It’s Black Business Month!

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Did you know that August is Black Business Month? It’s a time to honor and recognize all of the small businesses and entrepreneurs in our communities across Los Angeles. Here at Children’s Institute, we’ve been thinking consciously about the independent vendors with which we partner. Everything from food to flowers to decorations is often provided by a third-party service. We aim to hire people from the communities where we live and work, not just for events, but for our organization as well. We’ve worked with local black businesses who have taken our programs and events to the next level, and we want to share their incredible talent with you.

Andres House of Floral Design
Andre’s House of Floral Design in Leimert Park offers custom and personal floral arrangements for all occasions. We loved working with them for our Watts Grand Opening and our 2021 Cape and Gown Gala!

Chef Keith Corbin
We’ve been honored to work with Watts’ own Keith Corbin! Chef and Co-Owner of Alta Adams in West Adams and James Beard Award Nominee, he’s known for his unique take on soul food: a fusion of West African food and California cuisine. We’re excited to celebrate the release of his new memoir California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival that follows his journey from cooking in prison to running his own restaurant.

 

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Spectacular Events Décor
Georgeo Mcallister, aka “Mackee,” is known for creating unique and memorable balloon creations around Los Angeles. He helped make the Dream BIG Graduation and our Watts Campus Grand Opening fun and festive days to remember.
You can check out his work by heading to his website.

Charles Wine Company
Charles Wine Company is family-owned boutique wine business with vineyards located in the Lodi Appellation of California. We partnered with them for our Virtual Cape & Gown Gala and were impressed with selections of wines they offered! Head to their website to learn more about their wines, events, and vineyards.

 

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If you’re looking for something in our very own Watts neighborhood, check out these local Black-owned eateries!

Wings ‘n’ Waffles food truck has perfected the chicken and waffles with their unique spices and recipes. They also do community outreach, give away student scholarships, and provide an entrepreneur mentorship program all through their Wings ‘n’ Waffles Foundation.

Nature’s Thirst Trap is a juice and health food small business. Imani, the owner and Compton native, recognized that her neighborhood was lacking a health food restaurant, so she decided to share her passion for veganism and healthy living with her community.

Similarly, Crystal’s Soul Café offers Compton a delicious selection of vegan soul food. They describe themselves as “Black owned serving all divine souls.” You can get a taste of how delicious their food is just by checking out their Instagram.

 

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Compton Vegan’s owner, Lemel Durrah, also recognized the need for healthy food alternatives. You can check out his scrumptious takes on vegan soul food at his food truck or West LA location.

 

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Hawkins House of Burgers offers the best of a traditional burger joint with a variety of burgers, such as their Turkey Burger or Fish Burger as well as breakfast platters and a crowd favorite, chicken and waffles.

Watts Coffee House is more than just coffee and tea. They’re serving up all- American breakfast and brunch favorites with occasional menu items such as smothered pork chops, fried lobster and grits, and beef brisket.


Additionally, Los Angeles is in the midst of celebrating Black Restaurant Week until August 28th. If you’re a foodie and in the mood for trying hotspots all around the greater LA area, check out their suggestions.

Vaccines: What You Need To Know

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As we ease back into the school year, we want to recognize that August is National Immunization Month. In addition to staying up to date on your child’s regular vaccines, we encourage you to consider the COVID-19 vaccine for you child. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and pediatricians at Cedars-Sinai put together an article to answer a few common questions when considering if your toddler or preschooler should get vaccinated. Here are a few things you should know.

How old does my child need to be to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
The FDA has approved for children 6 months to 4 years old to receive the vaccine. In California, you can schedule vaccines through MyTurn.ca.gov.

Is it safe for my child to get the vaccine?
It is completely safe for your child to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Healthy children should especially follow local protocol for receiving vaccines and wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to other, more vulnerable children. Cedars-Sinai writes, “It’s understandable that some people have reservations about the vaccine, but it’s important to remember that the COVID-19 vaccines currently available have been through rigorous safety testing and were required to meet the same standards as other vaccines—such as chickenpox and polio—that have been given to children for many years and are known to be safe and effective.”

Which vaccine is “better”?
The safest vaccine to get is whichever is available to you first. Both the Moderna and Pfizer “are safe and effective.” However, Dr. Priya Soni, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Disease at Cedars-Sinai Guerin does “urge parents to consider timing and availability as they make their decision.” Moderna requires two stronger doses while Pfizer is given at lower doses across three injections.

Will this harm my child later in life?
There are no known long-lasting side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Soni reports that “there are no long-term health effects of these vaccines other than they will protect your child from contracting and developing potentially devastating complications from this virus.” While you or your child may encounter mild symptoms from the vaccine, this is normal and not anything to be concerned about.

In the coming weeks, we will be partnering with Cedars-Sinai to host free vaccine clinics around Los Angeles county. We will be sure to share the dates and times of these clinics so that you and your family can prepare to go back to school safely. Check you email and our social media for updates and information.

In the News: Children’s Institute’s New Frank Gehry Designed Watts Campus

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Children’s Institute (CII) in Los Angeles opened its new 20,000-square-foot campus designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry in summer 2022, becoming its first ever purpose-built home in the community of Watts. The $20 million Children’s Institute campus is a permanent investment and commitment to the community of Watts, an architectural landmark and a critical resource for families.

Maria Hall-Brown has a conversation with Martine Singer, President & CEO of Children’s Institute about their brand new facility. The new space will offer therapeutic programs, parenting workshops and after-school activities to serve a community still recovering from the pandemic.

LA CityView 35

 

“The Gehry building is intended to be an anchor to draw more investment into the community and help revitalize it, above and beyond the [Children’s] Institute’s purpose of assisting local residents.”
KTTV Fox 11

“Son bienvenidos en cualquier edificio de CII y estamos aquí para servirles”.

Telemundo52

“Child care, individual and group therapy, and other services at Children’s Institute now have a permanent home in the community.”

Spectrum News 1 

“However, it’s Gehry’s next-to-debut L.A. project that, although more modest in scale and less headline-grabbing in nature than the others, is poised to have the most meaningful impact.”
The Architect’s Newspaper

“Este hermoso edificio, diseñado por Frank con gran cuidado, generosidad y comprensión, nos permitirá ser un verdadero socio de la comunidad”.

ARQA

“I wanted this community to walk in and feel that we poured our hearts and souls into the design for them… I hope that this building can help facilitate nurturing, care, and healing. That’s what we designed it to do.”
Architectural Digest

“Choosing the corner of 102nd and Success for this beautiful new site is our way of saying that we keep our commitments, and we’re here to stay.”
LA Sentinel

“The new Watts campus is a beautiful symbol of Children’s Institute’s ongoing commitment to our city and this neighborhood in particular.”

Building, Design + Construction

“We are thrilled to increase our investment in the future of this extraordinary neighborhood in such a public way.”

Urbanize Los Angeles

 

Fun Science Experiments for Families

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August is a time of preparing to go back to school and reconnecting with friends and loved ones. We want to encourage family bonding and enrichment by celebrating all the different ways you and your family can have fun in your own home!

Have you ever tried an at-home science experiment? It’s a lot easier than it sounds and you don’t need many extra materials or ingredients. Check out a few recipes below.

Erupting Volcano
Skills Level: Basic
Messiness Level: High
Skill Practiced: Chemical reactions

What you’ll Need:
* 2 Liter bottle of coke
* Packet of Mentos
OR
* Warm water
* Dishwashing detergent
* Baking soda
* Vinegar
* Empty soda bottle

If using the Mentos method, all you’ll need to do is drop one tablet into the 2 liter soda bottle. Make sure to do this outside and keep your children at a safe distance. If using the baking soda method, place an empty container on a tray and use play dough or foil to create the “volcano” base around it (so the opening of the container is the top of the volcano). Drop remaining ingredients into container and watch it erupt! See here for more info.

Sink or Float
Skills Level: Beginner
Messiness Level: Low
Skill Practiced: Water density

What You’ll Need:
* Sink, bathtub, or large container of water
* Objects of various densities and size (ball, coin, empty bottle, rock, etc.)

This game is best for young toddlers and infants. While bathing your child, give them a variety of objects to try and sink. Let them observe which objects sink (more dense objects) and which objects float (more hollow objects).

DIY Lava Lamp
Skills Level: Easy
Messiness Level: Medium
Skill Practiced: Chemical reactions

What You’ll Need:
* Vegetable oil
* Water
* Empty container (ex. empty water bottle)
* Antacid tablet (ex. Alka-Seltzer)
* Food coloring

Mix water with desired food flooring. Break up the antacid tablets into a few pieces and drop into water. Add vegetable oil and watch the liquids and oil separate into fun globs! See here for more info.

Potion by Steve Jurvetson

Solar Oven
Skills Level: Difficult
Messiness Level: Medium
Skill Practiced: Solar energy

What You’ll Need
* Carboard box (ex. Pizza box or shoe box)
* Aluminum foil
* Plastic wrap
* Food to cook (we recommend s’mores)
Optional:
* Wooden Skewer or stick
* Plastic wrap

The most basic solar oven can be made with just a box and foil. Simply wrap the box in the foil and set your desired food inside. Then, place the box in the sun for a few hours and watch your food cook (or melt!). For more precision and faster cooking, prop the pizza box up with a stick or skewer and place the food on the base of the box. Cover the bottom part of the box with plastic wrap. The foil from the top of the box will reflect down into the bottom, melting the food faster. See here for more info.

Dinosaur Bones
Skills Level: Medium
Messiness Level: Medium
Skill Practiced: Paleontology

What You’ll Need:
* Flour
* Salt
* Water
* Images of dinosaur bones
* Oven

Mix the flour, water, and salt until you get a thick dough. Shape your dough into different bone shapes. You can leave the bones as clay material to reshape, or you can bake them at 250 degrees for 3 hours to achieve a hard bone-like texture. See here for more info.

Egg Drop
Skills Level: Easy
Messiness Level: High
Skill Practiced: Gravity
What You’ll Need:
* A few eggs (varies on how many you want to use)
* Various objects to wrap/store eggs in (ex. felt, plastic wrap, foil, leftover container, blanket)

Find a high point (such as stairs or a landing) to drop the eggs from. Using the materials gathered, create structure to protect egg from cracking when dropped. Drop protected egg from high point to see if it stays together or breaks!