LA2050 grants $5,000 to USAC Office of the President
By amanda schallert
April 1, 2014 12:54 a.m.
An undergraduate student government office is deciding how to spend a $5,000 grant it recently received from an initiative aimed at improving the future of Los Angeles.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council Office of the President received the grant from LA2050 – a Goldhirsh Foundation initiative that is intended to foster collaboration between people and organizations in Los Angeles to increase understanding of the current state of the region, said Shauna Nep, the social innovation manager for the Goldhirsh Foundation.
Nep said the goal of LA2050 is to get individuals together to talk about what they think success for Los Angeles would look like in the year 2050, and to encourage progress toward those goals. LA2050 is funded by the Goldhirsh Foundation, a private nonprofit organization.
The USAC Office of the President was one of 20 organizations to win a $5,000 grant from LA2050 last month. He said he is considering hosting a symposium at the Fowler Museum this month and that he hopes that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Chancellor Gene Block and Father Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, can participate in the event.
“Really I just want this to be a way for students to talk about what they want UCLA to look like and what they want Los Angeles to look like,” Joanino said.
Joanino said he hopes that the symposium can serve as a launchpad for discussions about access to education, the quality of Los Angeles schools, the environment and public safety.
“LA2050 is all about having a collective vision,” Joanino said. “It’s about vision-shaping and collectively working with constituents to get feedback on their goals.”
Plans for the symposium are not concrete and Joanino said he plans to continue working on the event in coming weeks.
Compiled by Amanda Schallert, Bruin senior staff.
