P116Y210003

Long Beach City College Phoenix Scholars Project Abstract

Long Beach City College (LBCC) is one of the largest colleges in the California Community College 

System, serving 34,464 students in 2020-21. Of these students, 58% were economically 

disadvantaged and received some form of need-based financial aid. The College is a minoritymajority serving institution with Latinx-identifying students representing 53% of the student 

population. LBCC holds two federal minority-serving institution designations and is both a Hispanic 

Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American/Native American/Pacific Islander Serving 

Institution (AANAPISI).

The Phoenix Scholars Program will support current and former gang-involved youth (16 to 24 years 

old) with a clear, inclusive, and supportive college pathway leading to workforce opportunities. The 

Phoenix Scholars Program is designed to provide an ecosystem of college-based and local 

community-based support services, programs, and resources that will increase the likelihood of 

success for this vulnerable population. The provision of services, programs, and resources will be 

grounded in an understanding of the social, academic, and personal experiences and (mis)treatment 

of gang-associated youth in the K-12 education systems.

The Phoenix Scholars long-term project goals are to 1) create a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe 

campus climate; 2) increase by number of project participants earning credentials; 3) increase 

number of project participants active in paid internships/ work experiences; and 4) decrease ganginvolvement and engagement in behaviors that can lead to juvenile or adult justice system. Related 

project activities have been designed to lend towards institutionalization of high impact practices. 

This proposal addresses the solicitation’s Competitive Preference Priority of creating a positive, 

inclusive, and identify-safe climate in three ways. The first way is by fostering a sense of belonging 

and inclusion for participants through the development of intentional onboard and orientation, 

professional development for Long Beach City College constituents, needs assessments that will 

inform program implementation, community building activities and social gatherings, and structured 

mentoring relationships. 

The second way this climate will be created is by basing implementation and program activities on 

evidence-based practices that will advance student success for students that are gang-involved. The 

Phoenix Scholars program is designed around a logic model structured to provide long-term 

outcomes that will impact participants academic, professional, and personal achievements. This 

model incorporates evidence-based research and practices to support current and former ganginvolved individuals.

The third way LBCC will create this climate is by providing high-quality professional development 

opportunities that will reduce bias. This professional development will be provided by Dr. Adrian 

Huerta, a national expert on gang-involved populations and college access and equity, and by Centro 

CHA, a local community organization with strong community ties, decades of experience, and 

whose gang intervention programs have served as models for those of the City of Long Beach and 

other municipalities.