Campbell Hall
Campbell Hall and Loyola Marymount University (LMU) have partnered together to initiate a series of programs that aim to provide students of color from independent and public schools in the Los Angeles area a variety of opportunities for leadership and academic growth.
20-20 Project
The 20-20 project was developed together with the Loyola Marymount University Family of Schools (15 public schools for the LA area), to establish a program that helps de-mystify stereotypes amongst African-American students coming from the public and private sectors. First, students from Campbell Hall and Westchester High School attend a symposium at Loyola Marymount University, exploring themes of race, culture, and diversity. Second, students spend a day at each other’s school. The goal is to expose the students to new experiences, allowing them to explore pre-conceived stereotypes regarding race and class, and to find common ground. The program is single-gender and alternates years for young men and young women.
Game Changers
Campbell Hall and LMU designed Games Changers to encourage young men of color to develop their entrepreneurial and business skills. The one-day event intends to equip students with the inspiration and skills necessary to grow and serve as change agents in their communities. Approximately 50 participants attend the symposium and last year they represented seven independent schools, one parochial school, and ten public schools from all over Los Angeles. The Symposium gives these students the opportunity to hear from accomplished business leaders and attend a variety of workshops including studying business case studies, assessing leadership styles and learning about the essentials of entrepreneurship. In addition, participants are able to network with their peers, share ideas and embrace the synergy that exists between success in business and civic responsibility.
The highlight of the afternoon is the “Shark Tank” challenge, which requires teams of young men to develop and present their business ideas to a panel of successful professional entrepreneurs. This is a competition for cash prizes donated by GE Capital. In 2012, the winning team presented a business plan titled “Extreme Homeless Makeovers,” a non-profit venture that focused on positively impacting the lives of homeless men and women in Los Angeles.
As a result of the success of the initial event, Game Changers will now include symposia for both young men and women of color.
Campbell Hall and LA’s BEST
Campbell Hall partners with LA’s BEST, the after-school education program for the Los Angeles Unified School District, to provide collaborative learning experiences and service-learning with students from Campbell Hall and local public elementary schools. LA’s Best serves 28,000 children from low-income families at 189 elementary schools throughout the City of Los Angeles.
- Action! is a two-week intensive film camp for rising 5th graders, involving 10 students from Campbell Hall, and 10 from LA’s Best schools. The program is free to all, and has the dual goals of filmmaking and peer-to-peer learning experiences with students from diverse life experiences. Students tell their stories via personal documentaries made at home, and collaborative movie-making (i.e. lots of zombies). The culminating film festival spotlights movie-makers and the CH high school volunteer instructors.
- Creative Writing Crew: Advanced writing students from Campbell Hall create the curriculum and teach narrative writing to LA’s Best Students over a course of six weeks. The after-school program culminates in a writing festival with presentation of stories and publication of an anthology.
- Chess Program: Students from the Campbell Hall Chess Club teach chess to 3rd-5th graders every week after school for the full school year.
- Theater Arts: Drama students from Campbell Hall created a summer program of improvisation based on children’s literature. The program was conducted at three local public schools.