Creating Academic and Career Pathways

Income inequality

South LA West LA Antelope Valley

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

These systemic barriers continue to undermine our students’ success and are the result of historically entrenched policies and practices:
Structural Disinvestment in Schools: Schools receive less funding and fewer resources, have underpaid teachers and overcrowded classrooms, and offer inadequate college and career counseling.
The School-to-Prison Pipeline: Black students are 3.5 times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers (U.S. Department of Education). Over-disciplining and criminalization push students out of schools and into the juvenile justice system.
Lack of Culturally Affirming Education and Mentorship: Culturally relevant curricula and teachers, mentors, or leaders who reflect students’ backgrounds and lived experiences are absent in schools.
Limited Access to Career Pathways and Wealth-Building Opportunities: Many students navigate college and career options without financial literacy or networks and enter underpaid jobs, saddled with student debt.

Research consistently affirms that education is one of the most powerful drivers of economic growth—it reduces poverty, increases lifetime earnings, and strengthens communities. Combining the Urban Scholars program with our Higher Pathways program, SJLI implements an academic and career pathway project to ensure that students have the resources, tools, support, and pathways needed to thrive and build generational wealth. SJLI incorporates youth leadership and life skills development, workforce readiness, mentorship, and trauma-informed approaches into a well-researched and proven credit-bearing course built on four pillars: (1) Identity Development; (2) Social Justice Youth Development; (3) Social-Emotional Support; and (4) Education and Career Pathway Development. Wrap-around services, financial support, and activities enrich students’ school experience, and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) provides youth organizing opportunities.
Recognizing the intersection of race, gender, and geography, we expanded our program to serve young women during the 2023-2024 academic year. SJLI expanded its focus to include programming tailored specifically to young women of color to address gender-based barriers to opportunity, leadership, and economic mobility. Our program equips young women with tools and knowledge to understand their world, shape their futures, and break intergenerational cycles of poverty and disenfranchisement.

SJLI has demonstrated measurable impact in increasing academic achievement and postsecondary enrollment among students of color. Designed to support both academic and personal growth, our program provides a structured pathway from high school completion to college and career readiness. Through a culturally responsive curriculum and wraparound services, students develop the skills, confidence, and planning capacity necessary to pursue higher education and long-term economic opportunity.
Our success aligns with national research indicating that postsecondary attainment is key to disrupting occupational segregation and closing the gender pay gap. As noted by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, education plays a vital role in addressing income and wealth inequality. In response, SJLI is committed to expanding the reach of our program across LA County to ensure more young men and women have the opportunity to graduate high school, pursue college, and enter meaningful career pathways.