SCMP Gets Its Science On, From L.A. to Outer Space!

On Saturday, September 18, Second Chances Mentoring Program hosted its monthly outing at the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles!

Matt and Eli prepare to be transported through space by IMAX Hubble 3D!

Mentors and mentees started the day being transported into space with the IMAX Hubble 3D, joining astronauts on their daunting task of repairing the legendary Hubble Telescope, and exploring our universe.

Afterward, mentoring couples headed straight to the Science Center's newest exhibit gallery, ECOSYSTEMS! Eight different zones transported our mentors and mentees through Forests, Islands, Deserts, Poles, and even the Urban Zone of our hometown with hands-on activities, interactive displays, and even a live aquarium.

Second Chances After School Program Welcomes the 2010-2011 School Year!

Program Manager Lily Yu plays tic-tac-toe with one of our kindergartners

Monday, September 13th marked the first day of school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Second Chances was there to help launch students at 42nd Street Elementary into a brand new school year! 42nd Street Elementary School not only welcomed new students, but a new principal in Ms. Pittman-Ridgeway, and Second Chances looks forward to building and continuing great relationships with students, teachers, and staff.

Foundation for Second Chances also welcomes its new After School Program Manager, Lily Yu, with open arms! Lily is a UCLA graduate and substitute teacher with over 3 years of after school programming experience, and we can't wait for all the new and exciting plans she has in store for our kids.

In light of these new additions to our family, we are still extremely indebted to and thankful for the groundwork laid by 42nd Street Elementary School's former principal, Dr. Davis, and Second Chances After School Program's former manager, Jason Jones. We wish Dr. Davis the best of luck at her new school, and hope that Mr. Jones will still come visit us!

Come join us for an incredible school year by becoming a volunteer! Be a tutor, workshop leader, or even just a friend to our amazing kids. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Associate Director, Fatima Nelson, at fatima@ffscinc.org.

SCMP Goes for a Dip in the Pool!

On Saturday, August 28th, Second Chances mentor Jennifer Moran graciously hosted this month's group outing at her condominium complex's clubhouse and pool! Mentors and mentees came armed with swimsuits, potluck dishes, and plenty of energy.

While most of the day was spent making cannonballs, playing tag variations, and teaching mentees how to properly float in the water, we made plenty of time to eat a lot of great food, dabble in some arts and crafts, and decorate some delicious cupcakes!

Thanks so much to our mentor, Jenn, for making this without a doubt one of our favorite outings yet!

Tavis Smiley and Second Chances Beautify New Designs!

On August 22nd, 2010, approximately 150 students, ages 13-18, representing the Tavis Smiley Foundation's Youth to Leaders program worked in partnership with Foundation for Second Chances to continue the agency's efforts to transform the campus of New Designs Charter School.

These students, hailing from all over the U.S., experienced a week-long Leadership Institute at the UCLA campus in order to empower them with essential skills to become effective leaders in impacting community change. After a series of workshops and exercises, this group of dynamic teens put theory into practice when they arrived at New Designs Charter School in downtown Los Angeles.

Students cycled through three stations, including planting a flower garden and rolling out new grass, reviving a dull hallway with beautiful new colors, and creating art in a poetry workshop led by spoken word artist Andre Ruiz. Some students were (literally) getting their hands dirty for the first time, but all were inspired to put ideas into action and make visions into reality.

Foundation for Second Chances is grateful to the Tavis Smiley Foundation for the opportunity to work with such a talented and passionate group of youth in serving the South Los Angeles community. We also extend our greatest thanks for the Tavis Smiley Foundation's sponsorship of one of Second Chances' own students in attending the leadership conference.

Below, find a selection of pictures from the day's activities! You can view the full gallery of the beautification project HERE and pictures from all aspects of the Institute HERE.

Mentor Mash Up at La Cienega Park!

It was a beautiful Saturday morning on July 31st at La Cienega Park in Beverly Hills, where Second Chances Mentoring Program launched its second round of 2010! From the Name Game to the Final Relay Race, teams got to know one another and work together in order to send their Mummies through the finish line, morph themselves into Rocks and Caterpillars, tie balloons in a line with one hand, and share a piece of themselves while munching on M&M's.

SCMP Kick Off Highlights








Hall of Fame

Mentors and mentees will meet one last time before finally being matched! We can't wait to see all of you at Chuck E. Cheese next Saturday, August 14th for our Speed Mentoring event!

PS I Love You Foundation's Annual Day at the Beach!

On Saturday, July 24th, Second Chances Mentoring Program attended PS I Love You Foundation's 10th Annual Day at the Beach! This special mentoring event was a blast for our mentors and mentees to attend, and Second Chances is grateful for being able to participate for its second year in a row.

Kids received free beach gear (including boogie boards!), toys, and a pizza-and-ice-cream lunch! Free surf lessons, face painting, game booths, and--of course--the most epic relay race were among the activities for the day. Our group did it all and then some, building sandcastles, playing in the water, and catching some rays on a beautiful day in Manhattan Beach.

Second Chances definitely can't wait until next July, when we hope to participate in this fantastic event once again! Special thanks to Tess Johnson and Patricia Jones for putting on such an awesome program for at-risk youth in Los Angeles.

Aon United at New Designs Charter

“Don’t underestimate your talent and effort because a little is much. A little bit of help, even in one day, goes a long way.” – Janice, Aon (Los Angeles) Executive Assistant

“My favorite part was taking the group photo of Aon workers because I was really surprised by all the support from the employees." – Sheryl Marx, Aon (Irvine) Executive Assistant and Second Chances Mentor


Community empowerment and resilience don't stop at anything -- even when it's a scorching 99 degrees outside. The 77 Aon employees who checked in at New Designs Charter School on Thursday, July 15, are a living testament to that. Within just seven hours, Aon employees resurrected New Designs Charter School with a new mural, vegetable and flower gardens, new seating areas, pristine hallways, and freshly painted walls.

Before the inception of New Designs Charter School, the campus was a stomping ground for retired nuns. As you can imagine, re-landscaping the campus was direly needed. So instead of spending a day in the office, the Aon employees volunteered their time and effort into creating a comfortable school environment for 200 students.

So how is it that Aon, the world's leading risk advisor and human capital consultant, partnered with Foundation for Second Chances? This year marks the beginning of Aon's global charity initiative, which is a vital fraction of their sponsorship with Manchester United. All of the Aon branches in over 120 countries called for an international day of action on Thursday, July 15 to bring their wealth of knowledge, finance, and philanthropy into the community level.

Compassionate Aon employees were untied throughout the globe under Aon United Day, and brought positive change into their local communities. For instance, in Sacramento, Aon employees partnered with Project 680 to provide hygiene supplies to homeless youth. In the Netherlands, Aon employees participated in a charity bike ride and raised funds for youth sports programs in disadvantaged areas.

In Los Angeles, the beautification project was more than what FFSC expected. Aon employees did not hesitate to get down and dirty to get the job done, in addition to donating $500 worth of sports equipment to New Designs and a $5,000 check to the Second Chances Mentoring Program!

The great work done at New Designs will have a long-lasting effect on both students and the Second Chances community. Aon employees also left with an impression that community involvement is at the forefront of social change. There is a lot more work to be done, and it is only our hands that bring exact change.

--Menchie Caliboso, PR/Marketing Intern