Alliance For A Better Community

1. LATINO/A SCORECARD RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTABC LAUNCHED THE LATINO/A SCORECARD REPORT: A POLICY ROADMAP FOR TRANSFORMING LOS ANGELES WHICH ANSWERS A SERIES OF CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACING LATINO/AS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND ESTABLISHES A GRADE/SCORE IN FIVE DIFFERENT FOCUS AREAS. THE SCORECARD REPORT UPLIFTS THE ASSETS THAT LATINO/AS BRING TO THE COUNTY AS WELL AS HIGHLIGHTS OPPORTUNITY GAPS THAT HAVE ACTED AS BARRIERS THAT PREVENT LATINO/A COMMUNITIES FROM FULLY THRIVING. THE SCORECARD CULMINATED INTO A REPORT WITH SECONDARY RESEARCH ANALYSES AND PUBLIC POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS - INFORMED BY ISSUE EXPERTS AND THE COMMUNITY - ACROSS VARIOUS AREAS. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING MOVED FORWARD IN ADVOCACY, ORGANIZING, POWER BUILDING AND COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS ACROSS SPECIFIC AREAS. 2. K-12 & HIGHER EDUCATIONDUAL LANGUAGE LEARNER AND ENGLISH LEARNER SUCCESSNOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR, ABC CONTINUES TO CO-CHAIR THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR CONSORTIUM FOR ENGLISH LEARNER (EL) SUCCESS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, ABC HAS EMBARKED ON EFFORTS TO IMPROVE AND ADVANCE A VALUES-BASED POLICY AGENDA FOR ELs AND DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS (DLLs) TO HAVE GREATER SUCCESS IN LOS ANGELES. THIS INITIATIVE COORDINATES DATA, RESEARCH, OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS TO IMPACT LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL POLICY AND PRACTICE FOR IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR ELs/DLLs. ABC HAS LED THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO WORK GROUPS FOCUSED ON POLICY AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ORGANIZING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE MORE TAILORED OPTIONS FOR CONSORTIUM MEMBERS TO ENGAGE IN ADVOCACY EFFORTS. BOTH WORK GROUPS ARE STAFFED BY COMMUNICATIONS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NECESSARY NARRATIVE STRATEGIES. ABC WORKED WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP PASS A LOS ANGELESUNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOLUTION TO IMPROVE DISTANCE LEARNING.MEASURES TOOK INTO ACCOUNT STUDENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT,SOCIOEMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, COMMUNITY NEEDS AND PLANS FOR ADDITIONALSUPPORT FOR HIGH-NEED STUDENTS, LIKE ENGLISH LEARNERS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.ABC ALSO CELEBRATED ADVOCACY EFFORTS WHEN THE LOS ANGELESUNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (LAUSD) SCHOOL BOARD PLEDGED TO PROTECT ANDDOUBLE EQUITY-BASED FUNDING FOR THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR. ABC PROVIDED KEY SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY TO PUSH FOR CHANGE AND TOOK THE LEAD ON A RESOLUTION LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT INCLUDED DOZENS OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS.CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDEABC IS NOW LEADING EFFORTS TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXTREME INEQUITIES THAT EXIST IN THE SOUTHEAST LOS ANGELES (SELA) COUNTY REGION WITH REGARDS TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. DURING THE PANDEMIC, A LACK OF ACCESS TO RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE INTERNET PREVENTED LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS WITH MAJORITY LATINO/A RESIDENTS ACCESSING SERVICES AND LIFELINES FOR EDUCATION, HEALTH AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. WHETHER ACCESSING CRITICAL VACCINE AND COVID-19 TESTING OR TRYING TO JOIN A CLASS THROUGH VIRTUAL LEARNING, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE SPOTLIGHTED ENORMOUS INEQUITIES THAT EXIST FOR LATINO/AS TO ACCESS THE INTERNET AND THE LACK OF PUBLIC INVESTMENTS TO BUILD THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THESE COMMUNITIES. ABC IS ENGAGING PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE HOW THEY ARE BEING DIRECTLY IMPACTED. ABC CONTINUES TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THE LIST OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS WE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH MORE THAN 50 SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EDUCATION EQUITY ORGANIZATIONS CALLING ON SPECIFIC STEPS THAT ARE NEEDED TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE THAT EXISTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.VICTORY FOR HIGHER EDUCATIONABC JOINED A LEADING STATEWIDE ADVOCACY PARTNER, THE CAMPAIGN FOR COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY, AT THE HISTORIC SIGNING OF ASSEMBLY BILLS 928, 1111, AND 469. AFTER YEARS OF WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS THESE GOALS, THIS WAS A TREMENDOUS VICTORY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION. ALL BILLS FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORMED THE WAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS TRANSFER TO A UNIVERSITY IN CALIFORNIA. THESE ALONG WITH FOUR OTHERS WERE SIGNED BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM AND ALLOCATED $47.1 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA!THE NEW LAWS CREATED A GENERAL EDUCATION TRANSFER PATHWAY FOR STUDENTS TO BECOME ELIGIBLE TO THE UC AND CSU; ESTABLISHED A COMMITTEE REPRESENTING K-12 SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES DEDICATED TO SIMPLIFYING TRANSFER; AND PLACED COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS ONTO THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE FOR TRANSFER PATHWAY TO INCREASE THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF TRANSFERRING SUCCESSFULLY.IN ADDITION, BILLS REQUIRE THE ADOPTION TO A COMMON COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND FOR STUDENTS AND INCREASE TRANSFER RATES FOR STUDENTS. THIS IS A NECESSARY CHANGE THAT POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENTS OF COLOR WHO MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES.FINALLY, NEW REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL STUDENTS, BY SEPTEMBER 2022, TO SUBMIT A FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) OR A CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT APPLICATION.TOGETHER, THESE STUDENT-CENTERED BILLS ADDRESS THE DISMAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER RATES THAT HAVE PERSISTED FOR DECADES; LESS THAN 3% OF STUDENTS TRANSFER AFTER TWO YEARS AND LESS THAN HALF AFTER SIX YEARS. THIS HISTORIC LEGISLATION WILL STREAMLINE THE TRANSFER PROCESS FOR MILLIONS OF STUDENTS BY INCREASING COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR STATE PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SUCCESS. 3. CIVIC ENGAGEMENTSELA VOTESAS PART OF GROWING LATINO ELECTORAL POWER, ABC PARTNERED WITH FIVE BASE BUILDING, TRUSTED MESSENGERS AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO LAUNCH THE SELA VOTES! PROGRAM. SELA VOTES! IS AN EFFORT TO TARGET A LATINO/A-MAJORITY CIVIC DESSERT IN LA COUNTY AND BUILD THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE TO INCREASE LATINO VOTER TURNOUT. THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES: 1) CREATING A COALITION OF GROUPS, 2) INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL CBOS FOR ELECTORAL WORK, 3) SECURING FUNDING FOR PARTNERS, 4) GROWING A BASE OF PAID AND VOLUNTEER CANVASSERS, 5) CONDUCTING PEER-TO-PEER VOTER OUTREACH FOR THE PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS IN JUNE AND NOVEMBER RESPECTIVELY. THE GOAL REACHED BY THIS INITIATIVE WAS TO DEVELOP AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND GROW A BASE OF LATINO/A VOTERS THAT WILL TURNOUT AND VOTE FOR COMMON SENSE LOCAL INITIATIVES AND STATEWIDE MEASURES. THE FIRST FOUR STRATEGIES ABOVE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND ACHIEVED. PLATICASPLATICAS ARE MONTHLY VIRTUAL CONVENINGS FOR ABCS PARENT NETWORK. THE PLATICAS HAVE SERVED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME AND VALUABLE INFORMATION TO OUR PARENT NETWORK BY INVITING EXPERTS TO TALK ABOUT A VARIETY OF TOPICS AIMED AT THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PLATICAS SERVE AS A PLATFORM FOR THE PARENTS TO BE HEARD AND HAVE OPEN CONVERSATIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER, SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND ASK QUESTIONS. AS PART OF OUR VISION TO BUILD UP COMMUNITY LEADERS, WE NEED TO GIVE PARENTS THE PROPER RESOURCES TO DEVELOP THEIR VOICE AND LEADERSHIP. WITH EACH MONTH COMES A NEW TOPIC TO LEARN ABOUT. WE CHOOSE OUR TOPIC BASED ON CURRENT EVENTS AND NEEDS IN THE CONTEXT OF THAT TIME OF YEAR. WE COLLABORATE WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS SO THEY CAN SHARE THEIR ISSUE/CONTENT EXPERTISE WITH OUR PARENT NETWORK. THE PLATICAS ALLOW FOR PARENTS TO CREATE A BETTER SHARED IDENTITY WITH OTHER PARENT LEADERS IN OUR NETWORK AND HELP THEM BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER. AS A RESULT PARENTS THEN CREATE MORE AWARENESS ABOUT THE PLATICAS CON ABC.4. ECONOMIC PROSPERITYCOMMUNITY ECONOMIC RESILIENCE FUND (CERF) ABC HAS HELD A SEAT AT THE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC RESILIENCE FUND (CERF) STAKEHOLDERS MEETINGS, LA COUNTY CERF OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND LA COUNTY CERF DATA AND RESEARCH COMMITTEE. CERF LA WAS CREATED TO PROMOTE A SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE RECOVERY FROM THE ECONOMIC DISTRESS OF COVID-19 BY SUPPORTING NEW PLANS AND STRATEGIES TO DIVERSIFY LOCAL ECONOMIES AND DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES THAT CREATE HIGH-QUALITY, BROADLY ACCESSIBLE JOBS FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS. OUT OF 90+ ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING IN THE LA COUNTY REGIONAL EFFORTS, ABC IS THE SOLE ORGANIZATION PRIORITIZING HIGHER EDUCATION AS AN ISSUE OR PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES. WHILE THE CAPACITY TO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON THIS ISSUE IS A CHALLENGE, ABC RECOGNIZES THE TREMENDOUS NEED AND OPPORTUNITY THIS WOULD PRESENT FOR EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. 5. HEALTHABC CONTINUED TO WORK IN A KEY STATEWIDE COALITION TO ADVANCETHE GOALS OF THE HEALTH4ALL CAMPAIGN TO ADVOCATE FOR A HEALTH CARESYSTEM THAT PROVIDES FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS. ABC AND PARTNERS INCREASEDAWARENESS THROUGH ADVOCACY AND CAMPAIGN EFFORTS TO EXPAND MEDI-CAL TO ALL LOW-INCOME ADULTS REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS, RECOGNIZING THE CRUCIAL LINK BETWEEN ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. (2021) AS A MEMBER OF SELA COLLABORATIVE, ABC DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTEDA PEER-TO-PEER VACCINE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM, THE SELA VACCINE OUTREACH PROGRAM, FUNDED FROM THE STATE. LED BY PARENTS, THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF VACCINES AND DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ABOUT EXISTING AN