Creating a Seat For Every Child

K-12 STEAM education

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit) Antelope Valley Long Beach South Bay Gateway Cities West LA San Fernando Valley South LA San Gabriel Valley East LA Central LA

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

Many children in Los Angeles grow up without meaningful, positive exposure to the cultures that surround them, sometimes including their own. Cultural education in children’s media is often reduced to surface-level facts, missing the richness and humanity of real communities. Culture Kids Productions addresses this by co-creating immersive stories with cultural organizations, educators, and families—centering real voices and lived experiences. Rooted in the compound effect theory, we believe small, consistent exposure to authentic cultural storytelling builds deep empathy and cross-cultural connection. When culture isn’t introduced in a joyful, respectful way, it can lead to misunderstanding, ignorance, and division. Early childhood is a powerful window to break that cycle. This platform is created for the community, by the community—and with this grant, it can be made accessible to every child in Los Angeles. It’s a model that has never existed before—and it’s what families need now.

This grant will support the expansion of Culture Kids Productions’ community-rooted storytelling model—an initiative that uses joyful, audio-based learning to help children build meaningful connections across cultures. Our episodes are co-created with cultural organizations, educators, and community leaders to ensure authenticity and respect. We already have strong partnerships in place, including with LA-based institutions like La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Islamic Center of Southern California, and Cambodian community leaders in Long Beach. These collaborations allow us to highlight real stories, traditions, and values from the communities that make Los Angeles one of the most diverse cities in the world.
With an average of 30,000 downloads per month, Culture Kids has been recognized as an Essential Podcast by Apple and honored with a Webby Award and the International Women’s Podcast Award for “Changing the World One Moment at a Time.” This grant will help us reach even more families across the region, develop academic materials to accompany our episodes, and create deeper connections between classrooms, homes, and cultural communities in Los Angeles. With increased capacity, we will deepen local partnerships, expand distribution through schools and libraries, and continue building bridges that foster empathy, friendship, and a sense of belonging for LA’s next generation.

If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will be a place where every child—regardless of background—feels seen, valued, and connected to the diverse cultures around them. Through our growing partnerships with local organizations, we amplify stories and traditions rooted in LA neighborhoods. Our platform not only serves families here—it also shares the work of LA-based cultural groups with listeners worldwide, elevating local voices on a global stage. Families will have free access to joyful, culturally authentic educational content, and schools and libraries will use our episodes and materials to spark curiosity, empathy, and connection. Children raised with Culture Kids will grow into inclusive, globally minded adults rooted in their communities. By embedding diverse voices into everyday learning, we’ll help shape a more compassionate, united, and culturally vibrant Los Angeles for generations to come.