At the L.A. Valley College Family Resource Center on May 7, Dr. Lisa Catanzarite, UNITE-LA’s Vice President of Research and Evaluation, presented findings from the Empowering L.A. Students for College Success research report, and Sonia Campos-Rivera, UNITE-LA’s Senior Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs, discussed policy opportunities to support parenting students. The research report illuminates parenting student demographics, their representation at L.A. County’s Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), existing IHE supports, and the challenges faced both by parenting students and the institutions that serve them. Recommendations call for improved data collection and institutional supports that will foster equitable outcomes and improve college attainment for parenting students.

UNITE-LA is thrilled to announce that our partner and friend Luis Sandoval, executive director of Building Skills Partnership (BSP), has been awarded the prestigious Dr. Alma Salazar Bridge Builder Award by the National Skills Coalition (NSC). The Dr. Alma Salazar Bridge Builder Award was established by the NSC’s board of directors in 2021 in memory of their beloved, fellow board member and one of the most important leaders in the organization’s history. Alma served as the executive vice president of UNITE-LA before her passing in 2020. Alma was a spectacular colleague and human who spent her career fighting for high-quality education and training for students and workers.

On April 3, UNITE-LA hosted its first Health Sector Collaborative of 2024 and was joined by 12 of our partners from LAUSD, Monrovia School District, City of L.A. Economic & Workforce Development Department, L.A. Mission College, Common Spirit, Dignity Health, Propel America, AllSumJobs and the UNITE-LA Systems-Change Team.

On April 23, UNITE-LA supported the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Unified School District by joining a stellar career panel for 150 sophomore-through-senior student-athletes from four different schools, Washington Prep, Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, Huntington Park and University Pathways High School, all within LAUSD.

UNITE-LA hosted its first Future Forward Forum of 2024, an eye-opening journey into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care careers.

A big thank you to the Santa Monica Chamber Board Foundation, who invited UNITE-LA to serve on the Foundation board to support their NextGen Mentors initiative. UNITE-LA's Ilia Lopez, Associate Director of Inclusion and Community Partnerships, will represent UNITE-LA for a two-year term starting July 1.

UNITE-LA, along with numerous other government, education, business and nonprofit allies, has joined the Governor’s Office in an innovative, public-private partnership called Corps to Career.

Last month, several members of UNITE-LA’s Programs and Systems-Change teams attended the annual Linked Learning Conference, hosted in downtown L.A.

In early April, UNITE-LA participated in a panel discussion with partners from Jobs for the Future (JFF) at the national conference for Correctional Education Association (CEA).

UNITE-LA has been invited to serve on a targeted Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) workgroup designed to develop and implement the Jobs@LAX Academy.