Last month, UNITE-LA helped advance Horizons 32K’s goal of reducing youth disconnection across Los Angeles County by co-hosting a regional convening focused on one of the most fragile moments for young people: the transition after high school. Alongside the Britebound Center for Career Navigation at Jobs for the Future (JFF) and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), we brought together K-12, community college and workforce leaders to strengthen career navigation for students completing high school in alternative education settings. LAUSD’s Educational Options Division serves more than 9,000 students across 60 nontraditional school sites, including continuation high schools, virtual academies and community day schools for expelled students.

A key takeaway was how powerfully the student panel shifted the room’s mindset: continuation schools are not “last chance” settings — they can be spaces of possibility and opportunity, with smaller, more personalized and flexible learning environments that help students rebuild confidence and momentum. Participants also explored new policy opportunities, such as AB 542, which authorizes continuation high schools to offer youth workforce development programs for credit on two weekdays while maintaining minimum instructional hours. The policy creates new opportunities to expand work-based learning, industry-aligned training and stronger pathways into college, training and employment.