LA's BEST is a unique partnership including the City of Los Angeles / Office of the Mayor, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the private sector. LA's BEST has been supported by three mayoral administrations and five school district superintendents – all of whom have placed a priority on the importance of high quality after school programs. In 2000, Los Angeles Unified School District created a district—wide after school division called Beyond the Bell, and named an associate superintendent to oversee the groundbreaking effort. The Beyond the Bell branch – the first of its kind in the country – is a system of support, coordination and accountability charged with ensuring the highest quality after school programs are available to students throughout LAUSD.
LA's BEST makes partnership a priority at every level. Equally essential to the balanced development of each child is the synergy established with the LAUSD regular day staff at each site. Teachers and administrators keep LA's BEST staff current on grade standards. In turn, the LA's BEST staff provides appropriate academic support and strives constantly to create a program that is an integral yet separate enhancement to the school curriculum.
In addition, LA's BEST collaborates with more than 100 community partners to provide diverse and meaningful activities and experiences for our students.
“Nothing is more important to the well being of Los Angeles than having our children motivated, educated and engaged in positive activities. LA's BEST knows how to do exactly that.”
–Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor, City of Los Angeles
LA's BEST Community Partners
- Action Learning Systems
- Adventures In Peacemaking
- LA84 Foundation
- American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
- American Cancer Society
- AmeriCorp
- Angels Gate
- AnimAction, Inc. Studios
- Armory Center for the Arts
- ARTScorpsLA
- Avenue 50 Studio
- Banning House
- Beyond The Bell Sports Program
- Bain & Company
- The Autry National Center
- California African American Museum
- California Food Policy Advocates
- California Science Center
- California State University, Los Angeles
- Camp Cottontail
- Cancer Prevention Nutrition Section (CPNS) – Nutrition Network
- Castle Park
- Children's Action Network
- Children's Lifesaving Foundation
- Children's Nature Institute
- City of Los Angeles District Attorney's Office
- City of Los Angeles Fire Department
- College Bound
- Los Angeles Parks and Recreation
- Color Me Mine
- Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families—Nutrition Task Force
- Cultura Art Space
- Dairy Council of California
- Dance of Tennis
- Deloitte
- Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA)
- Developmental Studies Center
- Edgemar Center for the Arts
- Endeavor Sports Marketing
- 5—A—Day Power Play! Campaign
- Friends of the Junior Arts Center FOJAC
- FDA
- Ford Ampitheatre/Ford Theatre Foundation
- FUNdamentals
- Getty House Foundation
- Girl Scouts of the San Fernando Valley
- Girls Incorporated of Los Angeles
- GO2
- Healthy Children, Healthy Futures
- Henry Mancini Institute
- Idylwild Arts Academy
- InsideOUT Writers
- Jazz CoolCats
- John Robert Powers Agency
- Junior Achievement
- KABC 7 Healthy Steps Program
- KidTribe
- Kodak SNAP Foundation
- Koreh L.A.
- LA Collaborative for Healthy Active Children
- LA Shares
- La Vida
- LA Works
- LAUSD Nutrition Network
- L.I.N.K.U.P. (Linking Institutions, Neighborhoods, Kids, Universities, and Performing Artists)
- Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific
- Los Angeles Avengers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Craft &Folk Art Museum
- Los Angeles County—Department of Health Services
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation
- Los Angeles Kings
- Los Angeles Team Mentoring, Inc.
- Los Angeles Zoo
- Monart
- Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
- Museum of Tolerance
- National Academy of Sports and Physical Education
- Natural History Museum
- NBA Read To Achieve
- Pantages Theater
- Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom
- Preventive Medicine Institute Strang Cancer Prevention Center
- Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutition)
- Raging Waters
- Raven Drum
- Ready, Set, P.L.A.Y.
- Retired & Senior Volunteers Program
- Rhythms of Life
- Rod &Reel Club Youth Fishing Program
- Safe Moves
- Saint Elmo Village
- Screen Actors Guild Book Pals
- SEE—LA
- Six Flags California
- Someone's in the Kitchen
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- Sound Art
- State of California 48th District Agricultural Association
- Theater of Will
- Theatre Phoenix
- 976—TUNA Youth Fishing Program
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County
- United States Tennis Association
- University of Southern California
- U.S. Space &Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama
- Words Can Heal
- World on Wheels
- X—Games
- Young Musicians Foundation (YMF)