WE ARE PROUD TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF ONE OF CHARITY’S HIGHEST HONORS: GUIDESTAR’S PLATINUM SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY AWARD!!! We also were awarded by Charity Navigator the HIGHEST SCORE POSSIBLE FOR A CHARITY: 4 Stars and 100% Score Rating!

The Watts Empowerment Center is “The #1 Most Active Community Center in Los Angeles.” This 12,900 sq ft state-of-the-art facility committed to the children, youth, and families within Watts Housing Projects.

These 3.3 acres are the heartbeat of the community. Locals can discover their purpose and develop their talents with the help of top industry and business professionals that provide mentorship to many within the community.

Resources offered range from Sports Leagues, After School Tutoring, STEM Media Lab, Culinary Arts Kitchen, Performing Arts Studio, Music, Acting, Fashion Design, Etiquette Courses, Resume Building Workshops, Anti-Bullying Classes, Mental Health/Stress Management, and beyond.

Over 66% of those we serve live under the national poverty line.
Average age is 21.
Largest age group is 10 years old and younger.
Basically kids are raising kids.
Labeled as the “poorest AND least educated housing project in all of Los Angeles.”
Youngest population of any neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Percentage of those from birth to age of 18 is amongst highest in the United States.
Over 50% drop out of school.
Only 2.9% make it to college.
Largest concentration of single mother ran families in California.
Never married women (45.3%) and never married men (44.7%) population is one of the highest in the nation.
A person born in Watts has a life expectancy 20 years less than a child born in Beverly Hills (22 miles away).
LAPD stats show that within a 2-mile radius of the Watts Empowerment Center are 7,000 gang members.