Message from the Desk of Tamara Muzac-Bravo

Dear Friends of the Corps,  

It’s official: school is back in session! Right now, 3,000 elementary, middle, and high school students are returning to our After School Programs across 22 LAUSD schools.  

As a mother, this time of year always brings me back to my son’s educational journey, and to my own. I think about everything that goes into raising a successful, well-rounded student - tutoring, homework help, athletics, clubs, and other enriching activities that helped set me up for success, and that continue to support my son on his educational journey.  

It’s easy to forget that not every child has access to those same resources. For some, challenges at home make it even harder to focus on school. That’s precisely why we created the LA Conservation Corps After School Program: to ensure that every child at the schools we serve has a safe space after the bell rings, where they can receive the support and resources they need to succeed in their education and beyond.  

I often say that our After School Program is the first chance for so many young people in Los Angeles, while our Young Adult Corps program is their second chance. We are committed to standing with the young people of this city at every stage and growing these programs so we can reach even more young Angelenos.  

That growth is only possible because of you. That’s why I’m so grateful to you, our loyal supporters, for helping us achieve that goal. I encourage you to take some time to read the updates from our After School Program team below, along with exciting updates from our crews working across the Los Angeles area to create a cleaner, greener city for all of us.  

I especially don’t want you to miss this video about the recent Forestry Fire Recruitment Program training, where 16 of our Corpsmembers participated in an eight-week Wildland Firefighting course that culminated in a beautiful graduation ceremony. It’s truly inspiring to see how much this opportunity meant to them. Read more about their experience below!  

Thank you again for following the Corps and for joining us for another year of learning, growing, and creating opportunities for our young people!  

With Gratitude,  

Quick Hits from the Corps:  

Video: Disaster and Emergency Preparedness in Partnership with Niagara Cares

We participated in a video series, produced by the Good News Network, focused on emergency preparedness and our recovery work in Altadena in the aftermath of the 2025 wildfires. Thank you to Niagara Cares for all you do to support disaster preparedness and recovery efforts, and to the Good News Network for the opportunity to showcase this important partnership and highlight the Corps’ work in communities across Los Angeles. Click Here to Watch

Social Media Clip: Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez Highlights Her Partnership with the Corps

We’re excited to highlight a recent Instagram post from Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez recognizing her partnership with the LA Conservation Corps and the impact of the Youth Sidewalk Repair Program. The Councilwoman praised the program’s innovative approach to improving neighborhood infrastructure while also creating paid career pathways for local young adults. Click here to view

Social Media Clip: Councilman John Lee Shares Corps Crew in Action

Councilmember John Lee recently highlighted the work of our dedicated CD12 crew, which serves the district five days a week and maintains more than 28 miles of public spaces. He also shared that he secured funding to expand CD 12’s partnership with the LA Conservation Corps, enabling the crew to address weeds, overgrowth, and other neighborhood maintenance needs throughout the district. Click here to watch  

Video: Shine LA Reseda Park

In August, the Corps participated in Mayor Bass’ monthly cleanup and beautification series, Shine LA. Click here to view -  Shine LA Reseda Park Community Event | Videos & Movies on Vimeo

An Update from Our July 2026 Newsletter

🎥 Check out this inspiring new video about a recent eight-week Wildland Firefighter training that 16 of our Corpsmembers completed in partnership with the Forestry Fire Recruitment Program (@ffrp_ca).

As California and communities nationwide continue to experience the growing impacts of wildfires and climate-related disasters, participants received hands-on training in wildfire mitigation, forestry, conservation, and emergency response. This training was more than career preparation, it created a pathway for participants to protect their communities, strengthen the environment, and serve others when it matters most.

The FFRP training would not have been possible without funding from the FHLBank San Francisco AHEAD Program and support from Accenture (@accentureus).

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Update from After School Program: Back to School  

Last month, we kicked off our first week back to school. We’re excited for another year of learning, growing, and having fun! 💚

A new school year means new activities, new friendships, new opportunities, and plenty of memories to make!

Click here to view on Instagram

Corps Crew Beautifying Wilmington

One of our Compton crews is making a positive impact in the Wilmington community within Council District 15 (@timmcoskerla) through environmental restoration, litter abatement, vegetation management, and public right-of-way maintenance helping create cleaner, greener, and more welcoming public spaces for the community. This project was made possible through the generous support of Niagara Cares (@niagaracares)!

Often-overlooked work like this is essential to keeping right-of-ways clear for residents and preventing litter from entering our waterways. On any given day, the crew fills two or more truckloads with litter and overgrown vegetation.

The best part? All of the Corpsmembers on this crew are working toward their high school diplomas while helping uplift their community. Support from Niagara Cares enables them to earn their diplomas through our program while making a meaningful difference in the communities they serve. That’s what the Corps is all about.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to the program staff overseeing this important project. Thank you to Juan Alvarez, Lorena Ochoa, and Brenda Ramos for your outstanding work at the Compton site and for helping bring this meaningful project to life. An extra special thank you to our Crew Supervisors, Dulce Ruiz and Aaron Yarborough, for their leadership and support, and to our Corpsmembers for their hard work and dedication throughout this project!

It takes a village to make a difference, and you all play a big part in making it happen!

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Volunteer Day with Amazon/Ring in the Pacific Palisades

Check out these awesome photos from a recent day of service with volunteers from Ring (@ring), an Amazon Company, in the Pacific Palisades. Volunteers partnered with us on a habitat restoration project, clearing debris, removing invasive plants, and planting native species.

Collective efforts like these help build healthier, more vibrant, and resilient communities. The newly planted native species will support a stronger landscape that is better prepared for future wildfires like those our region experienced in January 2025.

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Update from Corpsmember Development Team: Financial Literacy Trainings with City National Bank

Preparing Corpsmembers for the future takes many shapes and forms at the Corps. In addition to gaining hands-on experience helping the environment and communities across Los Angeles, Corpsmembers participate in trainings designed to support their personal and professional growth.

Earlier this month, across four Corps sites, we partnered with City National Bank to provide financial literacy trainings, giving Corpsmembers valuable tools and knowledge to help them build a strong financial future.

A big thank you to City National Bank for providing financial literacy training at our locations in Compton, South LA, Northeast LA, and the East San Fernando Valley! During the trainings, our Corpsmembers learned about credit and best practices for building and maintaining a strong credit score, student loans, “Buy now, pay later” programs and other practical financial skills they can use throughout their lives.

A special shoutout to our Corpsmember Development Team for helping make these trainings a reality. Ruben, Maria, Ethan, Nikita, and Christie, your support and coordination made these trainings possible!

We’d also like to thank Jennifer Ceballos Zamora from City National Bank for helping bring these valuable trainings to the young people we serve as well as all the City National Bank volunteers who gave their time and spent part of their afternoons connecting with and supporting our Corpsmembers.

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