Last month, The SEED Foundation, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), and Los Angeles County (LA County), celebrated The SEED School of Los Angeles County (SEED LA) with a groundbreaking event. This historic milestone has been much anticipated in the Los Angeles community, as the 4.2-acre property has remained vacant for nearly 30 years.
SEED Foundation CEO Lesley Poole began the groundbreaking ceremony with a powerful story about how SEED’s academic and boarding model changes lives, adding that “SEED’s five-day-a-week, 120-hour public boarding schools exist to plant, water, and nurture young people and ensure they know that they matter and belong.”
SEED LA, the fourth school within the SEED Network, will open in August 2022 and will serve 400 students in grades 9-12. Scholars will be selected through a lottery system which will prioritize students who have experienced homelessness or housing insecurity, have a family member who is incarcerated, or have had contact with the foster care, child protection, or juvenile justice systems.
In addition to preparing for college, future SEED LA scholars will dive into a curriculum focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and the humanities with a transportation industry lens. They will have access to a mentorship program which will connect them to transportation industry professionals and to internships with LA Metro and other partners. Additionally, students will travel locally and globally, giving them a first-hand look at career opportunities in the transportation field all over the world.
“Our region’s transit system is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation — presenting an immense opportunity for Angelenos to take part in building a more connected, more sustainable, more prosperous future,” said Los Angeles Mayor and LA Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti.
SEED LA is graciously and generously supported by cornerstone donors Dr. Natasha and Brandon Beck, Los Angeles natives who know the importance of a valuable education. Please join us in welcoming SEED LA to the SEED Network. With your support, we can provide SEED LA scholars with the academic, social, and emotional resources they need to achieve their college and career dreams.
Click below to watch a clip from the groundbreaking event.