GRANTEES

New Village Girls Academy’s rigorous work certification program prepares students for career readiness and is a mandatory first step to securing an internship. Interest-based internships take place two afternoons per week, guided by a successful adult mentor, and are often paid positions.

To support student well being and academic success, New Village’s Wellness program includes women’s health education, school-wide Wellness Days, experiential learning in the natural world, twice-daily meditation and the services of our full-time school social worker. The target population is high-risk young women, ages 14 to 21, from across Los Angeles County, who have dropped out or are failing in the traditional school system. Most are dealing with the effects of trauma, sexual and physical abuse, poverty and extremely difficult personal circumstances including early pregnancy/parenting and involvement in the foster care or probation systems. Nearly all are young women of color from underserved neighborhoods; the majority resides in the Westlake neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles. New Village will expand their targeted outreach and provide rigorous employment training, authentic learning through mentored internships and social-emotional support services.