School Volunteer Impacted Incarceration at Village Girls Academy

Overview

POPS the Club started in 2013 at Venice High School as a method of supporting youth who have loved ones in prison to hope and healing. POPS was established as a 501(c)3 in early 2014, and as of June 2019, clubs have been established in eight high schools in Los Angeles, as well as in Georgia, New York, and Pennsylvania. POPS publishes an annual anthology of POPS students' and graduates' writings and artwork.

Our goal is to bring the POPS program to high schools across the country. The impact of the support of peers, a curriculum focused on self-expression, mindfulness, and community engagement has been profoundly healing.

Below please find links to a few stories that help to tell the tale:

LA Weekly:

Edutopia Magazine: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

NPR Press Play:

The mission of The PATHfinder Club is to create supportive paths for youth whose lives have been impacted by incarceration, detention and deportation. We co-create a community where Club members feel comfortable and confident to stay in school and graduate, set and achieve goals, expand their resilience, conquer challenges, embrace opportunities for healing and self-expression and connect in meaningful ways with their peers, loved ones and their community.

Through our network of clubs across the country, our program supports youth in a variety of settings.
TPC is looking for volunteers for New Village Girls Academy's meetings. These meetings are held weekly during lunch on Mondays. This opportunity will start in Fall 2025 and continue through the end of the academic year. We ask for volunteers to commit through the duration of the entire School year for one hour a week.

Check out our website to learn more:
The Pathfinder Club