Los Angeles (Sept. 8, 2020) – The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and the Dynasty United Youth Association (DUYA) come together to launch the virtual Accelerated Learning Program Service for South L.A. students in grades K-12. Students can access the free educational support program, Monday through Friday, noon to 8:00 p.m through June 5, 2021. Space is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The virtual tutoring program offers support to students affected by school closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and will feature services that include: 1-on-1 Tutoring Support, Homework Assistance, Mental Health Counseling, Mentoring Sessions, STEM group educational services and other supportive services for students in underserved communities.
“Public libraries are part of the village it takes to raise a child,” said Jené Brown, Principal Librarian and Racial Equity Officer, Los Angeles Public Library. “The DUYA program supports the library’s goals to educate, enrich and empower individuals in our city’s diverse communities. Now that students have pivoted to an online learning environment, parents are seeking assistance for their children and we are proud to continue this partnership with DUYA to provide educational equity and eradicate barriers to marginalized students in our community.”
As a community partner of the Los Angeles Public Library since 2017, the Virtual Accelerated Learning program is the latest offering from the LAPL and DUYA partnership. The new virtual program allows LAPL and DUYA to continue to provide the students of South Los Angeles with critical educational and career preparedness support. Prior to the pandemic, the group operated the popular General Library Programming Support service inside five LAPL branch locations that included: the Baldwin Hills, Hyde Park, Jefferson, Mark Twain, and the Washington Irving Branch libraries. The general library and virtual support program are both led by college-aged tutors from diverse ethnicities and in most cases, the same communities of the students they are supporting.
“There is nothing more important than the development of our community’s young people,” said Los Angeles City Council President Emeritus, Herb J. Wesson. “Making sure our students are getting the education they deserve has become much harder in this era of remote learning due to COVID-19. That’s why I’m so proud to sponsor this virtual program via the operational grant provided to the Dynasty United Youth Association. The support allows the group to continue providing individual support to students citywide via the group’s partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library.”
The program is funded through a grant provided by the Council District 10 Office, which was awarded after the COVID-19 virus forced schools and libraries to temporarily close throughout the city. Space is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. The funding was a COVID-19 initiative that helped students who were severely being impacted academically and emotionally in the classroom to continue getting educational support.
“We are so grateful to be in a position to serve the community with this partnership,” said Dynasty Taylor, Founder and Executive Director, Dynasty United Youth Association. “The pandemic has been a trying time for everyone, but this virtual program allows us to continue to assist with the development of young minds during this critical time.”
Space is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis, so register your student today. For more information or to complete registration for the program, please visit www.lapl.org/dynasty-tutoring and click on the Student Application link.
A recipient of the nation’s highest honor for library service—the National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest and most diverse urban population of any library in the nation. Its Central Library, 72 branch libraries, collection of more than 6 million books, state-of-the-art technology accessible at lapl.org, and more than 18,000 public programs a year provide everyone with free and easy access to information and the opportunity for life-long learning.
