The “I Have A Dream” Foundation – Los Angeles (IHADLA) is extremely grateful for the support of the Los Angeles Clippers and the LA Clippers Foundation. Thanks to their generous community outreach, several of our students (whom we affectionately call our “Dreamer scholars”) recently had the opportunity to go on an activity-packed enrichment trip to the Bay Area, during which they toured the Verizon Innovation Center and the Airbnb headquarters and had the opportunity to watch their hometown Clippers compete against the Golden State Warriors! Read on for details of the Dreamer scholars’ exciting and educational trip.

Our Inglewood Dreamer scholars Experienced an Activity-Packed Trip Thanks to the LA Clippers

The Dreamer scholars arrived in Oakland for their two-day Bay Area trip excited and ready to experience everything in store for them. Erik Sanchez, our Inglewood IHADLA program assistant, served as chaperone during the trip, and he did a great job guiding the Dreamer scholars during their experience. The group began their day with a delicious breakfast at Black Bear Diner, a local breakfast spot known for its great comfort food. In addition to giving the Dreamer scholars a chance to start their day off with an energizing meal, this time gave them a chance to talk, bond, and discuss all the activities planned for later in the day. After finishing their meal, our group of students was ready for the first activity: a tour of the Verizon Innovation Center in San Francisco!

The Dreamer scholars Checked Out Exciting New Technology and Learned about STEM Careers at the Verizon Innovation Center

The San Francisco Verizon Innovation Center provides technology services to help companies test and optimize their products in order to get them to market quickly. It’s a facility full of sleek, high-tech design and technology, and our Dreamer scholars had the opportunity to take a full tour of the facility and its different departments. The Dreamer scholars also were able to watch several presentations and demonstrations hosted by the Innovation Center Staff, which provided insights into the exciting technology being worked on at the Center. The Dreamer scholars even had the opportunity to speak with several employees about their work at the Center! These activities provided an invaluable opportunity for the Dreamer scholars to experience what it’s like to work in a STEM field and to become acquainted with several career opportunities they can pursue in the future. Not to mention, the stylish contemporary design of the facility led to many cool photo opportunities. The Dreamer scholars left the center with valuable new knowledge and insights that can serve them well later in their academic careers as they prepare for college.

Our Inglewood Dreamer scholars Had a Blast Watching the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Golden State Warriors

After a stop at the local Chart House restaurant for a delicious meal and fine dining experience, the Dreamer scholars headed to their final activity for the day: watching an exciting match-up between their hometown LA Clippers and the defending champion Golden State Warriors! Needless to say, our Dreamer scholars were particularly excited for this part of the trip. This exciting game gave the Dreamer scholars a chance to watch NBA superstars like Steph Curry and DeAndre Jordan battle on the court. It was a close game throughout, and the Dreamer scholars had a blast cheering and watching the exciting on-court action go down to the final minutes. Though the Warriors came away with the win over the Clippers, the Dreamer scholars had a lot of fun bonding and sharing the excitement of the game with their peers. It was an exciting cherry on top of a great first day of activities, and after the game the Dreamer scholars headed back to the hotel to get some rest and prepare for the second day of their trip.

The Dreamer scholars Took a Tour of the Airbnb Offices on the Second Day of their Enrichment Trip

The excitement continued on the second day of the Dreamer scholars’ trip, during which they toured the San Francisco offices of Airbnb! The Dreamer scholars got a full VIP tour of Airbnb’s facilities, and they had the opportunity to ask the staff about the company, their offices, and the technology they use to provide their services. Each area of the Airbnb headquarters is themed after an Airbnb in a different part of the world, so the Dreamer scholars also had fun seeing the great designs and art on display. Of course, they also got an introduction to what Airbnb’s programmers and other tech staff members do for the company, so the tour also served as a great introduction to what people employed in the programming field do on a daily basis. Along with the trip to the Verizon Innovation Center, this tour gave the Dreamer scholars a great overview of what they can expect if they decide to pursue a career in a STEM field.

The Dreamer scholars Returned Home to Los Angeles with Valuable New Insights into STEM Fields and Careers

The Dreamer scholars ended their trip with a visit to Zachary’s Chicago Pizza, after which they headed to the airport and came back home to Los Angeles. Thanks to this amazing trip, the Dreamer scholars now have valuable first-hand insight into STEM careers they can pursue in the future; these are insights that are difficult to obtain for students in underserved areas, so they are particularly valuable in our Dreamer scholars’ cases. Of course, they also had a chance to bond over the excitement of watching the Clippers game and the experience of fine dining in the Bay Area. These are the experiences that build life-long friendships among our Dreamer scholars and transform our program into the “I Have A Dream” Family. All our attendees, including our program assistant Erik, loved the trip and were very grateful for the experience.

Our Gratitude Goes Out to the LA Clippers Foundation!

Thank you very much to everyone involved in making this experience possible for our Dreamer scholars, including the staff at the Verizon Innovation Center and at the Airbnb headquarters. And special thanks to the Los Angeles Clippers and the LA Clippers Foundation for organizing this trip for us! Our Dreamer scholars and all the members of the IHADLA staff are extremely grateful for your support and commitment to helping the Los Angeles community.

Check out more photos from the Dreamer scholar’s Bay Area enrichment trip below. We look forward to bringing you more news of our Dreamer scholars’ enrichment and education trips as they continue on their path to and through college!

More Photos from the Dreamer scholars’ LA Clippers Enrichment Trip

How You Can Help IHADLA

If you would like to help us continue to offer enrichment trips and other academic and socio-emotional support for our Dreamer scholars, please visit our How You Can Help page by clicking the graphic below or navigating to the How You Can Help tab on our website. You can get involved with IHADLA in many ways, such as by donating, volunteering, mentoring, or being a Dream Speaker for our students.