CVUHSD News
Happy Fall, CVUHSD Community!
I am excited to share some wonderful news with you about an initiative that will positively impact every student in our District: the state-funded California Community Schools Partnership Program Implementation Grant. The District’s grant writing team actively pursued and successfully secured 5-year grants for Hawthorne, Lawndale, Leuzinger, and Lloyde High Schools, totaling $6,887,500.00. Each school’s grant is already being utilized to continue to transform schools into thriving centers of community engagement and support, and to create nurturing school environments that address not only the educational needs of our students but also their social, emotional, and health needs. The CVUHSD Board of Education’s resolution in support of Community Schools, approved March 2023, highlights our District’s commitment to expanding existing and establishing new partnerships with community-based organizations to provide support, resources, and opportunities for our students and their families.
Last year, our District jumpstarted this work by pursuing partnerships that would fuel this year’s Community Schools implementation efforts. To combat food insecurity, Northgate Market provided hot Christmas meals for 21 homeless families (ranging in size from 4 to 12 family members), and provided vouchers for these families to purchase groceries for New Year’s dinner. In addition, after sharing data on absenteeism and transportation challenges, Healthy Active Streets through the Metro Adopt-a-Bike Program donated 42 bicycles and hosted a distribution event for identified students, while Kryptonite provided bike locks, all in the name of collaboratively tackling chronic absenteeism.
These are just a few examples of the types of partnerships and services we plan to bring to CV families through our Community Schools grants facilitated by each of our new Community Schools Site Coordinators who are working side-by-side with your Family Engagement Liaisons. From academic tutoring and mentorship programs to mental health counseling and health services, our schools are continuing to evolve into holistic centers that respond to the diverse needs of our students and families.
We look forward to continued work with our families, students, and staff to transform CVUHSD schools into the most successful versions of community schools we can collectively envision.
Dr. Kelly Ganzel Santos
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
CVUHSD 7th Annual Industry Partner Breakfast
CVUHSD hosted its 7th Annual Industry Partner Breakfast on September 21st. The event showcased the District’s 11 Career Academies and Pathways to local and regional business representatives to gain new industry partnerships and work-based learning opportunities for our academy students.
Over 250 local and regional business representatives attended the event this year to connect with academy coordinators and student leaders. The program was led by student MC, Sophia Rodas, from the Culinary Careers Academy. Student leaders from each academy spoke about their work-based learning experiences, and for those academies that have them, their student-led enterprises. The program was followed by the Academy Expo, where representatives connected with academy student leaders. Representatives learned how to hire the enterprises for services, such as Leu’s Cafe & Catering, the Culinary Careers Academy enterprise that even has a taco cart and smoker, or MCA Productions, the Multimedia Careers Academy enterprise, which provides photo booth rentals and photography and videography services.
The academies gained many new industry partnerships through the connections made at the event, so they may continue providing amazing work-based learning opportunities for our students.
