Future Focus: College and Career Pathways for LA County Students

College matriculation rates

Student education pipeline

Youth unemployment and underemployment

Central LA

East LA

San Gabriel Valley

San Fernando Valley

South LA

Westside

South Bay

Gateway Cities

Antelope Valley

County of Los Angeles

City of Los Angeles

LAUSD

Future Focus will make LA the best place to LEARN by improving the student educational pipeline, increasing college matriculation rates, and decreasing the rates of youth unemployment and underemployment.

Educational Pipeline/College Matriculation Rates

Currently, there are no county-wide programs to help students and their families navigate the transition from high school into college and career. Wealthy families can afford expensive private schools or personal coaches who will assist their children in the transition. For the rest of us, we are on our own to figure it out. The result is often stressed families, students entering college without a major or career plan, or students attempting to go to college but unable to due to mistakes made on college or financial aid applications.

Future Focus, accessible to all, is a comprehensive college and career preparation program for students and their families that includes 11 group workshops and ongoing individual or small-group mentoring. The workshops include topics from the following categories: Planning for College and Career, Choosing a College and Career, Applying to College and Careers, and College Tests. The program is offered, in part or in whole, to students in grades 7-12. Students build a portfolio with their transcripts, test scores, extracurricular activities as well as researched college plans that is maintained at the YMCA and updated annually.

While most of the students’ research, planning, and applications are completed at the YMCA, families and school counselors are also engaged in the process. At a minimum, a students’ school counselor and family reviews college and career plans and provides feedback. In terms of financial aid for college, families attend the workshops and complete the applications with their child. The cost of college is a major concern for most students and families. Through Future Focus, students and families will make the final decision about whether or not they can afford college based on their financial aid award letters and not on a notion that it might be too expensive. Further, responses from the colleges are tracked and students are taught to follow-through to ensure all mistakes are corrected.

Youth Unemployment and Underemployment

The question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is not easily answered by most teenagers; it is not even easy to answer as an adult. Through Future Focus students will begin the exploration through web-based tools to discover personality traits and natural talents as well as possible careers that may be a good match. From there, they will research regional job growth categories, wages, and educational requirements. Students will explore internships and summer jobs in their chosen fields to determine fit, build their resume, and plan for future employment. All of their research and experiences are organized in their portfolio assisting them in their transition into college or career.

The success of Future Focus will be defined using the following metrics:

1. At least 85% of Future Focus students will correctly submit their college and financial aid applications (compared to 60% now).

2. At least 85% of Future Focus students will matriculate into a postsecondary degree or credential program (compared to 67% now).

3. At least 33% of Future Focus students who wish to begin their careers without a postsecondary degree or credential will secure full-time employment after high school (compared to 17% now).

Money

Volunteers

Advisors/board members

Staff

Publicity/awareness

Infrastructure (building/space/vehicles etc.)

Education/training

Technical infrastructure (computers etc.)

Community outreach

Network/relationship support

Quality improvement research