Build Back Better Communities with Robust Career Pathways Cradle to Adult Opportunities

K-12 STEAM education

San Fernando Valley

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Sylmar faces an influx of disconnected resources due to siloed systems, leaving students, families, and small businesses without coordinated support. Schools often operate in isolation, forcing families to navigate complex education and workforce systems alone. Local businesses and unions remain outside educational planning, leading to duplicated efforts and missed opportunities. Neighborhood Councils focus on immediate concerns, overlooking long-term economic strategies. Post-COVID, rising housing density, job loss from fires, and stagnant wages have strained the community—especially independent workers like gardeners and house cleaners. One Sylmar parent described feeling "lost in a maze of programs with no guide." With over 40% of local youth disengaged from school or work, coordinated, community-driven solutions are urgently needed to reverse economic decline and create clear, equitable career paths.

Our Solution: Community Asset Mapping + Cradle-to-Career Pathway Launch
This two-part initiative directly addresses Sylmar’s disconnected systems by first identifying and then activating local partnerships to support youth economic mobility.
1. Community Asset Map:
We will create a comprehensive local asset map to identify missed opportunities and existing resources. Through outreach to schools, businesses, unions, and nonprofits, we will lead a collaborative mapping and relationship-building process. This will include hosting workshops and building a shared communication system to connect schools to employers and organizations to each other—fostering long-term, coordinated support for youth.
2. Cradle-to-Career Pilot Program:
In partnership with Sylmar Studios, we will launch a work-based learning pilot connecting high school and college students to internships and job shadowing. Students will also lead after-school career-focused projects with elementary students and showcase their work through exhibitions with local industry and schools. This hands-on, multi-age approach makes learning visible, builds confidence, and directly prepares students for local careers—tackling disconnection and duplication head-on.

By October 2026, the Sylmar Neighborhood Council will have a robust community asset map that tracks and strengthens connections across stakeholders, reducing duplication and leveraging shared resources. This model will serve as a replicable roadmap for other LA County councils to build their own local networks.
Through our partnership with Sylmar Studios, we will also create a scalable template for how industry can engage meaningfully with education. At least 50 students will complete a cradle-to-career program featuring 100+ hours of peer-led teaching and 20+ hours of workplace learning.
Long-term, this initiative will inspire systems-level change across Los Angeles County by demonstrating how local collaboration and youth-focused pathways can drive equity, opportunity, and economic mobility.