Investing In Our Future

Each year, AALA awards scholarships to outstanding LAUSD students for their academic achievement, school/community service, and their need.  Students in traditional high schools, options schools, and community adult schools are eligible to apply for these awards.  The application period is generally  from January to the first of March each year.

School-site administrators, principals and assistant principals, and the college counselor are emailed copies of the application to duplicate and distribute to interested students, and the application is also available on the AALA website.

An AALA Scholarship Committee reads and selects the recipients from the applications received. The number of scholarships awarded is determined in large part by the amount of donations received by the Friends of AALA, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to raise funds for the scholarship program.

Once the students are selected, they are invited to the annual Scholarship and Community Awards Banquet held in May where they receive their awards.   The students’ parents and/or guardians are also guests at the banquet.  The evening is a wonderful celebration of academic excellence and extraordinary service.  It is an evening that showcases the accomplishments of LAUSD students.  Among the special scholarships presented are the following:

• Dr. William J. Johnston Leadership Scholarship—Established by AALA in 2011 to honor an outstanding retired superintendent.
• Jack H. Silas Social Justice Scholarship—Established by AALA in 2012 to honor an outstanding retired administrator and AALA staff member.
• Jack Moscowitz Memorial Scholarship–Established in 2014 to honor a special colleague and friend.
• Dr. Judith Perez Scholarship–Established in 2015 to honor an outstanding educator and AALA President.
• Nellie and Bernard Kleiner Memorial Scholarship–Established in 2017 by Neal Kleiner and Karen Miller in memory of their parents, strong public education supporters and believers in a college education for all students.

If you have questions regarding the scholarship program, please contact Gema Pivaral in the AALA office at 213.484.2226.

TO MAKE A DONATION BY PHONE:  Contact Gloria at AALA – 213.484.2226.