Children’s Institute’s Frank Gehry-Designed Watts Campus Grand Opening

Written by

 

Also Check Out: CII’s New Watts Campus In the News

On Saturday, June 25, more than 500 guests joined us in celebrating the grand opening of Children’s Institute’s new Watts campus.

The speaking program included celebratory remarks from CII President and CEO Martine Singer, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, CII Watts Building Committee Chair Bridget Gless Keller, LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides, President of the Watts Gang Task Force Donny Joubert, CII Board Trustee Gelila Assefa Puck, and world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.

Lovingly designed by Frank Gehry, this permanent commitment to Watts will be home to programming that enriches and empowers the children and families of the Watts community. A range of offerings for children and families include toddler socialization, individual and group counseling, youth development activities, parenting workshops, workforce development, and Project Fatherhood sessions.

CII, along with community partners—Watts Gang Task Force, the LAPD’s Community Safety Partnership, Watts Willowbrook Conservatory, East Side Riders Bike Club, Cedars-Sinai, Watts Leadership Institute, Sisters of Watts, Ted Watkins Memorial Park, Your Special Day, and St. John’s Community Health—showcased the new space with activities and learning opportunities for the whole family. Free food trucks—South LA favorites All Flavor No Grease, Wings n Waffles, Compton Vegan, and Coolhaus—provided delicious refreshment to attendees while they enjoyed music from Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca.

The Watts Gang Task Force, formed nearly 15 years ago to broker peace in the community, will have it’s first-ever permanent home office in this building along with the LAPD’s Community Safety Partnership, a nationally recognized model for relationship-based policing. “The new Watts campus is a beautiful symbol of Children’s Institute’s ongoing commitment to our city and this neighborhood in particular,” said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief and Children’s Institute Trustee, Emada Tingirides.

 

Earlier this month, we celebrated the donors, community partners and artists who made our new campus in Watts possible. It is truly inspiring to see so many people from different walks of life, bringing their unique gifts together—whether that be food or art, connections or funds—to make a space like this possible. The art in CII’s new Watts campus was chosen specifically with the Watts community in mind and with the generous help of Watts Towers Art Center Campus Director, Rosie Lee Hooks, and Education Coordinator, Rogelio Acevedo.

Thanks to all of our community friends, partners, elected officials, businesses and neighbors, this will be a place for learning, connection and healing.

PROUD of our LGBTQ+ Foster Youth

Written by

June is a time for PRIDE.

And, we are so proud of our foster youth and how much they have accomplished this year despite the hardships of an ongoing global pandemic, the threat violence in our schools and communities and the everyday pressures of being a teenager/young adult.

CII’s Individualized Transitional Skill Program (ITSP) supports transition aged (16-21) foster youth in preparing for a fulfilling adult life outside the foster system by providing mentorship, life skills classes, and encouraging high school graduation and college readiness.

Last year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation many of our youth were experiencing, our staff created “The Bright Room,” a virtual meeting space for our LGBTQ+ youth to meet and talk about their lives and especially the unique struggles of being part of both the LGBTQ+ community and the foster system. The Bright Room has allowed our LGBTQ+ youth to feel heard, supported and acknowledged as they face barriers during the coming out process. We are happy to say that these sessions are now in-person—with the exception of out-of-state youth or youth who have being exposed to COVID-19.

Since then, staff have made significant efforts to reinforce training that enables them to provide affirming services to our LGBTQ+ youth. An annual LGBTQ+ training helps our Transitional Development Specialists (TDS) in practicing self-awareness and forming a deeper understanding of LGBTQ+ terminology, intersectionality, risks and protective factors. This has allowed our youth to hone stronger relationships with their TDS and helps us to identify their specific needs in order to provide them with adequate resources.

ITSP staff has also been partnering with different LGBTQ+ organizations to give youth access to a wider network of mentors, mental health services and health care as they navigate their identity journey: LGBTQ+ programs at community colleges provide support groups, events and advocacy opportunities where youth are able to build comradery with their peers. Public Counsel provides legal services for youth in filing name and/or gender-affirming petitions. Businesses like the Shay Hotel and Yogasix host Pride fundraisers with proceeds going toward LGBTQ+ services for ITSP’s youth.

We are proud of the network of support being created for our youth, and we want them to know that, even when they feel like the odds are stacked against them, there is a community willing and able to help.

Thank you for being exactly who you are, for standing up for what you believe and for spreading the love that is shown to you. The world is a better place, because you are in it.

Sincerely,

Stephani Collazo
ITSP Supervisor