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Departures: What We Did in 2014

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The end of the year is upon us, and our ever-evolving Departures project closes another year of exploring our city through the lens of its neighborhoods, its residents, and its history. Since the project began 8 years ago (!) as a small experiment in local multimedia storytelling, Departures has now become a multi-tentacled beast with articles, videos, photos, educational programs, community outreach, and more -- covering a wide range of topics and issues from throughout the region. With a fresh new website that we launched at the beginning of the year, we are now reaching an audience that has grown each year since we started.

Below are some of our most notable stories and projects from this busy, rewarding year. We'd like to thank all of our readers, community partners, contributors, and funders for the continued support, and making 2014 another great year of achievement for Departures. We look forward to another great year!

Best regards,
Departures Team

 
Future Plans for the L.A. River

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The L.A. River continued to fascinate us in 2014. The biggest L.A. River story this year was the recommendation by the Army Corps of Engineers for Alternative 20 of the ARBOR Study, the $1 billion and most extensive plan to restore and revitalize an 11-mile section of the L.A. River. Many mourned the loss of a historic bridge near the confluence of the L.A. River and the Arroyo Seco, and a former councilmember told us about his life-long connection to the river.

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NELA Riverfront Collaborative

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Our 18 month-long involvement with the Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative culminated with the release of the NELA RC Vision Plan and an open house event in June, where prints of the People of NELA photoportrait series were also on display. Various stakeholders, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, came into our studios to chime in with their thoughts about the NELA Riverfront in our series of video interviews.

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San Gabriel Mountains, the latest National Monument

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Our series of stories and essays exploring the San Gabriel River and Mountains became especially relevant with President Obama's designation of 540 acres of the range as a National Monument, ensuring more protection and resources for one of the most popular recreation area for residents of the San Gabriel Valley. From its fantastical origin story, through its history of resorts and hiking, to its role today in shaping the Emerald Necklace Plan for increased green space in the region, the series is a definitive look into the history and issues related to the San Gabriels.

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Past, Present, & Future of Leimert Park:

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We continued our exploration of Leimert Park, from its beginnings as a cultural hub for African Americans, through its current role as a neighborhood in transition as the Metro Crenshaw Line is expected to arrive in few short years. As one of the hubs in the recent South L.A. CicLAvia, its role as the cultural heart of South L.A. remains as relevant as ever.

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Between the Rivers: El Monte and South El Monte

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For centuries, El Monte and South El Monte have been home to numerous groups of people, each adding depth to its rich history and culture that is specific and idiosyncratic to its location, as well as part of California's greater narrative. Departures is exploring these complex communities and working with community stakeholders to highlight stories from this diverse region of the San Gabriel Valley. Uncover El Monte's unspoken history of Japanese American families and their essential contributions to the city's early economic development. Take an intimate view of El Monte's punk rock scene and see how it allowed one writer to understand his own life as a son of seamstress working in the local garment factories.

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Murals or Ads?

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When a mural popped up downtown that seemed to advertise a commercial product, it seemed like a slap in the face to the mural ordinance that had passed just months prior, and served as a catalyst for a conversation around what can be considered an art mural or an ad, culminating in a segment produced for KCET's SoCal Connected.

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Exploring the City in Whole New Ways:

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There are many ways to discover something new in our city, from walking and biking around your neighborhood, to looking at the present through the lens of history. We looked at the places we can go on public transit, riding along existing and the planned course of future bus and rail lines, from the San Gabriel Valley all the way to the beach. We looked at the concept of Complete Streets, changing the way pedestrians, bikers, and cars can share the roads. We also took a deep dive into the history of some of the forgotten landmarks of the city -- from a beloved country music hotspot in the Valley, to a Japanese village in Buena Park, and beyond -- each of which adds a new perspective to understanding this complex city.

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710 Corridor

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From the first day the 710 freeway opened it has been the backbone of Southern California commerce and at the center of debates surrounding economic, environmental, and health concerns. We took a deep look at the history and debates around the proposed expansion of the I-710, and brought in community voices to express their hopes and concerns for the project. SoCal Connected produced a segment highlighting some of these stories.

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Youth Voices

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Over the course of the past year Youth Voices worked with students from several schools and community organizations in Los Angeles,El Monte and South El Monte. This year the program took the core idea of empowering youth as agents of change and civic leaders, and offered opportunities to learn and apply digital media skills to promote their ideas through web editorials and social media campaigns. Participants explored their neighborhoods and identified various ways to improve their communities. They wrote articles, took photographs, conducted outreach, interviewed community residents and experts, and advocated for their community causes through social media and public presentations. Students investigated vacant lots, unsafe streets, and public spaces and reimagined what all of these could be. One team of students from the L.A. River School submitted their vision to the Northeast Los Angeles Placemaking Design Competition, and won both the People's Choice and the top prize for Glassell Park with their redesign of a vacant lot in their neighborhood.

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Open Classroom

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How can technology be applied in a classroom to truly benefit and empower students? That's the main question asked in our new Open Classroom column. From programming to gaming, we explored how educators and students use different methods to harness the mechanics and culture of tech to enhance the learning environment and prepare for the 21st century. We looked at how a teacher at Foshay Tech Academy in South L.A. builds more confident and skilled students as they face a future in the tech industry, and how the Hour of Code is redefining computer science education and breaking down barriers to access and knowledge.

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The Power of Stories

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This project, in partnership with The California Endowment, provided a unique opportunity to experience the work being done by youth, community members, and organizations throughout California to build healthy communities. Their stories are powerful, reflective, and a presage to the work that still needs to be done around racial and environmental justice, worker's rights, and the power of art to enrich and sustain communities. The submissions from the City of Richmond, Street Literature and Re-write Richmond are examples of how art, in this case music and poetry, provide a vehicle to express the pain and frustration felt towards violence committed against youth of color and serves as a call to action to foster change.

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Restorative Justice

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We explored the practice of Restorative Justice (RJ), which outlines a new path to create a system of individual accountability both in and out of schools through the use of community building and relationship repairing circles. The project gave voice to youth and adults working to raise awareness about RJ and creating programs that provide opportunities to heal, and not just punish. In Boyle Heights, the Restorative Justice Pilot Radio Project is educating the community on RJ through stories of redemption and unity broadcast on air; in Long Beach the Every Student Matters campaign is helping to heal deep wounds in the Cambodian community.

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