#FollowFriday: Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA)

The 4S Education Foundation spreads awareness about opportunities open for the youth, such as nonprofits and other organizations that we recommend. 

For today’s #FollowFriday, we’re featuring, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), a nonprofit organization that provides various programs and resources to students and youth who are in need. 

Currently, they serve over 2,000 youth in different parts of Los Angeles, especially in the Rampart and Westlake districts. As an organization that has many important values for youth, they specialize in programs assisting their students in academics, arts, and athletics. That being said, students could fill out an application for these certain programs. 

Academics

Are you interested in guidance from professionals and mentors about the college process, finding out potential careers that may be the best fit for you, or transitioning through pivotal grade levels such as elementary to middle/high school and beyond? Their Academics Program provides just that and more through their support for students of all grade levels.

Arts

Do you have an interest in the arts, whether it be music to scientific arts to visual arts? The music program focuses on expanding your knowledge of music theory as well as partaking in bands, ensembles, and orchestras. The Scientific Arts (SciArts) Program focuses on STEAM subjects such as science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Lastly, there’s the Visual Arts Program that grants its students with interactive lessons from artists and field trips. There are different lessons and curriculums in those fields that these Art Programs provide. 

Athletics

Do you have a passion for playing sports like soccer or basketball? The Athletics Program has leagues, practices, camps, and more that could improve your skills and deepen your passion as well as your sportsmanship. 

Student Experiences

Gisselle Castro also had a memorable experience during the time she spent with HOLA and she loved it. From big to small, they offered many types of assistance and preparation. When it came to the college application process, she had her questions answered, and an opportunity with mentors to improve and brainstorm her essays. She felt the full support from the program and administrators as they want their students to reach their full potential and embark on the path they choose. A piece of advice Gisselle would like to give is to “trust and listen to the administrators of HOLA as they know best and want the best for their students.”

According to Adriana Barahona, a member of the HOLA LEAL Program 2022, “During my time at Heart of Los Angeles, I have been greatly influenced by the adults that surround me. Being a part of an organization that supports people, whether it’s for college, tutoring, and even groceries has been very rewarding. There are many aspects of HOLA that I enjoyed from day one, but something that spoke to me was that they give without expecting back. Over the past couple of months, I find myself becoming a more helpful person to those around me. Being able to recognize that change has been a core piece of my personal growth during my high school years.”

We definitely recommend you to look into the Heart of Los Angeles and the different types of resources and variety of programs they provide for youth in need.  For more information on their programs, you could visit this link: www.heartofla.org/programs. Don’t forget to follow Heart of Los Angeles on their Instagram @heartoflosangeles.