"New Earth has helped me become a better person. I love the staff and the students. It's a very safe place, I recommend New Earth to anyone. I love it here." These are the sentiments of New Earth senior, Marhjon, who's been a member of the New Earth community long before COVID-19 changed the way we see education.

Since being awarded one of the LA2050 grants in the LEARN category, New Earth, in partnership with Da Vinci Rise High School has continued to provide comprehensive, unique, and individualized learning opportunities for our youth in the wake of learning loss, civil unrest, and unstable health conditions in communities. There's still a lot to be done, but this grant has given New Earth a beneficial edge.

In addition to funding key program staff salaries, new program providers, stability through door-to-door transportation for our youth, and consistent meals, the LA2050 grant money has allowed us to go deeper in how we think of learning and connection.

On a day-to-day basis, we are in a constant state of learning at New Earth:

Our youth find a safe haven at our center where they can focus on school in a supportive, trauma-informed project-based learning space. Through the facilitation of a flex-scheduling, credit recovery model, students are given the voice and choice needed to accomplish their academic goals while honoring the additional responsibilities they have in their lives. Our youth stay engaged, inspired, and on track to graduate.

We discover learning with our hands, as we attend pottery classes, cooking classes, and gardening classes. Our students are discovering the powerful benefits of pottery: focus, creativity, stress relief, and diverse movement with their hands, wrists, and arms.

Our youth are also expanding their skills in the kitchen during our cooking classes. Studies show that when you cook your own food you stimulate your brain, you become more mindful of what you put in your body, and you can even improve your immune system.

The benefits of gardening are also remarkable. With the guidance of our Down to Earth instructor, our youth are understanding that gardening can be a therapeutic outlet for creative expression.

We are exploring learning with our bodies as we find serenity and our inner power through guided meditation sessions. Whether we are being guided by our meditation coach or working on writing their own powerful mantras, our youth are learning how to check in with their bodies, how to be present through breathwork, and how to occupy spaces of love and self-esteem.

We reveal our stories through writing with truth in the F.L.O.W. (Fluent Love of Words) program. By harmonizing poetry and music, we are helping our community of young artists express themselves through art. After working on their drafts with our F.L.O.W Instructors we allow the students to showcase their art through Soundcloud and in class. Students are learning how to take their own talent and make it into a tangible representation of who they are, it's a beautiful act to witness.

New Earth is filled with success stories and we are especially proud of our recent members who are starting new chapters.

One of our New Earth members, Tania, received her keys to her very first apartment this month! She has been working very hard to become fully independent and to create a safe space for her and her baby, arriving soon. Tania says: "I am a boss! I can't believe I have my own place! This is my house!! I am so blessed and thankful for New Earth's support through my journey, and the support I have all around me! I can't wait to start making it my home." Tania is doing great in school, prepping for motherhood, and creating goals for herself and her future. She is truly an inspiration and UNSTOPPABLE!

We'd also like to showcase our New Earth community member, Daniel, who was accepted into a recruitment program and is now studying to become a California Firefighter! From day one, Daniel has shown immense potential. He's come such a long way from when he first joined us a few years ago, and we couldn't be prouder of everything he has accomplished.

He is one of our future leaders, transformed.