Over the years, UCLA’s academic outreach initiatives have inspired and prepared thousands of Los Angeles middle and high school students from disadvantaged and underserved communities to apply to and attend colleges and universities, including UCLA.
On Thursday, Dec. 12, representatives of UCLA, elected officials, community leaders and students gathered to celebrate the success of the ongoing partnership between the university and Downtown Magnets High School, one of approximately 80 schools in the Los Angeles area served by UCLA’s Early Academic Outreach Program and other UCLA college-readiness programs.
The EAOP, which works collaboratively with school administrators and counselors, students, families, and the community, provides a range of resources — including academic enrichment, college preparation, counseling, college application and financial aid workshops, and other support — aimed at ensuring that young people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds can successfully chart a pathway to higher education.
The event, which featured remarks by UCLA Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt and UCLA Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Gary Clark and the unveiling of a UCLA community partnership banner at the school, also highlighted the work of the Riordan Scholars Program, an initiative based at the UCLA Anderson School of Management that mentors and prepares disadvantaged students with an interest in business and leadership for admission to university.
The EAOP and the Riordan Program are examples of UCLA’s far-reaching community partnerships, more than 350 programs in which UCLA students, faculty and staff work together with over 1,250 partners with the shared goal of improving and enhancing the lives of Angelenos from across the city’s diverse and dynamic communities — one of the key pillars of UCLA’s five-year strategic plan.
