Latino Theater Company Education Programs

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The arts teach us how to communicate, collaborate, empathize, and imagine. They also provide many practical and lucrative career pathways, such as but not limited to administrative and technical opportunities. Los Angeles public school students are particularly in need of inclusive arts programming. From 2008-2012 LAUSD reduced arts spending by $1.5 billion (76%). Public schools are more than twice as likely to have little or no access to art classes and education. According to the LAUSD Arts Equity Index, only 35 of over 700 schools in the District received a top rating in providing arts education services to their students. LTC’s arts education programs, Play At Work and Summer Youth Conservatory, directly impact LAUSD students by providing underfunded and culturally diverse young adults a thorough education in theater operations. In 2023, our participants were 96% Latine, 2% Native American, 2% Caucasian, 49% male, 51% female, and 99% from low-income families.

The free arts education programs at LATC, an after-school mentoring program Play at Work (PAW) and Summer Youth Conservatory (SYC), annually dedicate themselves to the development of 120 at-risk public school youth from across Los Angeles County by providing a no-cost, practical college-level theater education. Both programs provide a no-cost professional development platform through job shadowing, mentorship, increased arts exposure, and academic/conservatory theater education, opening the door to professional and higher-education opportunities. After completing PAW and SYC, the LTC hires numerous participants in a professional capacity in various roles at the LATC.

The long-term goals of our education programs are to provide a free and inclusive entrance to the arts to historically disadvantaged urban youth who have limited access to arts education with a pipeline to professional opportunities at the LATC and to make students more prepared for their post-secondary school education. Graduates of our programs have continued their education at prestigious institutions such as UCLA, USC, MIT, Yale, and Brown. Graduating seniors are offered professional positions at LTC with competitive salaries and flexible schedules to allow them to continue their higher education. The success of our programs and growing popularity require LTC to expand its enrollment from 30 to 40 individuals each session.

LTC gathers demographic information to document that economically disadvantaged youth are being served. LTC conducts pre - and post-program surveys with participants to demonstrate knowledge gain. The LTC conducts exit interviews with parents and teachers to detail changes in participants' behavior throughout the program. At the close of each program, LTC conducts focus groups of past participants and parents to help identify what improvements can be made to the programs to enhance their effectiveness. Students who participate often remain engaged with the company well into young adulthood and check in with staff on progress in their lives.
In 2023:
80% of students reported increased confidence 80% of students reported strengthening their voice
90% of students reported strengthening their writing skills
100% of students reported increased interest in pursuing theater