We’re excited to share a mid-year update on some of the incredible work from our 2025 grantee cohort. This year, instead of written reports, five recipients of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation supported LA2050 Grants Challenge awards joined us for a conversation to reflect on their progress. We’ve summarized that discussion to highlight key accomplishments, lessons learned, and what’s ahead for each organization.

So far this year, the cohort has made significant progress advancing solutions that strengthen youth economic advancement across Los Angeles County, from expanding access to wraparound services, to building trusted relationships that keep young people engaged, and creating real-world pathways that help youth move from goals to action.

Keep reading for key takeaways from our full discussion with: Better Youth, Coalition for Engaged Education, Confluence Rising, Los Angeles City College Foundation, and Pathway to Kinship.

Wraparound Support Removes the “Hidden Barriers”

Across organizations, the message was consistent: youth can’t fully engage in training or career planning if immediate needs are unmet. Food access, transportation, housing stability, documentation support, and responsive case management aren’t “extra” services, they’re foundational. When young people feel safe and supported, they can focus on longer-term goals like learning, credentialing, and employment.

What’s working for organizations is meeting immediate needs while building a plan for longer-term stability.

• “We engage our clients through varied experiences…we feed them [at] every event…because if you’re hungry, you’re not able to think about going to [programming]. You have other priorities.” - Coalition for Engaged Education
• “We understand that workforce works in tandem with housing. We cannot have apprentices on park benches, and expect them to be successful.” - Better Youth

Coaching and Community Build Confidence and Persistence

A second theme was the power of trusted relationships: one-on-ones, mentorship, and peer connection, especially for young people navigating systems and transitions. Organizations emphasized that “showing up” looks different for each participant, and that support works best when it's individualized and trauma-informed. Across programs, early progress wasn’t only about technical skills; it also looked like confidence, readiness, and youth practicing next steps together.

What’s working for organizations is pairing individualized, trauma-informed coaching with spaces where young people can build peer connection and practice together.

• “We’ve hired a trauma-informed success coach…and we’re going to provide regular one-on-ones, academic guidance, and mental wellness check-ins for the students.…” - Los Angeles City College Foundation
• “We support justice-involved youth through trauma-informed mentorship and wraparound services that address critical needs such as food, housing stability, transportation, identification, and mental health so participants can focus on their future. Through individualized case management, staff with lived reentry experience build trust while guiding youth through vocational pathways—including barbering, office administration, and reentry coaching—that promote healing, confidence, and long-term economic stability while providing crucial resources for successful reentry...” - Pathway to Kinship

Real-world Pathways Make Goals feel Possible

Lastly, the cohort reinforced that youth economic advancement becomes real when opportunities are concrete: practical exposure, honest conversations, and clear pathways to training and work. Several organizations shared how important it is to demystify careers, including the “unspoken” parts of professional life, so young people can make informed decisions and build networks that support long-term growth.

What’s working for organizations is creating tangible, real-world pathways, and giving young people the information and relationships they need to navigate them confidently.

• “Young people will do…round robins with five different professionals…ask them questions…even questions about their salary, really open and honest questions about their careers…so they can grow their [professional] network…” - Confluence Rising

Together, these five organizations are showing what it looks like to move youth economic advancement from a concept to reality. We’re grateful to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for making this work possible, and to each grantee for the leadership they bring to Los Angeles County. We look forward to sharing more as the cohort continues building momentum, and to learning alongside them as they strengthen the systems, supports, and opportunities young people deserve.

Photo Credit: Los Angeles City College Foundation