Driving LA’s Future: Math Confidence for Lifelong Success

K-12 STEAM education

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

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

Less than 30% of Black and Latino students in LAUSD and LBUSD are proficient in math or reading—and in LAUSD alone, only 40% of students meet reading standards. These disparities lock tens of thousands of students out of the innovation economy and wealth-building pathways—the very opportunities that define economic mobility, civic participation, and lifelong well-being. This academic crisis doesn’t just jeopardize individual futures—it threatens the social and economic fabric of the entire region. Addressing it is not only an educational imperative, but a moral, economic, and civic one.
Our online math resource—soon to be broadly accessible—paired with mastery of our foundational pillars, will serve as a catalyst for achieving LA2050’s vision. By building early math confidence, critical thinking, and real-world career exposure, we’ll equip area youth to thrive academically, innovate boldly, engage meaningfully in civic life, and access the full promise of economic and social well-being

We'll leverage the award-winning tech skills of our BOSS scholars (https://youtu.be/263hlOuwYbw?si=DF5WUggCQcP2Li8N) to develop a transformative resource that will close the opportunity gap for under-resourced youth by building strong math foundations critical for success in college, high-paying tech careers, and long-term economic mobility. Project meets the challenge through a comprehensive, relationship-driven approach that integrates rigorous math development with mentorship, leadership coaching, and real-world career exposure. At its center is our Math Resource Tool—a dynamic, personalized platform aligned with California’s Common Core and 2023 Mathematics Framework. Tool will offer targeted support in 6th–8th, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Integrated while reinforcing critical thinking and resilience. Career videos featuring BIPOC professionals will connect math skills to career path opportunities from A-Z.
Tool and BOSS programming generally, will ripple across all five focus areas:
Learn: Elevating academic achievement and confidence through culturally relevant, personalized math instruction
Create: Cultivating innovation and problem-solving through math-driven, real-world challenges
Connect: Foster mentorship, identity, and belonging through relatable role models
Play: Driving engagement and persistence through gamified learning experiences
Live: Advancing long-term economic mobility by equipping students with critical math and career-readiness skills

Imagine a Los Angeles where under-resourced youth aren’t struggling to catch up—they’re setting the pace. With widespread access to the BOSS Culturally Sensitive Math Tool, thousands of students will gain the confidence, critical thinking, and math mastery needed not just to access opportunity, but to lead it—driving innovation, launching tech careers, and breaking cycles of poverty with generational impact.
Classrooms will become incubators of brilliance, where under-resourced students see themselves as problem-solvers and pioneers. Boardrooms, design labs, and entrepreneurial ventures across the region will reflect the talent and tenacity of youth once underestimated—now undeniable.
By scaling our Math Tool, we won’t just close equity gaps—we’ll rewrite the narrative. The future of our region depends on unlocking the potential of the very youth too often left behind—because when we do, L.A. won’t just be more equitable; it will be more brilliant, more innovative, and more unstoppable