Elevate Hub

Income inequality

City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Research (initial work to identify and understand the problem)

The issue we seek to address is the complex and interconnected set of barriers that prevent young people—particularly Opportunity Youth and adult learners—from achieving economic stability, educational advancement, and overall well-being. Many of these individuals have been impacted by systemic challenges such as poverty, under-resourced schools, involvement in the child welfare or justice systems, and gaps in behavioral or mental health support. These obstacles often result in limited literacy, job readiness, and access to living-wage employment, perpetuating cycles of income inequality and social exclusion. Our program aims to break this cycle by providing targeted, trauma-informed support that fosters independence, builds skills, and opens equitable pathways to education, employment, and civic participation.

The grant will support Elevate Hub, an innovative day program designed for Opportunity Youth and adult learners ages 16–24 who face barriers from system involvement, low literacy, and economic inequality. Elevate Hub combines literacy, job readiness, and wellness in a trauma-informed, community-rooted setting.
Participants engage in The Life & Literacy Studio, a flexible learning space where they build reading, writing, and digital literacy through real-world tasks like resume writing, navigating leases, and creating civic action plans. WorkReady Pathways offers hands-on career training through rotating industry partnerships, peer mentorship, internships, and direct connections to living-wage jobs in fields like green tech, culinary arts, and community health.
To address the emotional and systemic impacts youth face, Well-Being Circles provide healing-centered support, peer connection, mental health tools, and legal advocacy for those impacted by foster care, justice, or behavioral health systems.
By integrating academic, professional, and personal development, Elevate Hub empowers youth not just to find work—but to build stable, purpose-driven lives.

If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will see a more empowered, self-sufficient, and engaged generation of young people who were once disconnected from opportunity. Opportunity Youth and adult learners—many of whom have experienced the justice system, foster care, or behavioral health challenges—will gain the literacy, skills, and confidence to access living-wage jobs, pursue education, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Neighborhoods will benefit from reduced unemployment, decreased reliance on social services, and increased civic engagement as formerly marginalized youth become leaders, workers, and changemakers. Employers will gain access to a skilled, motivated workforce that reflects the diversity and resilience of L.A. County. Most importantly, systems that once failed these individuals will be challenged by a new model—one that centers healing, equity, and human potential.