The Next Level

Pacific Palisades-Based Nonprofit Level UP LA Celebrates Student-Led Initiatives

By ALLIE YANG | Intern

When it comes to giving back to schools in the area, Pacific Palisades-based nonprofit Level UP LA had no shortage of success as it wrapped up its fourth year in operation at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

In addition to fundraisers and school clinics that members facilitated throughout the year, Level UP LA capped it off with an End-of-Year Celebration and Career Day at one of its partner schools, Coliseum Street Elementary.

Level UP LA was founded by a group of teenagers in the Palisades, including Zach Haas and his mother Claire, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the organization has been largely student-run, with teams consisting of Palisades Charter High School, Marymount High School, Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, Brentwood School, The Archer School for Girls, Windward School and Marlborough School students.

As a result, to execute its mission of “[strengthening] under-resourced Los Angeles community schools by providing financial support that helps to Level Up the primary schools’ educational experience,” Level UP LA has adopted long-term volunteer partnerships with Coliseum Street Elementary and Maple Primary Center.

At Coliseum Street Elementary, Level UP LA’s Career Day introduced classes to members of a variety of professions, including clothing design, sports management, architecture, law and medicine. Claire believed the event expanded students’ perspectives on their future goals, giving school administration hope as well.

“It’s been a huge opportunity … because a lot of times these kids don’t have access to other career paths and this gives them some understanding of different opportunities in the world,” Claire said. “There were several teachers that were brought to tears having the exposure for these young kids to the different opportunities out there. A lot of times you’re taught what’s in your bubble, so we’ve had amazing feedback from the school on how helpful that is.”

In order to host these experiences at their partnered schools, Level UP LA works to meet yearly fundraising goals. For 2023-24, Level UP LA’s ultimate goal was $120,000. Co-President and Crossroads senior Harry Bryan said the fundraising strategies ranged from local word of mouth to large business pitches.

“Sometimes … we’ll be going, like Claire said, and doing pitches to large corporate companies asking for multiple years of sponsorship,” Bryan said. “All the members send letters to their family and friends and people they know, spreading awareness about Level UP, and we get donations from there too.”

In addition to Coliseum’s Career Day, Level UP LA also hosted an End-of-Year celebration that consisted of a schoolwide art project as well as stations for activities like basketball, baseball and dance. This effort supported students in finding their extracurricular interests, some of which were newly introduced options to the school itself.

“It’s a way for students to make friends after school and delve more into their own interests because maybe the school hasn’t touched on that,” said Darby Rastegar, a graduating senior at Pali High and 2023 Level UP LA president. “Only recently we got a dance teacher, so it’s really exciting for them to participate in something that’s really personal to what they like after school.”

As Level UP LA moves forward to its fifth year, it will continue prioritizing schools’ needs based on administrative recommendations in order to gain a comprehensive idea on how to enhance student experiences.

“I don’t want to lose sight of what the primary goal Level UP LA is, which is always to go first to the principal and the teachers and to hear from them what their most important needs are,” Claire said. “It could be adding new partner schools, they might need computers first, they may need smartboards first, they may need more reading materials. It’s hard to know until we connect directly.”

For more information or to support the efforts of Level UP LA, visit leveluplosangeles.org.