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Helping children learn and thrive

Our Mission and Vision

LA’s BEST provides safe, enriching expanded learning experiences for children 4-12 in Los Angeles and collaborates with families, school staff, and community partners to ensure children have access to the resources they need to thrive.

LAUSD’s children have the opportunity to become thriving lifelong learners and prepared for their futures within a safe, supportive ecosystem for families and their communities.

Our Foundational Values

Whole Child-Centered

We believe children’s well-being and potential must fully guide every decision we make.

By making children the focus of our actions, we ensure their needs are met, their voices are heard, and their futures are prioritized in every aspect of our work. Nothing we do is as important as the impact it has on a child.

Agency

We believe children have the right to lead lives full of possibilities and choices.

By creating opportunities within our programs for children to make meaningful decisions, we educate and guide them to develop confidence, independence, and the skills needed to shape their own futures.

Inspiration

We believe inspiration, fueled by joy, fun, and creativity, is key to unlocking student success.

Through training and support, our staff are empowered to create engaging programs that inspire children to learn, grow, and discover their own potential.

Trust

We believe trust is the foundation of a strong community, nurtured through mutual respect, accountability, and transparency.

We intentionally build structures that foster trust by honoring the leadership and development of our staff, students, families, and partners, creating a foundation of excellence, accountability, and transparency.

Community

We believe in building a strong community where clear communication and authentic collaboration enable us to operate as a collective, serving students and communities effectively.

We cultivate a collective community by sharing information openly, fostering mutual understanding, and working together across roles and offices to turn ideas into meaningful action and address challenges as one.

Partnership

We believe in the power of partnership to bridge gaps and support every child’s educational journey beyond the classroom.

We cultivate strong partnerships and a shared vision with LAUSD, the City of Los Angeles, community organizations, and local neighborhoods to bridge the gap between families and school systems, removing barriers so every child’s educational journey is supported and enriched.

Our Story

In 1988, Mayor Tom Bradley launched LA’s BEST in response to a growing need for safe and engaging spaces for children after school. Families across Los Angeles were searching for trusted programs where students could learn, play, and be cared for beyond the classroom. LA’s BEST became that promise, bringing together schools, communities, and dedicated staff to nurture the whole child.

Today the need remains, and LA’s BEST is still here. We continue to stand with families and communities, supported by the passion of staff who create joyful learning experiences every day. Together we are building a future where the whole city uplifts the whole child and every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Our History

LA’s BEST is Founded

Founded by Mayor Bradley, LA Superintendent of Schools Leonard M. Britton & the Education Council. Carla Sanger is named as LA’s BEST Coordinator. Al Minturn is named as lead LAUSD Administrator overseeing LA’s BEST, with Debe Loxton serving as Youth Services Regional Director supervising LA’s BEST sites in South LA.

10 school sites representing 1,000 students

First private corporate donation of $500,000 from Kaiser Permanente.

Received the U.S. Conference of Mayors Outstanding Achievement Award in Education.

Debe Loxton becomes LA’s BEST LAUSD Program Director.

Celebrate Science Program & Dance and the Drill Team Showcase competition were launched.

Received President Bush’s Annual Points of Light Award.

LA’s BEST students performed with Michael Jackson in the Super Bowl XXVII Halftime Show at the Rose Bowl.

First Community Jam Against Violence.

Carnegie Task Force on Learning in the Primary Grades, cited LA’s BEST as one of the five afterschool programs nationwide that takes responsibility for children’s learning and healthy development.

Helped write and advocate for AB326, the bill that earmarks $3.5 million statewide for school-based, before and after school child care. The bill passed and provided LA’s BEST with $1,087,182.

The Education Council created by Mayor Bradley split into two, forming the LA’s BEST Board of Directors, focused on governance and fundraising and the LA’s BEST Advisory Board, focused on program quality.

24 School Sites

First Family Brunch Fundraising Event.

Debe Loxton’s title changed to Chief Operating Officer.

Staff Development Department was founded with Eric Gurna named first Director of Staff Development.

Received funds from the City of Los Angeles and special support from Mayor Riordan to launch a comprehensive Professional Development Project.

Volunteer Department and Education Departments were founded.

UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation (CRESST) announced that LA’s BEST students demonstrate higher school attendance, higher English language adoptions rates and improved performance on standardized test in reading, math and language arts.

LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell Branch established to oversee all before and afterschool programs, including LA’s BEST.

105 school sites

Generous gifts from Eli Broad and others launched the After School Arts Program (ASAP).

Received Excellence in Education Award from U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

The BEST Friends Board of young professionals was launched.

The BEST Fit department was founded, expanding programming focused on health, fitness and nutrition.

Department of Evaluation was founded to improve our capacity to measure success internally and partner with UCLA and other institutions to measure programmatic outcomes.

UCLA/CRESST study finds LA’s BEST students are 20% more likely to stay in school.

President & CEO, Carla Sanger, was recognized by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for her advocacy efforts ensuring Proposition 49/Senate Bill 638 passed into law, making $550 million available for after school education and safety programs for California.

UCLA/CRESST research study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice showed that LA’s BEST students are 30% less likely to commit juvenile crime than their peers.

Student Support Services was launched.

177 school sites

LA84 Foundation supported LA’s BEST softball, basketball, flag football and track and field programs.

With support from the Richard Riordan Foundation, the Digital Learning Department was launched.

NBA All Star Chris Paul and his CP3 Foundation co-hosted the annual LA’s BEST Health Festival.

We celebrated our 25th Anniversary with 191 school sites!

Mayor Eric Garcetti announces five new school sites. Now serving 191 schools

Eric Gurna becomes President & CEO – LA’s BEST celebrates 25 years of service with 200 school sites and 25,000 kids

Funding per student increases: $8.19 (2017), $8.88 (2019)

Board Member & Chef Neal Fraser launches Locally Grown fundraiser

COVID-19 pandemic response

– March: LAUSD schools close – LA’s BEST opens Grab & Go Centers, distributing 500,000 meals per week

Schools fully reopen with safety protocols

Funding increases to $10.18 per student

David P. Anderson serves as interim President & CEO

Dee Ann Rivera becomes Chief Operating Officer

Michele Broadnax named President & CEO

Launch of before-school programming at 3 sites

First Director of Workforce Development hired

Begins serving 4-year-olds through LAUSD’s TK program

Mayor Karen Bass pledges continued city support

Receives $4 million from the Mayor’s GCP funds

Mayor Karen Bass visits LA’s BEST

Before School Programs Expand

We now offer 20 Before School Programs that provide safe, enriching early morning learning and essential support for working families.

New Tagline and Values

This year we launched our new tagline Whole City. Whole Child. Every Day. along with updated mission, vision and values that guide our work forward.

Website Redesign

We introduced a redesigned website that improves clarity, accessibility and storytelling to showcase the impact of expanded learning across Los Angeles.

2024 Annual Report

Read: A LEGACY OF IMPACT: HONORING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

Promoting Public Policies that Put Children First

LA’s BEST advocates at the local, state and federal level to ensure that elected officials prioritize the needs of our most vulnerable children and families, especially when it comes to out-of-school time.

We are proud to be a member of the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3) Steering Committee, a coalition of organizations dedicated to promoting legislative and administrative policies that enhance the quality and accessibility of afterschool programs in California.

Learn More About LA’s BEST

Impact

Partnerships

Programmatic partners help launch new initiatives that are aligned with our shared values and goals, provide support for ongoing activities and facilitate pilot projects that can scale nationally.

Our Team

Meet the people behind LA’s BEST.

Join Us

LAUSD Site Positions

Hiring year round for individuals with a passion for serving LA’s youth

Nonprofit

Opportunities With Our Nonprofit Team

Operations

Opportunities With Our Operations Team