Summer Field Trips at My Friend's Place!

Summertime at My Friend’s Place means field trips with the young people we serve! From the DTLA to Santa Monica, our young people and Transformative Education staff have been traveling all over Los Angeles, experiencing new things, trying new food and, most of all, just having a blast. Thanks to the partnership of LA Department of Health Services who are providing rapid COVID tests for youth and staff going on trips, we have been able to safely provide these opportunities for youth. 

Our first summer field trip was a journey to the Santa Monica Pride Walk as part of our celebration of Pride Month. Youth and staff had a wonderful time exploring LGBTQ+ themed art installations as well as the natural beauty of the Santa Monica coastline. A few weeks later, we took a group of youth to the Grammy Museum where youth enjoyed interactive experiences with music history. Next, we took a trip to the Getty Museum where youth loved the beautiful gardens and immersed themselves in the amazing collection of modern and classical art. Most recently, our young people took a tour of the Broad Museum where the Jean Michel Basquiat paintings were a particularly big hit. Next, we'll be taking a trip to the Peterson Auto Museum!

Field trips can create life-skill building and social-emotional development opportunities for youth dealing with the daily stresses of homelessness. Field trips require youth to exercise skills such as showing up on time and getting along with others in a group setting. Additionally, by offering youth a chance to get out of their day-to-day survival routines, going on a fun trip can help ease stress and create hope. Finally, many of the young people we serve have dealt with rejection their whole lives, and some come to feel that they don't belong in spaces like museums or public art exhibits. Field trips can help to relieve that feeling of not belonging and remind youth that Los Angeles is their city and they have the right to enjoy it! 

If you have a connection to an institution that you think would make a good field trip for youth at My Friend's Place, please contact Susan Dutra at sdutra@myfriendsplace.org to let us know about it!