About
Heart of Los Angeles Youth Programs offers after-school academic programs along with arts, athletics, music, and wellness programs. Participants can take part in activities such as basketball leagues and clinics, physical education, and active camps for kids interested in basketball, soccer, and football. The program also includes choir, orchestra, band, visual arts, youth and intergenerational orchestras, jazz and rock bands, choirs, chamber ensembles, and intergenerational groups like an orchestra, choir, and big band, as well as hands-on Scientific Arts (SciArts) experimentation and SmartStart Elementary creative, hands-on learning and collaboration.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Price: Heart of Los Angeles provides underserved kids with an equal chance to succeed, delivering a comprehensive array of after-school academic, arts, athletics, music, and wellness programs for youth ages 6-24. Heart of Los Angeles’ out of school programs complement and enhance youths’ academic experience through exceptional, free, integrated programs and personalized guidance in a trusted, nurturing environment.
Heart of Los Angeles was founded in 1989 and, over the past 35 years, has served over 50,000 kids, now serving more than 3,100 kids each year. Music has been a core component of Heart of Los Angeles since 1993, growing from private and informal lessons to multiple ensembles and intergenerational groups. The organization is led by Chief Executive Officer Tony Brown and Founder Mitchel Moore.
Heart of Los Angeles states that it envisions a future where every young person has the opportunity to realize their full potential and that it builds quality connections between K–12 leaders, families, and local organizations to holistically serve kids in Los Angeles’ historically underserved neighborhoods. Heart of Los Angeles is a 501(c)(3) charity.
Heart of Los Angeles serves more than 4,000 students across eight locations and offers over 330 weekly classes on sites across the city. Through partnerships with hundreds of organizations, it offers leadership and advocacy opportunities for youth and their families, and it partners with the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) and Koreatown Youth + Community Center (KYCC) to provide academic programs at three FamilySource Centers in Pico Union, Watts, and Southeast LA. Heart of Los Angeles collaborates with the Los Angeles Unified School District through the Black Student Achievement Plan initiative to provide Visual Arts and College and Career Success programs for Black students, and it partners with WLCAC in Watts to offer a Leadership program through the Media Career Pathways Prototype initiative for young people exploring creative careers in gaming, animation, and music production. Heart of Los Angeles acknowledges that it operates on land that belongs to indigenous people and tribes, among them the Chumash, Kizh, and Tongva, and contributes annually to the First Nations Development Institute.
According to a Heart of Los Angeles student, the teachers made the student feel comfortable asking for help and showed that learning subjects like math and English can be fun. One parent, Asusena Santana, reports that the sports program, including basketball with Coach Kristina, has been life-changing and that in three years of involvement everyone has been treated equally. Another parent, Kathia Garcia-Ledezma, states that Heart of Los Angeles has enabled her kids to attend special events with celebrity athletes, travel abroad, and gain confidence, and describes the staff as excellent, motivated, and dedicated mentors. Chief Executive Officer Tony Brown states that Heart of Los Angeles gives youth in the communities it serves a chance to reach their full potential.
Last updated June 29, 2026.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Price: Heart of Los Angeles provides underserved kids with an equal chance to succeed, delivering a comprehensive array of after-school academic, arts, athletics, music, and wellness programs for youth ages 6-24. Heart of Los Angeles’ out of school programs complement and enhance youths’ academic experience through exceptional, free, integrated programs and personalized guidance in a trusted, nurturing environment.
Heart of Los Angeles was founded in 1989 and, over the past 35 years, has served over 50,000 kids, now serving more than 3,100 kids each year. Music has been a core component of Heart of Los Angeles since 1993, growing from private and informal lessons to multiple ensembles and intergenerational groups. The organization is led by Chief Executive Officer Tony Brown and Founder Mitchel Moore.
Heart of Los Angeles states that it envisions a future where every young person has the opportunity to realize their full potential and that it builds quality connections between K–12 leaders, families, and local organizations to holistically serve kids in Los Angeles’ historically underserved neighborhoods. Heart of Los Angeles is a 501(c)(3) charity.
Heart of Los Angeles serves more than 4,000 students across eight locations and offers over 330 weekly classes on sites across the city. Through partnerships with hundreds of organizations, it offers leadership and advocacy opportunities for youth and their families, and it partners with the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) and Koreatown Youth + Community Center (KYCC) to provide academic programs at three FamilySource Centers in Pico Union, Watts, and Southeast LA. Heart of Los Angeles collaborates with the Los Angeles Unified School District through the Black Student Achievement Plan initiative to provide Visual Arts and College and Career Success programs for Black students, and it partners with WLCAC in Watts to offer a Leadership program through the Media Career Pathways Prototype initiative for young people exploring creative careers in gaming, animation, and music production. Heart of Los Angeles acknowledges that it operates on land that belongs to indigenous people and tribes, among them the Chumash, Kizh, and Tongva, and contributes annually to the First Nations Development Institute.
According to a Heart of Los Angeles student, the teachers made the student feel comfortable asking for help and showed that learning subjects like math and English can be fun. One parent, Asusena Santana, reports that the sports program, including basketball with Coach Kristina, has been life-changing and that in three years of involvement everyone has been treated equally. Another parent, Kathia Garcia-Ledezma, states that Heart of Los Angeles has enabled her kids to attend special events with celebrity athletes, travel abroad, and gain confidence, and describes the staff as excellent, motivated, and dedicated mentors. Chief Executive Officer Tony Brown states that Heart of Los Angeles gives youth in the communities it serves a chance to reach their full potential.
Last updated June 29, 2026.
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