{"id":25890,"date":"2025-11-19T13:27:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T21:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=25890"},"modified":"2026-03-04T16:55:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T00:55:25","slug":"los-angeles-service-academy-thrives-with-donor-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/los-angeles-service-academy-thrives-with-donor-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Angelenos come to understand and shape their city by exploring it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-la-river-top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-la-river-top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-la-river-top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Several high school students in kayaks float on tree-lined river\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  The Los Angeles Service Academy\u2019s newest class kayaked on the L.A. River to explore how the city\u2019s water is sourced and treated. (Photo: John Lee.) \n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=social-impact\">Social Impact<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Young Angelenos come to understand and shape their city by exploring it<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  With immersive, hands-on learning, USC Dornsife\u2019s Los Angeles Service Academy prepares the next generation of civic-minded leaders.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Taline Rumaya<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">November 19, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Each month, a group of high school juniors from across Los Angeles gathers to explore the city they call home. They kayak the L.A. River, tour civic institutions and meet the people who keep the city running, from water engineers to city planners. By the end of the year, they no longer see Los Angeles as just a collection of neighborhoods, but as a living, interconnected system they can help shape.<\/p>\n<p>That transformation lies at the heart of the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/lasa\/\">Los Angeles Service Academy<\/a> (LASA), a program of USC Dornsife\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/icw\/\">Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West<\/a> (ICW) that offers students a hands-on introduction to how their city works.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLASA is one of the best things we do through the institute \u2014 ambitious, thoughtfully planned and exuberantly carried out,\u201d said program founder and USC Dornsife historian <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/william-deverell\/\">William Deverell<\/a>, who co-directs ICW. \u201cThese students get to learn how metropolitan Los Angeles is put together.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Hands-on learning turns Los Angeles into a living classroom<\/h2>\n<p>Founded more than a decade ago, LASA helps young Angelenos understand their role within the city\u2019s infrastructure, history and civic systems. As the program has expanded, its day-to-day leadership has been guided by ICW co-director <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/elizabeth-logan\/\">Elizabeth Logan<\/a>, who serves as LASA\u2019s executive director.<\/p>\n<p>During the school year, monthly meetings bring students face-to-face with real-world challenges facing the city and community leaders working to solve them. Recent sessions have explored issues as varied as food insecurity, urban planning and sustainability. In September, students spent a day volunteering at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, where they helped sort 19 tons of produce for families across the county.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_25897\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25897\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-25897\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-food-bank-1280x720-1-500x281.jpg\" alt=\"Students sort oranges at a food bank facility\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-food-bank-1280x720-1-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-food-bank-1280x720-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-food-bank-1280x720-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/11\/lasa-food-bank-1280x720-1.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25897\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LASA students volunteered at the L.A. Regional Food Bank, helping more than 58,000 pounds of produce reach area families. (Photo: John Lee.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI realized just how little I knew about how to combat food insecurity in Los Angeles,\u201d reflected Madalyn, a student at University High School in Los Angeles. \u201cSo many families find solace in the work of the food bank, and I\u2019m grateful to have been able to help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI realized I could make a significant impact on our city, even with a slight contribution,\u201d said Noah, another participant from Polytechnic School. \u201cI\u2019m eager to return with more people to make a difference in our city and help those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In October, the cohort toured the historic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lacoliseum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum<\/a> \u2014 host to the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games \u2014 and met with city planners preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and <a href=\"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/an-authentic-l-a-experience-uscs-upcoming-role-in-the-2028-olympic-and-paralympic-games\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2028 Olympic Games<\/a>. Students learned how civic events can spark long-term improvements in accessibility, public transportation and sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe lesson was eye-opening in showing me how the city is designed with so much intentionality,\u201d said Madalyn. \u201cIt made me rethink a lot of civic operations that I take for granted and appreciate how urban design has the power to transform our lives for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Donor support expands opportunities for civic engagement<\/h2>\n<p>Through hands-on learning and meaningful civic engagement, LASA empowers young people to see Los Angeles as a place they can actively shape.<\/p>\n<p>That mission resonates deeply with Allan Scholl (MA \u201960, PhD \u201973), a USC Dornsife alumnus and retired educator who, with his wife Marina, supports LASA alongside estate gifts for scholarships in <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/hist\/\">history<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/clas\/\">classics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving spent a career in secondary education, hearing about LASA\u2019s mission immediately got my attention,\u201d Scholl said. \u201cWhat resonates with me most is its purposeful attempt to engage students in real-life activities within a broader collegiate setting at USC Dornsife and the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Scholl says LASA represents the kind of hands-on, integrative learning that can ignite a lifelong passion for history, civic engagement and community service. \u201cI hope our support, along with that of other supporters, will continue to provide students with this outstanding opportunity to engage with the world outside of the classroom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2>A lasting legacy of civic curiosity and community leadership<\/h2>\n<p>As LASA continues to grow, so too does its reach. Alumni often credit the program with influencing their college applications, professional aspirations and commitment to public service. Many return each year for reunions \u2014 some even as donors or mentors to new cohorts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know LASA has made a difference,\u201d Deverell said. \u201cStudents often write about their LASA experiences in college essays. Graduates have told us that LASA influenced their professional goals and college-level work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For both Deverell and Scholl, that continuing impact is the true measure of success. \u201cThe word \u2018service\u2019 is very much a part of the learning process,\u201d said Scholl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/dad-brain-is-real-its-reshaping-our-understanding-of-fatherhood\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >\u2018Dad brain\u2019 is real. 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<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Through immersive, hands-on learning, USC Dornsife\u2019s Los Angeles Service Academy prepares the next generation of civic-minded leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":25896,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[63,557,181],"class_list":["post-25890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-impact","tag-community-engagement","tag-huntington-usc-institute-on-california-and-the-west","tag-los-angeles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Young Angelenos come to understand and shape their city by exploring it<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With immersive, hands-on learning, USC 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