Our school is located in a highly impoverished area just blocks away from Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles. Thirty percent of our students are homeless, and nearly all face adverse childhood experiences. Our school came to life through an organization which is a non-profit serving families providing them with mental health services.

Although my students live in an area affected by crime, neglect, and generations of poverty, they come to school eager, inquisitive, and with a love of learning about the world around them.

Many, however, will not be able to experience the world first-hand beyond their at-risk neighborhoods.