Reflecting On Virtual Experiences
OLASTEO stands for our lives as seen through each other.
It’s a belief that new experiences enrich our lives and empower us to make change. When we open new doors, we also open ourselves up to new possibilities; to a new way to think, live, and dream.
In March of 2020, doors across the globe closed shut and all our lives shifted forever.
With so little known about the virus, we were forced to cancel our annual trip to Washington D.C. and, like the rest of the world, wait.
A few things became clear immediately.
This virus wasn’t going anywhere soon.
Our scholars couldn’t wait.
When you’re at that formative age, every day counts.
Faced with the prospect of having to postpone our excursions indefinitely and witnessing in real-time how the pandemic was disproportionately impacting the communities we serve, we decided to pivot.
We adapted our in-person excursion, taking the OLASTEO programming model and reformatting it for a safe, remote setting. Challenged but undeterred by the obstacles of our new world, we built a new program for our scholars called Virtual Experiences.
Here’s what happened next.
Reimagining What OLASTEO Can Be
As the world shut down, we got busy figuring out how to make our program work in a remote landscape. We took a long look at ourselves in the mirror and stripped our mission down to its core values. We asked ourselves both what these trips give our scholars and what our scholars give back to the trips.
Then we figured out how to translate those pillars into our new reality.
A Lineup of Inspiring Speakers: Organizers, politicians, and community leaders have always been key contributors to OLASTEO excursions. Moving the program to Zoom didn’t change this. We put together an incredible line-up of speakers that hosted thought-provoking and engaging conversations, with room for Q&As to hear directly from our scholars.
A Delicious Meal, Plus More: Access to delicious food, especially delicious food made with high-quality ingredients is a privilege. The foodie experience is a highlight of our excursions and so providing our students with excellent meals was a priority for our virtual program as well. We partnered with local food providers and restaurants to safely deliver curated meals and snacks. We also sent each scholar a welcome bag on both days, filled with OLASTEO gear, clothing from Hybrid Nation, books, a yearly subscription to Headspace, and much more.
A Good Time: Probably one of the hardest components of our programs to recreate was the fun. We want these experiences to be as enjoyable as they are rewarding. And a day in front of the screen can be daunting in the wrong hands. So we looked at what had worked for us before. Following the success of our last excursion which included a physical Escape Room, we held a virtual one, full of code-breaking, problem-solving, and some good old-fashioned team building.
A Sense of Community: Discussion is an essential piece of OLASTEO excursions. Driven by a sense of empathy and inclusivity, we expect each of our scholars to bring their own stories and learn from their peers. In this case, the pandemic actually gave us a new opportunity to grow and expand our communities. Because the programs were virtual, we could accept scholars from schools outside of Watts and partner with other community programs.
With lots of retooling and time spent figuring out how Zoom works, we finally had a program. Now it was time to bring in the scholars.
Summer 2020
The group that started it all.
Our debut Virtual Experience was joined by 20 students (13 new scholars & 7 alumni) and was our first sign that we had something special here.
Scholars met with an incredible lineup of speakers, including California State Senator, Lena A. Gonzalez, and author, scholar, speaker, and Freedom Writer, Manny Scott. Both shared their backgrounds and how they approached adversity with perseverance and dedication.
We also facilitated a workshop where Dr. Dan Prinzing, Executive Director of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, taught the importance of rising up in moments of injustice. Our scholars left the session motivated to make constructive contributions to reshape their world by combating intolerance and prejudice.
Participants also enjoyed a virtual escape room from Puzzle Break and food and gifts from Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, SÜPRMARKT, Hawkins House of Burgers, Tamales Elena y Antojitos, and Cobblermania.
The energy we put into planning this Virtual Experience came back to us in spades from our incredible scholars.
We were hooked.
In a pre-COVID world, being an OLASTEO scholar meant going on the annual trip to Washington D.C. Now we knew it could be so much more. And so we began planning our next experience, not for next summer, but for only 6 months later.
Winter 2021
Across two Fridays in February, we hosted 10 new students and 12 returning students and, excitingly, partnered with 5 different organizations across Los Angeles. By expanding our network of partners—something we were able to do for the first time because we met virtually—we were able to reach more kids, expose our scholars to more experiences, and expand our network of community outreach.
First, students met with restauranteur and Iron Chef America winner Justin Sutherland, followed by Russell Garnett, a program coordinator for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Law and Justice Initiatives and co-owner of Bros of the Grill. Scholars learned more about the history of genocide and the cycle of hate and injustice that can lead to such violence, as well as how they can be agents of change to break the cycle.
“History may necessarily not repeat itself. But it will oftentimes rhyme. And in order for us to switch up these lyrics and change the beat a bit, we have to be the persons to move the needle.” — Russell Garnett
On the second day, OLASTEO scholars spoke with Johanna Rodriguez, a Watts native and Mayor of Los Angeles's representative for the Harbor and Watts areas, then with Olympia Auset, the founder of OLASTEO food partner, SÜPRMARKT, a dedicated community leader and business owner who has made it her mission to get low-cost organic food to low-income communities.
And speaking of food, we also sent our students gift bags and meal deliveries courtesy of our BIPOC-owned food partners, Vurger Guyz, Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, Cobblermania, and Southern Girl Desserts.
It was an incredible two days and the second we got off the call, we started planning for the next one.
Spring 2021
That brings us full circle to Spring 2021, marking a year since the pandemic changed our lives forever, challenging everyone, and especially the communities we serve, with unprecedented circumstances.
All around us, we saw our society start to hit walls. But we weren’t slowing down.
In Spring of 2021, we held our third virtual experience, joined by 20 new scholars and 9 returning scholars, representing 7 partner organizations.
Up first: A conversation with Danny Trejo. Yes, that Danny Trejo. The legendary actor, social justice advocate, humanitarian, and restaurateur came to discuss how his passions for food, conversation, and empathy have inspired all of the work he does, both in front of the camera and around his community.
Afterward, they heard from Charles and Dynasty Taylor, founders of Mental Health in the Hood, whose mission is to expand awareness surrounding mental health perceptions, stigmas, and oppression amongst everyday people. As father and daughter co-directors, they advocate for the healing power of compassion, even and especially in areas where it is most lacking.
On the second day, scholars met with Samantha Fuentes, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student and gun violence prevention advocate. As a youth leader and organizer, Samantha served as a powerful role model for our scholars. Met with the most horrific of events, she chose to elevate her voice and stand up for what she believes in.
A message that would not be lost on the experience’s final speaker, Noelle Rodriguez. A successful professional dancer (she’s shared the stage with Beyoncé, Sam Smith, and Janet Jackson), Noelle empowers young dancers to use their voices and bodies to be unapologetically themselves, no matter where they come from or how they look.
And because it wouldn’t be an OLASTEO experience without delicious food, our partners once again sent scholars lunch and snacks from BIPOC-owned local establishments.
Special thanks to Trejo's Tacos, Trejo's Coffee & Donuts, Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, Southern Girl Desserts, East Los Sweets, Tamales Elena y Antojitos, Pipcorn, and PathWater for believing in and feeding these awesome students.
Hear From The Scholars
Across 3 programs, we were able to impact 71 scholars, exposing them to ideas, stories, and experiences that we believe they’ll carry with them forever.
We asked them to share what these days meant to them and we’ll share a few of their answers here:
“OLASTEO continually exposes me to new ideas and reminds me why it is important to take a step back and put ourselves in each other's shoes.” — Bryan Santos
"The OLASTEO Virtual Experience takes advantage of the accessibility of the virtual world. This allows OLASTEO to bring in speakers from different backgrounds to share their life journeys, teaching us how, despite their circumstances, they were able to overcome and thrive. These are the type of role models that students relate to, need to hear from, and can inspire to be. The huge added plus is that OLASTEO's foodie inspired lunches and snacks are second to none!" — Yuli Pineda
“All my life, I've been taught that the ultimate goal is to “escape the hood,” but if everyone just escapes, no real change will ever truly be in play. My life goal is to help enact progressive change, giving back to my people, and inspiring others just as I've been.” — Stephanie Corral
We’re so grateful to these scholars for all the resilience and grace they showed during this time. Their positive outlooks prove that the future certainly can be bright, so long as we put it in their very capable hands.
Their words motivate us to work even harder.
Going Back To Our Roots
Beginning in the second half of 2021 and moving into 2022, we’re going back to our in-person events. We’ve got excursions planned for Los Angeles, Madison, Atlanta, Selma, and Montgomery, and back to Washington D.C. Our team is buzzing to get our scholars back on buses, planes, and experiencing first-hand the rich, cultural, and historic fabric of these places.
Onward and upward.
To our extraordinary group of scholars that attended our Virtual Experiences; All we can say is thank you. By sharing your perspectives, opening yourselves up to new ones, and committing to engage in your community and enact social change, you have set down a path of something special. We can’t wait to see what you do next and we’re always here for you.
Above all else, we’re grateful to still be here to keep doing our thing.
Thank you for your support and we’ll see you in the skies.
2018 Washington D.C. Trip - Ivan, Yamileth, and Yuli