PSP scholars and mentors kicked off the school year with an excursion in downtown LA!  The Lennox and El Monte communities met together at Grand Central Market, where we spent time together in workshops before sampling the variety of food stalls at the market.

We started the day with a workshop showing students how they can start building wealth now! Money & Milkshakes introduced the concept of Roth IRA’s and emphasized the importance of saving money at an early age. It was a very eye-opening presentation for scholars and mentors alike.

We followed this up with a group planning session to brainstorm outings for the rest of the year. The time spent researching proved to be very productive and dozens of events were discovered. This led to the creation of a shared PSP calendar listing all of the great ideas that were shared. A very handy tool to use for scheduling their monthly activities!  During lunch, the group had an abundance of cuisines to choose from at Grand Central Market.  Everyone received Market Dollars to spend as they pleased.  Scholars tried a variety of ethnic foods, from tacos and pupusas to ramen and noodles. Everything looked delicious! After lunch, the group rode the Angel’s Flight tram up the hill.

Our final stop was a guided tour of the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit at the LA Grand. The tour guides walked us through the life of Basquiat and explained his evolution as an artist. It was an immersive experience with vibrant colors, music and lights. As one student shared about the graffiti-influenced art “This art really speaks to me!”