Welcome to the Green Dot Blog!

Performance Poetry Teams Write a Legacy at Ánimo Inglewood

Jul 18, 2017

Since 2012, Ánimo Inglewood Charter High School has developed a steady stream of poets, planting roots in the teen poetry slam community.

parent community engagement coordinators

The Link Between Parents, Communities and Green Dot

Jul 12, 2017

At Green Dot, a special staff person helps power the vital partnership between schools, families, and communities — we call them Parent Coordinators, and they help bridge the gap between students’ home and school lives.

Special Olympics Breaks Down Stereotypes and Builds Cohesion

Jul 5, 2017

The thumps of basketballs hitting the pavement were muffled over the applause of the audience, as Ánimo Western Charter Middle School and Ánimo Phillis Wheatley Charter Middle School students played in their first Special Olympics Unified Sports game.

Mock Interviews Prepare Green Dot Students for Future Careers

Jun 29, 2017

Oscar de la Hoya Ánimo High School staff partnered with professionals and business leaders across Los Angeles, including Green Dot Ambassadors, to simulate real-world interview experiences at its annual Mock Interviews event, which helps our students polish and refine skills necessary to pursue future careers.

Vladovic Honors Ánimo College Preparatory Academy For Community Connection

Jun 28, 2017

LAUSD Board Member Dr. Richard Vladovic honors Ánimo College Preparatory Academy for their connection to the community through their “Hands Around Jordan” event.

Kevin de Leon Meets with Charter Parents to Talk Immigration Policy

Jun 22, 2017

This spring, parents and students from Green Dot Public Schools’United Parents and Students, KIPP Public Charter Schools, and Magnolia Public Schools, hosted the LA Stands for All Immigrant Families assembly, a collective effort to protect the rights of the families our schools serve — and by extension, families like them across the city.

Community Partnerships Bring Free Vision and Health Screenings to Thousands of Students

Jun 21, 2017

When students experience challenges with their hearing or sight, it not only affects their ability to learn, but it also impacts their quality of life. That’s why Green Dot partnered with Vision to Learn and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles to provide vision and health screenings for over 2,000 middle school students.

City Year: Building Relationships for Positive Learning Environments

Jun 19, 2017

City Year worked with Locke College Preparatory Academy for the past three years to identify students who may need additional support and outreach, pairing them with a City Year mentor. In addition to academic supports, students receive art, music, and sport enrichment opportunities to help them develop holistically.

Robotics: It’s Not All Nuts and Bolts

Jun 15, 2017

A feeling of camaraderie filled the room as students shared their feelings of anxiousness and pride with other students at the third annual Green Dot Robotics Competition.

Assembly member Gipson Honors Ánimo Watts Teacher

Jun 13, 2017

Assemblymember Mike Gipson honored Ánimo Watts teacher Lesley Quinteros for her commitment to her community and her students.

Inglewood to Stanford: a Green Dot Alumnus Makes His Way

Jun 7, 2017

As he walked through the ivory columns of one of California’s most distinguished academic institution, Ánimo Inglewood Charter High School alumnus and valedictorian Jeramiah Winston asked himself, “Do I belong here?”

How We Build Community Among Our Graduates

Jun 1, 2017

Last month, hundreds of students and educators gathered to celebrate our college-bound seniors’ journey into higher education at the fourth annual Launch to College event.

Maguire: ‘We have never been more certain of your boundless potential’

May 25, 2017

In her acceptance speech, 2017 Green Dot Principal of the Year Meghan Maguire shares an inspiring message.

Happy Education Support Professionals Week!

May 21, 2017

This week is Education Support Professionals Week in California. Green Dot would like to thank our campus security officers, parent coordinators, office assistants, school operations managers and instructional aides for the amazing work they do for our students.

With the Help of Nasa, Green Dot Students Visit Mars

May 18, 2017

Earlier this month, courtesy of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, students at Alain LeRoy Locke College Preparatory Academy were transported to another planet: Mars. Three designers and engineers from JPL visited Locke to speak with students as part of its JetSpace Talks series.

Creating Scholarship Opportunities at Green Dot’s First 5K

May 17, 2017

This spring, the teachers union representing our teachers in California, Asociación de Maestros Unidos, and Green Dot worked together to host the First Annual Race to College 5K Fun(d) Run.

Locke Students Reflect on South LA’s History and Write a New Chapter…in Their Own Book

May 9, 2017

Students at Alain LeRoy Locke College Preparatory Academy are soon-to-be published authors. Locke was selected by 826LA to participate in their annual Young Authors Book Project. Their book, When the Moon is Up, will be available for purchase on May 19th, 2017.

Tiana Diggs: The Fulfillment of a Promise

May 9, 2017

I was a first year teacher with Green Dot, and at my very first All Green Dot Day I remember feeling so lost and overwhelmed with all I had to do to prepare for my students. Today, I am not only a Physical Sciences teacher, but also a Demo Classroom teacher, an Instructional Leadership teacher, a Professional Development Leader, and a New Mentor teacher. Through these roles I have the privilege of coaching and mentoring teachers from across the Green Dot network.

Middle School After School Programs: the Risk of Cutting Back Expanded Learning

May 5, 2017

While we strategically schedule classes to provide appropriate interventions, our after school programs provide middle school and high school students with a space for additional support and academic enrichment. This is why we refer to our after school programs as expanded learning.

National Association Recognizes Locke Music Program

May 4, 2017

This April, ninety-two schools across the country were recognized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for prioritizing music education in their curriculum. Green Dot’s own Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy received the Support Music Merit Award for the second year in a row, acknowledging our commitment to ensure students have access to the widely understood benefit of music education.