Innovative Workforce Enterprises for At-Promise LA Youth

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

Central LA East LA South LA West LA San Fernando Valley South Bay 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)

At New Earth, we serve systems-impacted youth who’ve experienced probation, juvenile halls, foster care, homelessness, or continuation schools in communities hit hardest by poverty and violence. 99% are youth of color. Most enter our programs without access to post-secondary education or stable work, often cycling through low-wage jobs with little chance to grow. These barriers, along with systemic inequities, fuel instability and recidivism. Many also navigate adulthood without stable housing, employment, access to healthcare or a support network—conditions that increase disconnection and the risk of returning to the system. The need is urgent: 88% report trauma, 35% have survived community violence, and 47% face substance use challenges. But we don’t see statistics—we see promise. With your support, we can equip these resilient young people with tools, opportunity, and healing-centered care to not just survive, but thrive.

New Earth empowers youth to reimagine their futures, make positive life choices, and grow into leaders who drive systemic change. Our trauma-informed programs offer work readiness, vocational training fellowships, employment, empathically engaged employers, supportive on-the-job opportunities, mental health support services and more.
Youth customize their career pathway through engagement in our social enterprises and fellowships through New Earth Digital and F.L.O.W. (Fluent Love of Words) Studio. F.L.O.W. Studio, housed in our state-of-the art recording studio, empowers participants to discover their inner voice through poetry, writing, and music while developing career skills in sound recording. New Earth Digital equips youth with digital literacy and tech skills in areas such as web development, IT support, content creation, graphic design, and certifications in Apple Logic Pro, FL Studio, and Avid Pro Tools.
After certification, students complete on-the-job training with real-world projects through our social enterprise or employment partners. Graduates transition into full-time roles with competitive wages, benefits, and long-term advancement potential. This model is reinforced by individualized care management, peer engagement, and arts- and nature-based personal development.
We project to enroll 120 youth in 2025-2026.

Our vision is to transform the life paths of systems-impacted youth by replacing cycles of trauma, barriers and disconnection with healing, education, and employment towards a pathway to success. Success isincreased access to high quality, in-demand job opportunities in sound recording and digital media for systems-impacted youth that results in increased educational attainment, stable income, reduced systems involvement and improved well-being. To scale impact, New Earth will formalize the WIN (Workforce Innovation Network) to engage employers, systems-impacted youth, training partners, and other industry leaders to collaboratively increase equitable access to high quality, in-demand jobs and creative opportunities for systems-impacted youth.Recognizing the additional emotional, educational, and professional barriers experienced by systems-impacted youth, the WIN will prioritize healing, self-expression, and compassion to support participants on their journey to economic security.