Urban Scholar Academy

The mission of Urban Scholar Academy is to transform the lives of [LA’s] urban youth through academic enrichment and community service opportunities. Since 2012, the Academy has served approximately 600 youth from the Inglewood and surrounding areas. A core belief is that every child, regardless of their socio-economic background, deserves a learning environment that celebrates their identity and promotes academic rigor. Ability to pay should not be a factor for equitable, valuable resource access such as tutorial support. Currently, 75 students attend weekly study programs of homework club, independent study, and tutoring; with an additional 45-50 students attending seasonal camps. Urban Scholar Academy currently provides a hybrid learning environment where scholars participate in one of the following programs, according to their academic needs, throughout the school year: 1. Distance “Remote” Learning: Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., scholars utilize academy resources (e.g. technology) to participate in virtual sessions with their teachers, in an effort to access grade-level content standards. 2. Individualized Tutoring: Monday thru Friday, 1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., program staff supports Kindergarten-12th grade students in individualized tutorial online & in-person sessions, in all content subject areas. Since the launch of our tutoring program in 2016, the staff has conducted over 9,000 tutoring sessions. 3. Homework Club: Monday thru Friday, 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., scholars, come to the Academy for academic support with homework assignments and projects. The scholars engage in an array of enrichment activities such as science fair and drama class participation, and other project-based learning opportunities. 4. Seasonal Camps: Since 2016, over 300 youth have attended the Academy’s popular seasonal camps (winter, spring & summer). Within the full-day programs, students review math & reading standards, engage in thematic based project-based learning & physical fitness; and enjoy STEM activities, arts/crafts, and elective classes (yearbook, animation, drone, jewelry, etc.). Additionally, scholars travel to entertaining field-trip destinations within Los Angeles county. 5. Urban Scholar Film Academy (Fall 2021): Local high school juniors/seniors will learn the communal and collaborative process of filmmaking in an effort to develop the skills they need to tell their own stories and have access to the film/television industry.