LA's BEST Day
April 9th is LA’s BEST Day, a celebration of Los Angeles showing up for its children: Whole City, Whole Child, Every Day.
A Celebration of a Program and Partnership
LA’s BEST Day is a citywide celebration of a program and a partnership that have helped shape Los Angeles for generations.
Officially recognized by the City of Los Angeles on April 9, 2013 by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LA’s BEST Day honors the history, impact, and enduring civic commitment behind LA’s Better Educated Students for Tomorrow (BEST). What began in 1988 as a bold response to the need for safe, enriching afterschool spaces for children has grown into one of Los Angeles’ most lasting investments in young people and families.
How LA’s BEST Day Began
LA’s BEST Day was first declared during the organization’s 25th anniversary celebration at Los Angeles City Hall.
On April 9, 2013, city leaders, Los Angeles mayors across generations of civic leadership, members of the City Council, and supporters from across the city came together to honor LA’s BEST and its extraordinary legacy. The moment marked more than an anniversary. It was a public recognition of LA’s BEST as a life changing force for children, families, and communities across Los Angeles.
That celebration established April 9 as LA’s BEST Day to reflect on the program’s history and reaffirm the city’s belief in expanded learning.
A Public-Private Partnership Built to Last
Created in 1988 under Mayor Tom Bradley, LA’s BEST began with just 10 schools after the city recognized the need to help children in under-resourced neighborhoods stay safe, engaged, and supported after school.
From the beginning, LA’s BEST was designed as a public-private partnership to bring together the City of Los Angeles, LAUSD, and private sector and philanthropic support to create something bigger than any one institution could build alone. That model has helped LA’s BEST endure across administrations and remain rooted in a shared commitment to children.
What started as a focused afterschool initiative has grown into a citywide expanded learning program serving 201 LAUSD school sites and more than 24,026 unique students annually.
Today, LA’s BEST supports children through before school, afterschool, and summer programming that helps young people learn, grow, and thrive beyond the school day. That evolution reflects the same guiding belief that shaped the program from the start: when Los Angeles invests in children, it invests in the future of the city itself.
A Legacy Across Mayors
LA’s BEST has grown through the support of city leadership across decades.
- Mayor Tom Bradley launched the program in 1988.
- Mayor Richard Riordan helped establish the business and organizational structure that sustained it.
- Mayor James Hahn embraced and expanded the work.
- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa oversaw the addition of 60 new school sites. Declared April 9th as LA’s BEST Day, a City-recognized celebration in 2013.
- Mayor Eric Garcetti continued the city’s support for children and families through expanded learning.
- And today, under Mayor Karen Bass, LA’s BEST remains part of Los Angeles’ ongoing commitment to opportunity, safety, and care for young people.
What LA’s BEST Day Represents
LA’s BEST Day celebrates more than a milestone. It celebrates a Los Angeles tradition rooted in partnership, possibility, and belonging.
It is a day to honor the students who discover their strengths through LA’s BEST, the families who rely on it, the staff and educators who bring it to life, and the public and private partners who have sustained it over time.
It is also a reminder of what LA’s BEST stands for today: Whole City. Whole Child. Every Day.
