Planned Parenthood in Inglewood partners Legalwith Aid Foundation

LOS ANGELES—Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’s (PPLA) Black Health Initiative today announced its partnership with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and the UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy (the Center) to provide free legal services to the Inglewood community.

“Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’ (PPLA) Black Health Initiative is proud to partner with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and the UCLA Law Center of Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy (the Center) by continuing to support better community health outcomes for underserved communities who are most impacted by historic and current racism and discrimination,” stated Celinda M. Vázquez, Chief External Affairs Officer for PPLA. “Through our partnership, we aim to empower individuals to not only be better advocates for themselves and their families but also for their communities as a whole.”

The Planned Parenthood Inglewood Health Center is the flagship location of the Black Health Initiative, an agency-wide program designed to improve the overall well-being of African Americans by empowering communities to advocate for improved health outcomes. PPLA Inglewood, LAFLA, and the Center marked the launch of their partnership by hosting the first of 3 workshops on housing rights, followed in the coming weeks by government benefits, expungements, and family law.

LAFLA is a nonprofit law firm that seeks to achieve equal justice for people living in poverty across Greater Los Angeles through direct representation, systems change, and community education.

The partnership expands LAFLA’s unique combination of neighborhood offices, courthouse self-help centers, and domestic violence clinics at the forefront of change in diverse communities.

“The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ partnership with Planned Parenthood’s Black Health Initiative is vital in ensuring that under-resourced communities have access to the legal and healthcare resources they need,” stated Silvia Argueta, executive director of LAFLA. “Together, we are working to break down barriers and empower individuals to advocate for their rights and well-being. This partnership is crucial in the fight for equity and justice.”

CARSON—The California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) College of Education has been awarded $1.59 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s first-ever Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program, which aims to increase high-quality teacher preparation programs for teachers of color, diversify the teacher pipeline, and address teacher shortages.

CSUDH was the only California university represented among the twelve institutions of higher education awardees, which were announced yesterday.

The award also marks CSUDH’s second major Department of Education grant this academic year.

Last fall, the College of Education was awarded $2.571 million for Project MEDALLA (Multilingual Educator Development Advancing Language Learning Achievement/Activism), which will create a network of certified bilingual educators in the greater Los Angeles area.

“These awards are a testament to the critical work CSUDH has been doing for years in teacher education,” said College of Education Dean Jessica Zacher Pandya. “With these additional resources, we can continue to produce the passionate, dedicated, and culturally-conscious teachers that Southern California needs.”

The funds will support Multilingual/Minoritized Educators Networked-Learning and Development (MEND), CSUDH’s project to dramatically increase and retain the number of multilingual and minoritized teachers in Southern California.

MEND will specifically target CSUDH’s elementary education teacher preparation program, focusing on pre-service teachers’ wellness, academic pursuits, and high-quality early clinical experiences in schools.

“In Los Angeles County, we have such diversity in language education and language experiences,” said Pablo Ramirez, CSUDH Professor of Teacher Ed- ucation and MEND Co-Principal Investigator. “We are seeking to transform teacher education so that it’s reflective of the needs of our communities.”

The first MEND Fellows cohort will be recruited from the College of Education’s Liberal Studies undergraduate program, with subsequent cohorts recruited from Ethnic Studies majors and students interested in earning their bilingual authorization. Fellows will be connected with credential program alumni who will serve as MENDtor teachers, and the program will also share best practices with school district partners.

Associate Professor of Teacher Education and MEND co-principal investigator Edward Curammeng said:

“With so many teachers leaving the profession, we need to provide support structures so that there is a solid sense of community and material resources to ensure our students will be teachers for the long haul. They need to be sustained throughout the trajectory of their careers.”