Funding, Grants & Awards

U California, Los Angeles Wins $2.5 Million for College Prep Efforts

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 03/23/15

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has won a $2.5 million grant from California's Department of Finance to help fund its Teaching Schools Initiative and other efforts to improve college and career readiness.

Launched six years ago to coincide with the opening of the UCLA Community School, the initiative is a collaboration between UCLA and the Los Angeles Unified School District. "UCLA faculty, staff and students work alongside teachers at the school to help ensure students are qualified to apply to a University of California campus," according to a news release. "The school is the site of education research, and nurtures the development of new education strategies by UCLA professors and graduate students."

The UCLA Community School launched in 2009, with a high school following in 2010. Together, the two schools serve students in grades K-12. Since launching, the school has nearly tripled the percentage of students who go on to attend college after graduation, including 95 percent in the most recent class.

"Each year, more than 200 UCLA faculty, staff and students get involved at the UCLA Community School — including by mentoring and tutoring, teaching after-school enrichment classes, helping develop the curriculum," according to anews release. "In the past five years, Bruins have logged more than 30,000 hours of service and worked on more than 30 research studies related to the school."

More information about the UCLA Community School is available at cs.gseis.ucla.edu.