Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School Careers in Los Angeles, CA

The youth and families we serve live in communities that face overwhelming challenges.  Poverty is entrenched and widespread.  The number of families living in poverty ranges from 34% to 39% of the population in these neighborhoods as compared with 16% in Los Angeles County. These families average four to five individuals per household. Unemployment figures range from 16% to a high of 39%--considerably higher than that in Los Angeles County, which has a rate of 11.6%. Many adults over the age of 25 do not have high school diplomas—as many as 70% in some communities. Moreover, the population in these neighborhoods is dominated by youth; in many, over 40% of the residents are between the ages of 15 to 21.