When applying for grant funding, it can sometimes be hard to understand what, exactly, each question is getting asking for. We get it – it's hard to take all your passion and expertise and boil it down into a short answer. To give you some help, we've listed all the questions on the My LA2050 Grants Challenge application along with our expert tips for making your application the best it can be!

Ready to start? You can access the application here.

1. Upload a picture that shows your organization in action – your awesome volunteers, the fabulous staff, the amazing artwork of your students, or the people you work with. You can also use your organization's logo (but pictures tend to resonate best with people that visit our website).

2. Project title. Think of a snappy title that summarizes your project in the most enticing way possible! When your proposal goes live on our site, audiences will form their first impression of your project through your photo and project title – so make sure they're as informative as possible.

3. The first question asks “In one to two sentences, please describe the mission of your organization (300 character limit):"

Here you can give a short overview of your organization or use your organization's mission statement.

4. Question two asks “In one to three sentences, please succinctly describe the project or program this grant will support (550 character limit)"

The keyword here is “succinctly!" We are looking for a short summary of what will be accomplished with this grant. We are not looking for another description of your organization.

5. Next, we ask for a a sample tweet encouraging people to vote for your organization's project/proposal (280 characters or less)

We want everyone to know about the work you're doing and this helps us promote your project. Think about writing a line that sums up your project's impact. Please include your organization twitter handle and any partners on the project.

6. In question four and five you will select the goals and metrics your submission will impact:

We recommend you choose the primary goal category (Live, Learn, Connect, Create, or Play) based on the LA2050 metrics that best fit your proposal. You can choose up to three metrics for your proposal.

7. For the question that asks “In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?" Please only select areas in which you will be directly working (there is no benefit for being in a lot of places and there is no detriment to just serving one part of LA). You can select specific areas of LA, or you can select the entire county or city. But please only select “County of Los Angeles" IF your project has a countywide benefit and “City of Los Angeles" IF your project has a citywide benefit. Select LAUSD only if you have a district-wide partnership.

8. In question seven, “In what stage of innovation is this project?" Choose the response that most closely fits your proposal. Short descriptions follow:

a. Research (initial work to identify and understand the problem)

b. Pilot project or new program (testing or implementing a new idea)

c. Expand existing program (expanding and continuing ongoing successful projects or programs)

d. Applying a proven model or solution to a new issue or sector (e.g, using a job recruiting software or strategy to match clients to supportive housing sites, applying demonstrated strategies from advocating for college affordability to advocating for housing affordability and homelessness, etc.)

9. Question 8: Which of LA2050's resources will be of the most value to you? (check all that apply) Aside from grant funding, we want to know any other needs of your organization. We have partners that may be able to provide in-kind donations such as office space, tech support, and more.

10. Now we get into the longer form questions, like question nine: Why is this project important to the work of your organization?

a. What is the project context / what is the need you're responding to (1,000 character limit) Here, we want to better understand why you've decided to take this project on. Why now? And how did you decide on this particular project or proposal? Use this answer to highlight the need for your services.

b. Why are you uniquely suited to take this on? (1,000 character limit) Here we are asking for important context about your organization that makes you uniquely qualified for this work. Use this answer to highlight your expertise, track record, and ability to be successful.

11. In question 10 we ask you to explain how you will define and measure success for your project. Describe your vision for success for this project. (1,500 character limit) We want to know what you hope to accomplish with this grant (in both the short and long-term). We want to know exactly how you will define and measure success. What outcomes do you hope to see and how will you track them? The key here is that you have very clear ideas about how to know you're successful, not necessarily that you have very sophisticated data collection.

12. Question 11 asks for a a timeline and description of the activities for this project (for the duration of the grant period - approx. July 2020 - July 2021). Here, we'd like to understand the milestones on the path to success. We want to understand what will happen at each stage of the grant and when?

13. Question 12 asks about the impact of your project.

First we'd like to know approximately how many people will be directly impacted by this proposal?

Direct impact is the output your proposal will produce or the number of people primarily impacted. eg: Your proposal will train 300 teachers or volunteers.

Secondly, we ask b. how many people will be indirectly impacted by this proposal?

Indirect impact is the secondary or long-term effects of your proposal that you hope to accomplish. eg: The 300 teachers/volunteers you train will educate over 5,000 students)

14.Once you've totaled your impact, question 13 asks for just a little more information by asking you to “describe the broader impact of your proposal."

Depending on your proposal, you may want to include a description of its impact on the environment and physical space, its impact on policy, impact on the future of the city, a description of the population being served by this proposal, an explanation of the numbers provided in question 12, and other intangibles. Note: DO NOT try to address EACH of these, choose one or two. This question is intended to help those proposals for which impact is harder to classify than simply direct vs. indirect. If your proposal is not people-centric, describe its impact here. Otherwise, use this question to dive deeper into the impact of your work.

15. The finish line is close! Question 14 asks for a line-item budget describing how you will use the grant funding to implement your project or activities. We understand the difficulty of creating a budget for a hypothetical future project; a good proposal will include a budget that is realistic and thorough. Please provide us with a budget for the first-place, $100,000 grant. If selected as a winner, you will have an opportunity to make adjustments to the budget you provide here, but we expect this one to be as close to final as possible. You should indicate your main areas of expense for the grant. Please also be sure to detail any funding that will be allocated to collaborators on the project.

16. Last question! Question 15: If you are submitting a collaborative proposal, please describe the specific role of partner organization/s in the project. (800 character limit) (optional)

This question only applies if you are submitting a collaborative proposal. Describe your partners and their role in the project.

Ready to start? You can access the application here.

One of the best things about the My LA2050 Grants Challenge is seeing the great ideas you submit about making Los Angeles the best place to live, learn, connect, create, and play.

This year, these ideas will get even more support thanks to some incredible partners including the Annenberg Foundation, the Snap Foundation, and Second Home Hollywood. Our partners are contributing both financial and in-kind support, expanding your ability to affect change in Los Angeles.

For the past five years, we've proudly counted the Annenberg Foundation as a partner to the My LA2050 Grants Challenge. This year Annenberg will be providing $50,000 of additional grant funding to the winning organizations to support their efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The recipients will have the chance to audit their board, staff, volunteers, and those they serve to ensure that diversity is present across all aspects of their work.

The 2018 My LA2050 Grants Challenge Winners at the Annenberg Foundation.

Past winners have used funds from the Annenberg Foundation to develop programs to increase the diversity of their board, conduct diversity and equity training for staff and volunteers, and develop policies and procedures to increase equitable practices in hiring and recruitment.

We're grateful to have the Annenberg Foundation as a longstanding partner in this work, and we're even more grateful for their continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in Los Angeles County. To find out more about who the foundation funds and how to apply for grants, visit their website. The Annenberg Foundation prioritizes 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving the five-county region of Greater Los Angeles that are well-integrated into the fabric of the communities they serve.

We love hosting webinars to help you create your My LA2050 Grants Challenge applications. Check out some frequently asked questions from participants below. You can also see our complete list of FAQs here. If you'd like to ask your own question, sign up for our final webinar will take place on March 12 or you can attend in person by RSVPing here.

Can fiscally-sponsored groups apply?

Answer: Yes!

Can we apply in more than one goal category?

Answer: Yes, as long as you're applying with distinct proposals

How do we build budgets since we don't know at what level we'll be funded? Do we shoot for the $100K?

Answer: Shoot for the stars! Build your budget for the $100,000 top prize. LA2050 will work with you to adjust accordingly if you receive a smaller grant.

How does LA2050 define "LA”?

Answer: the County of Los Angeles

What supporting documentation do we need?

Answer: If you're applying as a 501(c)(3), your IRS determination letter. If you're applying as a business, your business license.

How do we determine which of the five goal categories best fits our application?

Answer: Start with our 68 LA2050 impact metrics! Find the ones that align best with your organization's goals, and choose your category based on the metrics.

How will projects be reviewed and scored?

Answer: This year, Social Venture Partners is serving as our external evaluation partner. We've posted the full scorecard they'll be using on our website at challenge.la2050.org/submit

Does the grants challenge fund existing projects, or only new project proposals?

Answer: Both! We're glad to accept submissions for both new and ongoing projects and programs.

Does our organization need to be based in Los Angeles?

Answer: No, but the activities of your proposal must directly serve Los Angeles County.

Are there any limitations on funding for overhead, capital improvement, or administrative costs?

Answer: There are no limitations to overhead, capital improvement, or administrative costs. Please just ensure that your budget aligns with the activities you've outlined in your proposal, and that the grant funds will be expended within the 12-month grant period.

What time period should the timeline cover?

Answer: The 12-month grant period will be from July 2020 to July 2021.

One of the best things about the My LA2050 Grants Challenge is seeing the great ideas you submit about making Los Angeles the best place to live, learn, connect, create, and play. This year, these ideas will get even more support thanks to some incredible partners including the Annenberg Foundation, the Snap Foundation, and Second Home Hollywood. Our partners are contributing both financial and in-kind support, expanding your ability to affect change in Los Angeles.

One of the things that can help an organization succeed is access to space - for meetings, for staff, or for events. Our partner, Second Home Hollywood, is making space, beautiful space, available for select organizations. Once finalists are announced, Second Home Hollywood, will award $60,000 in donated space for co-working, meeting, and events to select organizations.

You know what's better than a plain old office view? Plants and hummingbirds at your window at Second Home Hollywood

Second Home is a co-working space that embraces biophilic design principles (that means they like plants). They've created the densest urban forest in Los Angeles, housing more than 6,500 trees and plants on-site, and they were recently featured in Curbed. Second Home also houses the Goldhirsh Foundation team! We recently took the leap and moved into Second Home's office space, and we look forward to having LA2050 applicants and innovators join us here.

So whether your team needs a place for a staff retreat or board meeting, a space for your employees to work, or a fabulous place for a large event, support from Second Home Hollywood might be just the thing you need to make your project successful. If you think your work could be enhanced with some access to office, event, or meeting space, make sure to indicate it on your application (question 15)!

We can't wait to see what you come up with! For more info on Second Home Hollywood, head to their website.

Thinking of applying to the My LA2050 Grants Challenge? We asked five past winners for their top tips on submitting a winning proposal.

1. Develop your proposal with a specific project in mind.

Start by looking for a project that supports and amplify your organization's current work.

When developing your proposal, 2019 grantee Rise advises that not only should the project convey a clear vision, it should also be “squarely within your capacity and mission as an organization.” An important factor on the Grants Challenge Scorecard considers how clearly your proposal defines the outcomes for your project and how thoroughly you would measure its success. Make sure you propose goals that you can trust your team to execute.

2. Focus on a project that you believe will have the most impact on the greater Los Angeles community.

The next step is to align your project impact with LA2050 goals and metrics.

Making the most impact doesn't mean that you have to be a large organization or work with a huge budget. Instead, think about innovative ways to expand on what you already have to address the problem you're already passionate about solving.

For example, when CASA of Los Angeles first applied, they took the opportunity to introduce Los Angeles to their volunteer program, posing the question – “what does it mean to help children in foster care?” Since then, the organization has grown its community and most recently won the 2019 Grants Challenge by proposing a new type of volunteer program that builds on their previous proposals.

3. Collaborate from the get-go!

Collaborate with outside partners and remember internal collaborations as well, especially if you have multiple departments that would execute your project.

According to 2019 grantee Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, “creating a truly impactful proposal requires so much collaboration and input.” Don't wait till the deadline draws near to start these important conversations.

4. Use videos to your advantage.

While creating a video for your organization can seem intimidating, it is often a great way to introduce others to yourself and your work.

2018 grantee Miry's List proved with their proposal that effective storytelling doesn't require a professionally-produced video. Their video was shot entirely on a cellphone, but was powerful because it was genuine and explained why their organization was well-positioned to connect Angelenos and refugees new to Los Angeles with each other.

5. Don't be afraid to get your community on board.

My LA2050 has included a public vote since 2013 because we recognize that it can benefit organizations applying to the Grants Challenge – from reaching new audiences through the My LA2050 Ideas Archive to establishing better relationships with existing supporters.

In anticipation of the voting period, 2019 grantee Defy Ventures encourages organizations to plan ahead on reaching out to supporters. Treat this process as a chance to rally supporters around your cause, raise awareness of your work, and gather valuable feedback on the project you're proposing.

You know voting rates is one of the metrics we keep an eye on at LA2050. Primary voting starts on February 22 in 2020, so here are answers to some of your questions about voting in LA County.

Am I eligible to vote?

• Yes, if you are a US citizen or state resident
• Yes, if you are 18 years or older on election day (March 3)
• Yes, if you are not currently in state or federal prison, or on felony parole*
• Yes, if you are not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

*Some individuals incarcerated in LA County Jails are still eligible to vote.

How do I register to vote?

If you want to register to vote online or by mail, you must do so here by February 18. You can still register to vote online after this deadline, but when you vote you must bring your email confirmation with you.

If you miss this deadline, you can also register to vote in-person at a county elections office, neighborhood polling place or community vote center.

If you're registering to vote for the first time in California, make sure you know what identification you need to provide!

For more specific questions, read the LA County Clerk's FAQs here. You can verify your voter registration status here.

How do I vote?

If you're an LA County voter, you can cast a ballot at any vote center in the county. Find the vote center closest to you using this interactive map.

If you want to vote by mail, you must request a ballot here by February 25.

To return it by mail, your ballot needs to be postmarked on or before March 3 and arrive at a county elections office by March 6. No stamps necessary!

You can also drop it off in-person at any Vote by Mail drop box or at any vote center in LA County before 8pm on March 3. Don't forget to sign the envelope for your Vote by Mail ballot!

When does voting begin?

Some vote centers will open on February 22 while others will open on February 29. Centers are open from 9am-5pm. On March 3, all vote centers will be open from 7am-8pm.

Scheduled to work on Election Day? Under California law, you can take up to 2 paid hours off to vote in a statewide election as long as you notify your employer at least 2 working days before.

What else is new about voting this year?

Check out our article on 5 major changes to the way LA County votes this year for more information on our newly redesigned system.

For all other information on the California primary, you can read the official voter information guide here, as well as LA County-specific information here.

This is an update on the winning proposal from the CONNECT category in the 2018 LA2050 challenge.

View the full January 2020 View the full January 2020 Welcome, Neighbor Snapshot here.

We believe that a Los Angeles that welcomes refugees and asylees with open arms - in a way that promotes volunteerism and civic participation through the Neighborhood Council system - will be a better, more compassionate, and more engaged place for all Angelenos.

Welcome, Neighbor by Miry's List is making Los Angeles a more welcoming city for refugees by giving Angelenos opportunities to CONNECT with their resettling refugee neighbors. In partnership with LA2050 and EmpowerLA, Welcome, Neighbor gives Angelenos opportunities to make direct and meaningful connections with resettling newcomers in our city.

“Now more than ever it is critical that we help our refugee neighbors make a home right here and Miry's List has been instrumental in this work." — Mayor Eric Garcetti, November 2019

In fiscal year 2019, 30,000 refugees came to America seeking safety from violence and persecution. Southern California was one of the top destinations for resettlement. These resettling individuals and families left behind their extended families, communities, friends, homes, jobs, and possessions. While all refugees come to the US through resettlement agencies, those agencies only work with families for their first 90 days here and are largely understaffed and underfunded, leaving resettling families with many unmet needs.

At the same time, despite the negative national rhetoric, many Americans want to help resettling refugees – especially here in Los Angeles. To harness the support of the local community, we launched Welcome, Neighbor in 2018, a framework for Angelenos to get involved directly to support their resettling neighbors through their local neighborhood council.

Since then, over 20,000 Angelenos have engaged directly with Welcome, Neighbor, and we've reached nearly 80,000 more people through in-person events, social media, and promotional partners. Many city officials have expressed their support. This past December, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a resolution declaring LA as a Welcoming City for refugees. Welcome, Neighbor is uniquely positioned to build on this momentum, activate many more Angelenos and make LA the most welcoming city in the nation.

Pictured: The 14 piloting neighborhood councils enrolled in Welcome, Neighbor.

Pictured: Nassar Trad, new Angeleno from Syria, and Miry Whitehill at the Los Feliz Food & Art Festival in 2019. Photo by Christina Gandolfo

Program Progress

Since Miry's List won the 2018 LA2050 Activation Challenge, we have enrolled 14 neighborhood councils in Welcome, Neighbor and appointed 24 volunteer Welcoming Liaisons leading their neighborhood's efforts towards resettling refugees. Our neighborhood welcoming resolution, declaring neighborhoods a safe, welcoming place for all, has been adopted by 9 neighborhood councils across the city. More than 10,800 people have made direct in-person connections with resettling Angelenos at 64 Welcome, Neighbor events.

Welcome, Neighbor engagements provide interactive opportunities for Angelenos to learn about refugee resettlement in our city, how it feels for families and how we can help. Attendees had the opportunities to meet new arrival families directly, often sharing a meal, conversation, family stories, and getting to know one another as neighbors. Miry's List team members and program recipients have presented at 17 neighborhood council meetings, providing board members and stakeholders with information about and actionable steps for helping resettling Angelenos. Around the holidays, some councils chose to have a direct impact in the form of house-warming gifts: In November 2019 and January 2020, 11 neighborhood councils assisted 11 resettling Angeleno families to help them get the things they need for their first home in LA. Our Los Angeles volunteer list grew by 272 people, many of whom heard about our work through their neighborhood councils, family, and friends.

How Angelenos Are Impacted

In a survey of 64 Welcome, Neighbor participants, we found:

• 100% of participants have a greater knowledge the refugee resettlement system in America and how it works.
• 100% of participants have a greater understanding of how it feels to resettle as a refugee in America.
• 100% of participants have a greater understanding of how to help families resettling as refugees in Los Angeles
• 82% of participants responded that they “loved the experience and want more."

The community-driven spirit and structure of the Welcome, Neighbor pilot reflect deeply shared Angeleno values of our diverse city of immigrants. In November 2019, in a video at the 2019 Miry's List Gratitude Gala, Mayor Eric Garcetti described the work of Miry's List as “another reminder that Los Angeles is indeed a City of Angels. And a city where everyone is welcome and all of us belong."

Coming Next

We are in the Activation phase of Welcome, Neighbor and are continuing our programming for LA Neighborhood Councils throughout 2020. Here's what Welcome, Neighbor will focus on in 2020:

• Expanded neighborhood council direct family wishlist matching, providing a streamlined process for councils to lead their stakeholders in helping resettling Angelenos get their new homes set up.
• Targeting 100% council adoption of the Welcome, Neighbor Resolution
• Participation in Welcoming Activations, facilitated by Miry's List
• Exceed our goal of activating 100,000 Angelenos with Welcome, Neighbor
• Data & Reporting: Welcome, Neighbor survey to continue data collection and analysis to establish learnings and findings to understand how we can improve and measure our impact.

Next event: February 14: Afghan Valentines in Downtown LA. Tickets here.

This is an update on the winning proposal from the PLAY category in the 2018 LA2050 challenge.

Brady is now 18 months into our Combating Crime Guns Initiative: Los Angeles (CCGI:LA) program, a multi-pronged approach to Los Angeles gun violence prevention that focuses on stemming the flow of guns into the city. The program is centered around the knowledge that 90% of crime guns (firearms that are illegally possessed, used in a crime, or suspected to have been used in a crime) are sold by just 5% of gun dealers. Through CCGI:LA, we work to target these irresponsible dealers and shift the burden of gun violence from disproportionately impacted communities to the industry that is flooding these communities with guns.

With the support of the Goldhirsh Foundation, we are fighting to ensure that in 2050, Los Angelenos of all ages will have access to safe homes, safe neighborhoods, and safe places to play. Under LA2050's 'PLAY' goal, our program will impact two metrics: per capita crime rate and perceived safety.

Program Updates

Over the past months, we've continued to build out our presence and impact in Los Angeles, and we are so excited to share our progress with the LA2050 community.

CalVIP

One of the most significant recent developments is the establishment of the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant Program, which appropriated $30 million in funding for competitive awards to cities and community-based organizations to support evidence-based violence reduction initiatives--a marked $21 million increase from last year's violence reduction funding. This decision is a huge win for the gun violence prevention movement and sets an example for other states to follow about the importance of funding violence reduction initiatives.

Brady had a substantial role in the passage of this budget legislation. In fact, our Los Angeles Program Manager, Steve Lindley, was selected to be a member of the CalVIP Executive Steering Committee--the party that develops the grant program's Requests for Proposals and makes funding recommendations to the Board. We are honored and excited to be a part of this life-saving grant program.

Prioritizing Gun Dealer Inspections

Brady also recently created a tool to improve the efficiency and efficacy of gun dealer inspections. When conducted regularly and effectively, dealer inspections are a proven way to flag dangerous crime gun dealers and promote responsible business practices. However, due to insufficient resources, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) only inspects roughly 8% of licensed firearm dealers every year. Further, the ATF cited 75% of inspected FFLs for violations in 2016, yet only revoked the licenses of less than 1% of cited dealers. The key takeaway: the federal government is unable or unwilling to conduct meaningful oversight on the country gun dealers.

One solution to this lack of federal oversight is conducting independent inspections. Many states and municipalities have the authority to conduct inspections independent of the ATF. Using data on thousands of pages of ATF inspection reports, Brady--with the pro bono assistance of a blue chip consulting firm--has analyzed the characteristics of gun dealers that most highly correlate with the irresponsible business practices contributing to urban gun violence and developed a predictive tool that can be used by local authorities to target gun dealer inspections. We look forward to incorporating this tool into our current Los Angeles gun violence prevention strategies.

Louder Than Guns

Brady remains deeply involved with the Louder Than Guns campaign, a project led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's Youth Leadership Council to End Gun Violence. Louder Than Guns is a rallying cry for all Angelenos, with the goal of inspiring local activism and ensuring that citizens know the impact that their individual actions can have on reducing gun violence. The campaign has relied on extensive involvement and consulting from Brady's Los Angeles Program Manager and has been extremely impactful since its launch, provoking important discussions regarding the plague of firearm violence in Los Angeles and across the nation.

The Mayor's Office has requested Brady's support and guidance in bringing the campaign to the national level. We are currently working with the L.A. Mayor's Office, the Mayor's Youth Leadership Council to End Gun Violence, and ad agency Omelet to build off of our success in Los Angeles and launch the campaign to other cities disproportionately impacted by firearm violence.

Challenges

The lack of oversight and transparency around gun industry policies and practices are an ongoing hindrance to this work. Although Brady works diligently to address these issues on the legislative side, we know that this approach takes time. Acknowledging this, Brady's Combating Crime Guns Initiative largely focuses on more immediate goals, such as raising public awareness of the role of the gun industry in gun violence and finding innovative ways to identify and reform irresponsible gun dealers in the absence of government oversight (such as our gun dealer inspection tool).

What's to Come

In the coming months, we look forward to leveraging local partnerships to execute multiple collaborative gun violence prevention projects.

Upcoming plans include:

• Partnering with the Los Angeles Unified School District to distribute firearm safety information to thousands of students and their parents.
• Continuing to build out our work with the LA Mayor's office Youth Council to End Gun Violence. Activities include:
  • Working closely with Brady's youth-led gun violence prevention program, Team Enough as well as the Youth Council to coordinate a youth advocacy and lobbying education training in Sacramento. We believe this partnership will lead to the activation of diverse youth presence in the gun violence prevention movement throughout California.
  • Assisting in the development of a national iteration of the Louder Than Guns campaign.
• Leveraging our partnerships with the Los Angeles Police Department to begin building our gun dealer inspection tool into existing local independent gun dealer inspection protocols.

We are so grateful for the support of the Goldhirsh Foundation. Together, we are making Los Angeles a safer place to live, learn, and play.

This is an update on the winning proposal from the PLAY category in the 2018 LA2050 challenge.

California State University Dominguez Hills-LA2050 Project: NGSS & Fab Tech Training

Report on activities between January 2019 and December 2019

As part of the LA2050 Activation Challenge, the Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) at CSU Dominguez Hills proposed to empower teachers and provide dynamic training and mentoring on the state adopted, industry-recognized Next Generation Science Standards. We proposed training two cohorts of 50 teachers (100 total) over two years, however, we have been able to sustain the project and are currently training the third cohort of teachers.

We are pleased to report that the third cohort of 16 teachers is due to complete the training on January 9, 2020, thus exceeding our target number of teachers per cohort and 100 teachers overall. Following is a snapshot of the teachers served, based on participants that completed a post-training survey:

74% of participants were teachers from LAUSD.

8% of participants were teachers from Compton USD.

12% of participants were teachers from Inglewood USD.

5% of participants were teachers from Lynwood USD.

87.5% of participants indicated that they had been teaching for three or more years.

70% of the participants taught multiple subjects.

25% of the participants taught science.

1.75% of the participants taught Special Education classes.

1.8% of participants taught STEM/Computer Science.

The CISE team has met all project goals through the grant implementation and is continuing to train a third cohort of teachers, offering them the opportunity to become NGSS experts and obtain a certification in Fabrication Technology. The team recruited teachers, held Kick-Off events, completed the first and second cohort of NGSS Super Training, and conducted classroom observations and Lesson Study Cycles. One of the primary focuses of the training was establishing the foundation for the Next Generation Science Standards. Participants continue to learn about the organization of NGSS, identifying what Performance Expectations (PE), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Cross-Cutting Concepts (CCCS) are, and how they compare to the previous set of standards. The training empowers teachers to explore how teaching with an emphasis on DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs, referred to as 3-Dimensional learning, better prepares students for college and career readiness.

All NGSS Super Training participants are offered the opportunity to obtain the Beginner Level Certification in Fabrication Technology which certifies teachers as basic, proficient, and advanced in the use of fabrication laboratory equipment for curriculum design and delivery. Every participant in cohorts one and two was successful at meeting the requirements for the Beginner Fabrication Technology Certification. Participants in cohort three will complete their certification on January 9, 2020.

Prior to the classroom observation, teachers met with an NGSS expert to agree on the observation focus and review the lesson plan; the NGSS expert reviewed and documented evidence of good teaching practices and provides formal feedback. During the Lesson Study Cycles, teams of teacher trainees engaged in collaborative planning-teaching-observation of learning, followed by lesson evaluation and refinement in preparation for a second cycle of classroom observations.

Based on the data collected throughout the training, participants found the training to be a valuable experience. Each teacher had an opportunity to demonstrate mastery and an ability to integrate the Next Generation Science Standards and the Fabrication Technology into a unit of instruction which was submitted into a shared google drive folder, for free accessibility. We are excited to report:

● Perfect attendance for each day of the training: 100% of participants attended every session.

● 100% of participants were very satisfied or satisfied with all the workshop sessions.

● 100% of cohort one and two participants indicated that they would recommend this training series to other teachers.

● 88% of cohort one and two participants indicated that they would be interested in receiving an additional certification if provided the opportunity.

Survey data indicates an overwhelming positive response to the NGSS Training offered this year.

Below are some sample participant comments:

● Great idea to look at the aquarium webcam through the lens of different CCC. It really pushed me to think beyond what I normally consider.

● Wonderful presenters! They were well prepared and very helpful!

● I look forward to using the lesson study model to further my practice.

● The instructors are very knowledgeable and passionate about making science accessible to children in underserved communities.

● I finally have a better understanding of NGSS and the 3 dimensions.

Overall, program completers acquired the required knowledge about NGSS, thus contributing to the national effort as well as our local effort to implement the new standards one school at a time. Over 20 teachers expressed an interest in participating in Cohort 3 and 16 were selected and are in the process of completing the entire training, thus exceeding the target number by 28 teachers.

While we are still a few years away from being able to measure and evaluate the impact on college and community college completion and matriculation rates, we feel confident about the impact our program has had on increasing students' immersion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math content. In context, 83 of the elementary teachers who completed our program teach about 30 students each year and the 56 middle/high school teachers teach about 150 students each year, hence impacting over 10,890 students in one year who will benefit from their teachers' new knowledge and enthusiasm. Over five years, these 139 teachers will reach 54,450 students! That means 54,450 more students excited and inspired about STEM and fabrication technology.

That's 54,450 more individuals who will contribute to making Los Angeles not just a better place, but the best place to learn, create, play, connect, and live by the year 2050!

On February 3rd, LA2050 will launch its seventh My LA2050 Grants Challenge, a $1,000,000 competition to support proposals that will make LA the best place to learn, create, live, connect, and play. LA2050 is a community-guided initiative driving and tracking progress toward a shared vision for the future of Los Angeles.

The challenge aims to tap into the creativity and innovation of organizations across Los Angeles County to inspire a better future for the region. LA2050 is inviting organizations including non-profit groups, for-profit businesses, and government agencies to apply for grant funding to carry out their proposal to build a better LA.

In addition to $1,000,000 in grant funding provided by the Goldhirsh Foundation, additional funds will be awarded by the Annenberg Foundation to support organizations' diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and by the Snap Foundationto support projects that develop pathways to the creative economy. Co-working space Second Home Hollywood will also offer free office, meeting, and event space to help winning organizations accomplish their goals.

Those interested in participating in the challenge should visit challenge.la2050.org for contest rules, eligibility guidelines, and submission instructions. The submission deadline is March 27th, 2020 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

You can follow LA2050 at facebook.com/LA2050, twitter.com/LA2050, and on Instagram @LA2050, and connect with the challenge on Twitter using #MyLA2050GrantsChallenge