Momentum Symposium Strengthens College and Career Pathways for Justice-Impacted Youth

Momentum Symposium Strengthens College and Career Pathways for Justice-Impacted Youth

Fri Aug 07 14:25:00 PDT 2026

The symposium aims to provide more justice-impacted youth with meaningful college experiences that lead to college, careers and long-term success.

For many justice-impacted youth, earning college credit before leaving a juvenile court school can be a powerful step toward a different future. Through dual enrollment, students gain confidence, discover new interests and begin building a pathway to college and careers while completing their high school education.

That vision brought more than 50 educators, counselors, community college leaders and state partners together on June 26 for LACOE's Momentum Symposium, a collaborative planning event dedicated to expanding college opportunities for students in Los Angeles County's juvenile court schools.

Representatives from nine community college partners, six juvenile court school sites, counseling teams and organizations including the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and the California Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) worked together to strengthen College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnerships and develop plans for the 2026-27 school year.

The symposium centered on one question: How can partners work together to provide more justice-impacted youth with meaningful college experiences that lead to college, careers and long-term success?

Research has shown that students who participate in dual enrollment are more likely to enroll in college, persist in their studies and earn a degree or credential. For students in juvenile court schools, many of whom have experienced interrupted schooling or other significant barriers, earning transferable college credit can help build confidence, reduce barriers to higher education and open doors to career opportunities after they leave the juvenile justice system.

Throughout the day, participants reviewed workforce trends, explored best practices and aligned community college course offerings with students' interests and regional workforce needs. Rather than focusing primarily on introductory college success courses, partners are working to expand career-connected offerings in fields such as business, finance, real estate, graphic design and other career technical education pathways that prepare students for high-demand industries.

The planning also focused on dramatically expanding access to dual enrollment. Historically, many sites offered only a single college course each year. LACOE's goal is to significantly increase both the number of courses available and the number of students who complete them, creating more opportunities for students to earn college credit while exploring career pathways.

"Through this model, we will be able to strengthen that partnership with our community college partners, our probation partners, our school site administrative teams and our counseling team in order to be able to increase the number of courses," said Dr. Janice Phelps, executive director of LACOE's Special Programs Support and Transformation unit.

By the end of the symposium, each school site had developed a customized implementation plan outlining course offerings, faculty partnerships and logistical supports needed to successfully deliver classes throughout the upcoming school year. Participants also explored innovative ideas to broaden access, including opportunities for students to attend classes on community college campuses when appropriate, helping foster a stronger college-going culture.

The Momentum Symposium is modeled after the LA CAN framework, emphasizing cross-sector collaboration to improve student outcomes. By strengthening partnerships among community colleges, educators, counselors, probation and state agencies, LACOE is building a more coordinated system of support that expands educational opportunities and helps justice-impacted youth envision brighter futures.

The event was supported by the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, which provided breakfast and lunch for participants, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, whose investment supports positions dedicated to expanding college and career opportunities for justice-impacted youth.