Adapting to Change: My Unexpected Journey at SLATE-Z

By Luca Johnson

I started my position as a VISTA at SLATE-Z in February 2025. When I discovered the AmeriCorps job listing, SLATE-Z immediately caught my attention. The organization seemed perfectly aligned with my background in urban mobility and environmental justice, as well as my personal experience researching and using public transportation in Los Angeles. I was particularly drawn to initiatives like Universal Basic Mobility and Fareless Transit, which supported a vision of South Los Angeles that works for everyone, using transit to connect people with opportunities to transform their lives.  

Unfortunately, within the first few weeks of my new position, I learned that SLATE-Z would be closing in a few months and ceasing operations. As the organization was changing, and suddenly ramping down, my role, and even my onboarding process became less clear-cut. There is no playbook for how to train an employee signed on just before an organization is slated to shut down.  

After receiving this news, I was faced with a different set of options than I was expecting. Because operations were shifting from regularly scheduled programming to close-out procedures, I could have taken a passive role during this transition. I decided that, however short my time at SLATE-Z would be, I would actively seek out tasks that would allow me to grow as much as possible during my time with the organization. I worked with the communications team to create an impact report highlighting SLATE-Z's achievements and to communicate the organization’s closure to key partners. I also contributed to a social media campaign for the final 10 days of operations, offering a public farewell to SLATE-Z’s online audience.  

Additionally, I leveraged SLATE-Z’s long-established connections to arrange a steady stream of informational interviews. Through these conversations, I gained valuable insights into transit and community development in Los Angeles, which has helped me clarify my professional next steps. I’m taking so much of the information I’ve learned about transit and mobility in Los Angeles to expand my research paper on spatial justice and user experience on LA’s public transit – the very thing that brought me to this position in the first place. 

 Throughout this process, I’ve learned so much about the work that SLATE-Z has done for Los Angeles, and how crucial our role as a convener has been for organizing in South Los Angeles. It's safe to say that this organization will be sorely missed by the community. I’ve experienced the kindness and helpfulness of everyone on the SLATE-Z team and feel so lucky to have met them all. I’ve also learned about the tenuous position nonprofit organizations find themselves in with shifting circumstances at the federal level and beyond. I feel honored to have been a part of SLATE-Z’s mission, even for such a short time. While SLATE-Z’s closure was an unexpected turn, it’s been an invaluable learning experience, and I’m grateful for the connections I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned about working in community development and transit. 

Fostering Economic Revitalization and Community Empowerment in South LA

By Eddy French

After graduating last spring from Cal Poly San Luis Obispio with my undergraduate degree in anthropology and geography, I was eager to apply my academic knowledge to real-world challenges. Joining SLATE-Z through AmeriCorps VISTA as the Jobs Workgroup Associate and Data Analyst Associate has been an incredible opportunity to do just that. Beginning in August 2024, this role has allowed me to work closely with diverse communities in South Los Angeles, combining my passion for equitable urban development with hands-on experience in a nonprofit setting. My time at SLATE-Z has not only deepened my understanding of urban inequity but has also reinforced my commitment to pursuing a master’s degree in urban planning and public policy after completing my service year.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of SLATE-Z is the mission of fostering economic revitalization and community empowerment in South LA. As the Data Analyst, I leverage my skills to support initiatives that directly impact job creation and workforce development in the Promise Zone. As head of the Jobs Workgroup, I have facilitated meetings focused on connecting employment and education pathways for South Los Angeles youth. Additionally, conducting a series of interviews with key stakeholders to identify what constitutes a “green job” underscored the importance of highlighting community voices in the planning process. Being part of an organization that prioritizes community voices in the planning process is particularly inspiring, and I witnessfirsthand how collaborative decision-making can lead to sustainable solutions to address community needs. This approach aligns deeply with my values and aspirations, as I hope to continue advocating for inclusive planning processes in my future academic and professional endeavors.

Dedicating my time through AmeriCorps has been a rewarding experience that underscores the importance of service. Growing up in Los Angeles, I’ve seen the profound impacts of urban inequality and the resilience of communities working to overcome systemic challenges. This role has provided me with a unique perspective on the inner workings of a nonprofit organization and the complexities of addressing socioeconomic disparities. It has also strengthened my resolve to contribute meaningfully to the creation of equitable urban spaces.

Looking ahead, I am excited to build on the experiences and lessons I have gained during my time at SLATE-Z. The organization’s commitment to amplifying community voices and fostering collaboration has not only shaped my approach to urban development but also inspired me to continue advocating for systemic change. As I prepare to take the next step in my academic journey, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve and learn from the vibrant communities of South Los Angeles.

It's Always the Right Time to Give Back

By Stephanie Wilson

I’m excited and invigorated to be a VISTA member supporting SLATE-Z and the amazing work in the South Los Angeles Promise Zone.  It’s hard to recognize when we are exactly where we should be. I have the honor of being the Resource Development Associate in the Foster Youth and Education Workgroups.  At SLATE-Z, my role as a VISTA allows me to support the Workgroups and Co-Chairs of these vital groups. Life, for me, is an ongoing experience with benefits in abundance. If we take the time and do the work, we see the possibilities in every action and challenge. The Education Workgroup recently met with presenters, including David Rincon from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Betsy Blanchard from the Youth Business Alliance, whose programs guide underserved youth to future living wage work opportunities. SLATE-Z partners promote awareness of the options they may have never thought would be available in healthcare professions. The Youth Business Alliance provides options for youth who want to become entrepreneurs. Of course, you can only do so much in one meeting, but based on the conversation, partners look forward to collaborating and are scheduling time to move forward. More than 30 partners in attendance are collectively thinking about the possibilities of creating living wage jobs and careers for the youth in South Los Angeles.

What’s great about SLATE-Z is the teamwork that goes into every committee, activity, and collective action. As a VISTA, I am learning how SLATE-Z’s strategic planning process supports the success of each lever and workgroup.  We work and train together, exhibiting how the backbone supports the body and stands straight and tall to build an unshakable foundation moving forward.

I’m a VISTA who is slightly different.  How different, you may ask?  Well, I am a graduate student with great-grandkids.  Yes, it’s not a typo. It may be considered unusual, but I am delighted to have an opportunity to serve as a VISTA, especially in a Promise Zone.  I am familiar with many partners working to make Los Angeles a place where residents have the tools to achieve fulfilling lives with dignity and purpose. Community pride is exhibited in the number of individuals who support the activities or the co-chairs' commitment to examine ways they can facilitate meaningful capacity-building opportunities for future generations. There is so much to learn and build upon in South Los Angeles, and being part of the VISTA team is allowing me a slightly different VISTA, it is a dream come true.

When someone asks what VISTA is, I say it’s people like me and you giving of themselves to serve the communities that need to become stronger, happier, and better together.  VISTA programs allow people of all ages to get involved.  Finally, I say check out VISTA and see if your service or the service of someone you know will improve your community or another community needing help.

What do you consider a Green Job?

By Ruth McCormack

Working at the intersection of economic revitalization and environmental sustainability, SLATE-Z is exploring the question: what is a “Green Job” in South Los Angeles? 

For the past year our Jobs Workgroup has led a Job Growth Series, with green jobs as one of its central themes. Joelle Sabater, an AmeriCorps VISTA lead for SLATE-Z, led the first two occurrences of the series. In conjunction, she examined the state of green jobs in South Los Angeles, which culminated in a report: the State of Green Jobs in South Los Angeles. 

The report explores the historical need for a climate-resilient economy, policies that are now spurring economic growth, and work that SLATE-Z partners are currently undertaking. There is not one definition of a “Green Job” in California. Sabater interviewed leaders in the Promise Zone to understand how this has affected their work. The broad definition creates a need for focused working groups to address aspects of this emerging sector. SLATE-Z is continuing its Job Growth Series in 2025 to connect its partners and create new career pathways for South Los Angeles Residents.  

SLATE-Z is in its tenth year, with eight as the backbone organization for the South Los Angeles Promise Zone. Promise Zones are a 10-year designation by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department focused on the economic improvement of residents, students, and businesses. Only two years are left in the designation, and through five levers of change SLATE-Z has been hard at work to convene its partners to revitalize the economy in South Los Angeles. 

To learn more about the State of Green Jobs in South Los Angeles, read our report, linked here.