And So Our Journey Begins…

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Water, water, water! LASA kicked off the 2019-2020 year with a four-day intensive in August focused on water in LA. We hope you enjoy reading about our time together, especially the portions informed by student reflections. On Wednesday morning, we introduced ourselves and, to mark The Huntington’s Centennial Celebration, Bill Deverell “introduced” us to Collis, Henry, Archer, and Arabella Huntington. …

The Mystery Mural Revealed!

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This past month Colleen Shalby from the LA Times wrote a wonderful article about Dean Gordon, a former LASA graduate, and how he uncovered a mystery that has been with the Los Angeles Coliseum for decades. We’re so proud to say that Dean’s interest into the Coliseum’s “Mystery Mural” stemmed from one of our visits a few years back! https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-coliseum-mural-20190712-story.html#null …

All Good Things Must Come to an End…

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Thanks so much to our financial supporters, teacher partners, and students for a terrific 2018-2019 LASA year. We gathered in May at The Huntington to think about next steps. We discussed the site visits and speakers from across our year together who planted seeds for future questions and work. And we welcomed college counselors Nia, Maude, and Jen to offer (really helpful!) tips …

The Ports!

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LASA gathered on the edge of the Port of Long Beach to consider the San Pedro Port Complex. Settling under some trees, students learned about containerization and then broke up into groups to conduct their own research on environmental justice work in the surrounding communities, automation and labor, and the history of the port. After sharing what they discovered, we …

A Bit of Culture

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In March, LASA considered the role of art in LA’s cultural landscape. We gathered at LACMA and met with Abigail Duckor, assistant objects conservator. She led us through the conservation lab. Sofia reflects, “You never really think about how they conserve the art pieces and what goes on behind the scenes and how much work goes into it.” Noah adds, …

Examining the Human Body

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During February’s LASA, we considered bodies in LA. Thank you to LAPL’s Central Branch for hosting us in the morning. We welcomed Dr. Cynthia Willard, faculty leader of the USC-Keck Human Rights Clinic. Her work involves the forensic documentation of human rights abuses for asylum seekers here in Los Angeles. She shared her path to this work as well as the …

CORO Youth Fellows

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The Coro Youth Fellows is now taking applications for their summer program! An immersive, experiential, cohort-based summer program that engages high school participants in leadership skill development and understanding how local systems work. Youth Fellows will interview local leaders, participate in site visits to learn about how things get done in Southern California, and participate in small group projects that …

LASA Welcomes 2019!

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LASA kicked off 2019 at City Hall at the top of the Tom Bradley Tower. Thanks to those in City Hall who made this possible, Norma Challita and Christopher Hawthorne, as well as the LAPD officers who joined us. After taking in the 360 degree view on a stunning Saturday morning, LASA teacher John Lee shared an analysis of the …

On the Move!

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Did you see us? LASA moved around the city in November! We conveyed at LA Plaza for a day considering transportation in the city today and planning for the city of tomorrow. Kevin Ocubillo from LADOT taught us, as best summarized by Barker, to “think about streets, their function, and what you can do with them.” Ben shared that Kevin …

Both Sides of the Coin

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October’s LASA focused on justice and law in Los Angeles. An unexpected rain started the day and we took our bus to LAPD’s Rampart Division to hear from Captain McNeill Gardner – as well as Officer Delgado in her third week of work with LAPD. For some, this was a unique opportunity to speak with the police and ask questions. …