2008

The annual Celebrate Science Fair is the culmination of the LA’s BEST Celebrate Science Program, in which students across Los Angeles have engaged in fun-filled, interactive science experiences utilizing the “team inquiry” model developed by LA’s BEST under the guidance of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This approach mirrors the real world in which scientists work collaboratively. Led by LA’s BEST staff, the program uses resources developed in conjunction with NASA/JPL, Girls Inc. and other organizations to encourage students to discover, explore and develop an appreciation for the world of science.

The winners of this finalists' competition will be awarded trips (with a parent) to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

The 17th Annual Celebrate Science Fair takes place Saturday, March 29, 2008, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Location: California State University, Los Angeles

So You Think You Can Dance LA – Sunday, September 16th, 2007

Beginning Sunday, August 5th, 100 staff members from LA's BEST are students for six weeks in the first-ever So You Think You Can Dance LA workshop. The best choreographers from the hit FOX television show proposed giving back to the community by teaching dance to some of our dedicated staff, lessons they will take right back to the students in our program: This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the show’s top choreographers will enable the LA’s BEST staff to bring the energy, enthusiasm and skills of So You Think You Can Dance’s star choreographers to the children of LA’s most challenged neighborhoods.

The creators, choreographers and judges of the wildly popular show, including Executive Producer/Choreographer Nigel Lythgoe and choreographers Dan Karaty, Mia Michaels, Shane Sparks, Jean Marc Genereux and Lil’ C (a former LA's BEST staff member himself!) are teaching LA's BEST staff the latest moves in hip-hop, disco and ballroom dance. This six-week workshop culminated in a seventh-week grand finale group performance LA's BEST staff dancers and a competition by top dancers who wished to participate on September 16. The competition was judged by Dorianna Sanchez, Shane Sparks and Nigel Lythgoe from So You Think You Can Dance.

The winners of the competition were Alexandra Rivero in First Place from The Accelerated School, Hennessy Rubio in Second Place from Valley View Elementary and Zshatwa Plummer in Third Place from The Accelerated School. Congratulations to all the winners and participants who did a fantastic job!