LA's BEST

Adventures In Peacemaking is a curriculum that uses The Peaceable Program approach toward teaching tolerance and conflict resolution skills to young people. The program, which teaches through reading activities and group discussions, emphasizes cooperation, emotional expression, communication, appreciation for diversity and conflict resolution.

After School Arts Program (ASAP) includes visual art, music, dance, drama and poetry classes, and features artists/educators-in-residence working with the LA’s BEST children. Each 10-week residency concludes with a special culmination event which brings the community together to celebrate the talent and accomplishments of the children.

BEST Fit is a health-centered, culturally-relevant, and intentional approach to nutrition and physical fitness. The goal is to provide fun and innovative opportunities for LA’s BEST children and their families to develop healthy eating habits, make physical activity a daily part of their lives, and encourage them to be advocates for a healthy future.

Connecting for Success is a staff development program that introduces new and innovative ways of working with youth to challenge them to think about their attitudes towards their peers, families and communities and to learn about how they can empower themselves to make an impact locally and globally.

Junior Achievement teaches the LA’s BEST children the basic concepts of business, economics and work readiness. The program includes six sequential themes for kindergarten through fifth-grade students that lay the ground work for financial literacy and productive citizenship in a global economy.

KidTech is an eight-week program in computer basics and software applications. Students learn to type, create documents, graphs, presentations, edit photos, and conduct research on the Internet. Upon completion of the program, students are awarded a free, refurbished desktop computer to take home. Students and their parents also participate in a culminating workshop to learn how to properly set up, manage, and utilize a computer.

KidType is a five-week program that teaches students touch typing, improving speed and accuracy, through fun and interactive software lessons and games. LA’s BEST hosts semi-annual type-off competitions for the fastest students from each school to showcase their skills and compete for prizes.

KidzLit and KidzMath, research-based literacy and math programs developed specifically for use in after school programs by the Developmental Studies Center, help LA’s BEST foster a love of reading and math in its students.

KidzScience, an inquiry-based, hands-on science program for grades 3-6 from the developers of KidzLit and KidzMath, emphasizes teamwork through activities that help students discover important science concepts.

LA’s BEST Celebrate Science Program provides opportunities for LA’s BEST children to have fun, engaging, interactive science experiences under a “team inquiry” model-developed under the guidance of NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This program culminates with the citywide Celebrate Science Fair, where winning teams are awarded are awarded a science-focused educational field trip. Past winning field trips include an experience as an oceanographer for a day aboard the Marine Institute’s research vessel, a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama and a trip to the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey.

LA84 Foundation Sports Program provides students with a positive team concept and a method for developing their physical and social skills through sports engagement. Students in grades 3-6 participate in year-round sports, which include flag football, basketball, softball and soccer competitions. Coaches train and practice with more than 240 teams for each sport for five weeks, which culminates in weekend tournament competitions.

Science Explorer provides a collection of activity kits designed at the San Francisco Exploratorium for students in grades K-6 to engage in scientific discovery.

Young Authors is a program sponsored by Target that is based on Alma Flor Ada’s and Isabel F. Campoy’s work on transformative education. The program gives students in grades K-6 the opportunity to discover “the author within” and in the process learn self-efficacy, appreciation for diversity and creating the conditions for a better world.

Zula Patrol, a science program for students in grades K-2, builds new academic understanding through guided inquiry and hands-on activities. It also encourages written expression through journaling and introduces students to new science vocabulary.

Autumn Kidfest celebrates the fall season with fun activities, carnival games and treats for students at sites across the city.

Community Jam Against Violence is a talent showcase performed by LA’s BEST kids for LA’s BEST kids and their families. Year after year, the LA’s BEST Community Jam Against Violence brings children, families and communities together to share their thoughts and feelings about the violence in their lives - using song, dance, spoken word and dramatic performance - with the hope that through positive choices, they can create and sustain healthy communities. The 2011 Community Jam Against Violence was held at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Dance & Drill Team Showcase brings nearly 2,000 students together at Cal State L.A. for incredible performances in drill team and dance. This annual showcase provides children with an opportunity to proudly demonstrate leadership, teamwork, self-confidence and performing arts skills mastered through many hours of dedication and hard work.

Family Days at Raging Waters is one of the most popular field trips of the year. LA’s BEST students and their families always look forward to enjoying a day of fun at Southern California’s most popular water park. Raging Waters provides two full days of admissions to LA’s BEST in order to accommodate our growing population of students.

Family Health Festival is an annual event of the BEST Fit program that brings together students and families for a day of fun and fitness. Thousands of participants from across Los Angeles sample healthy snacks, play games and engage in hands-on activities designed to promote an awareness of healthy lifestyles.

LA’s BEST Annual Family Brunch saw its 16th year of successful fundraising for the program with 2011’s “After School is a Cause”-themed Family Brunch. Honorees included Elizabeth Banks, The Nederlander Organization and Pantages Theatre and Alumnus Morris Vanegas. The event also honored 21 LA’s BEST students for their award-winning entries in the “How LA’s BEST Has Changed My Life” writing and art contest. Award presenters included Eva Longoria, Cathy Rigby and Shayla Rivera. The event was hosted by Michaela Pereira, morning and afternoon KTLA news anchor and featured special guests Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Jerry West.