LA's BEST

Helping children learn and thrive, experiencing joy in the process.

Our Mission

The mission of LA’s BEST is to provide a safe and supervised afterschool education, enrichment and recreation program for children ages 5 to 12 in Los Angeles.

Our Vision

All children, no matter their neighborhood or circumstances, should be safe after school. But they also deserve more — they deserve a place where they can learn and thrive through social, emotional, intellectual and physical engagement with caring adults and dynamic experiences.

“It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were. When we choose a goal and invest ourselves in it to the limits of concentration, whatever we do will be enjoyable. And once we have tasted this joy, we will redouble our efforts to taste it again. This is the way the self grows.”
– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
LA's BEST student DJ's at the citywide Community Jam for Peace.

Our Foundational Values

  • Our role is to create environments where young people can explore and grow into their true, whole selves.
  • We engage children in activities that spark curiosity, expand horizons, create values and strengthen relationships.
  • Children have the right to lead lives full of choices, starting with making meaningful choices in our program.
  • When we listen for understanding, everyone learns — children and adults alike.
  • Nothing we do is as important as the effect it has on a child.