This month, we are delighted to feature Early Edge California as our ongoing partner in advancing equitable education and literacy access for our youngest learners. Our partnership with them has helped bring together like-minded organizations with the goal of promoting multilingual education that supports Dual Language Learners (DLL) and English Language Learners (ELL).

Together, we have achieved significant milestones, including advocacy for Universal Preschool for all four-year-olds through expanded Transitional Kindergarten (TK) in California. We also celebrated the passage of Assembly Bill 1363 (Rivas), which Early Edge California sponsored, to develop an assets-based standardized process to identify DLLs. Gov. Newsom signed the bill on Oct. 5, 2021, and it was implemented Jan. 1, 2023. Check out Early Edge's video highlighting benefits of the DLL identification process for teachers, children and families.

This month's partner spotlight belongs to the Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM). Recently, CNM named a new president and CEO, Efrain Escobedo, and UNITE-LA has to admit, we are a bit biased here. Efrain is a dedicated UNITE-LA board member, and was named as Board Vice Chair earlier this year! More than that, he is a fabulous human, with a compassionate heart, outstanding leadership abilities and years of experience that fit his new role perfectly. We are so fortunate to have him on our board, providing thoughtful and steady guidance and inspiration, and we are thrilled for CNM to have him at the helm.

Pathways to STEAM Careers is a partnership with the Department of Economic Opportunity, Los Angeles County (DEO). The program, made possible by funding from CA AB 628–the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative–helps increase employment outcomes for opportunity youth, systems-involved individuals and economically disadvantaged young people by connecting them to STEAM career education, training and paid work experience in high-growth, high-mobility occupations in health care, tech and cleantech.

Led by Kelly LoBianco, the first director of the L.A. County Department of Economic Opportunity, DEO works to unlock L.A. County’s economic potential and build thriving, inclusive local communities. UNITE-LA’s Overcoming Obstacles project complements the work of DEO’s L.A. County Workforce Development Board (WDB) and America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs) by enrolling eligible applicants served by AB 628 funded programs in formal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (AB 1270) workforce development and job placement programs. UNITE-LA has worked closely with the L.A. County Workforce Development Board for many years as a regional thought leader identifying programmatic, policy and systems change level solutions leading to workforce development reforms.