Para Los Niños has clear guidelines and many tools to best share your work, gain more attention, and manage media requests. Your compliance is critical to PLN continuing to be a leader in Los Angeles education and mental health supports. Links to logos, photos, and templates are all within the PLN network for staff usage only.
Para Los Niños represents so much to so many. In our time since our founding in 1980, we have served tens of thousands of children, youth, and their families to find their best path to success through education and support. While we have served so many, our mission has remained the same.
Consistency is critical to building trust and building deep connections in our communities. And consistency is needed in our staff support, our approach to families in need, and in our branding and messaging.
We have great pride in what we have accomplished, and we should have great pride in our brand as well.
Each interaction with our communities is a reflection on our work and our impact; through flyers, letters, photos, signage, and speaking we can elevate our brand and our work. Our impact deserves to be shown in the best light and with the same level of standards we give to those we serve.
Please use this page and resources to help amplify our work and our success.
Approved logo files are here. Please refer to the guide for proper usage. Any questions can be directed to Communications and Marketing.
Some of our top photos are here. Please refer to the guide for proper usage. Any questions can be directed to Communications and Marketing.
Letterhead, PowerPoint, and stock flyer templates are here. Please refer to the guide for proper usage. Any questions can be directed to Communications and Marketing.
Mandatory remarks / expectations and requirements.
Creation, application, or any use of the Para Los Niños brand elements must conform to approved standards as authorized by Para Los Niños. Additionally, it is imperative that PLN brand elements are used properly on all merchandise, web, printed materials, signage, etc.
When using the PLN brand elements, whether the item on which the element is applied is for internal use, departmental use, organization use, being publicly displayed, being sold or otherwise distributed in commerce, all specifications for usage must be met and visually approved by the Communications and Marketing Department.
You can find the most up to date messaging and data points in the latest Annual Report. All Annual Reports are located here.
WHAT WE DO
Early Education: Our early education centers provide over 450 students with high-quality academic and social-emotional education. Starting as young a six-weeks we engage parents to ensure a strong support system for their success well beyond preschool.
TK-8th Education: Our project-based approach keeps students intellectually enriched and our wraparound support builds social emotional skills, character, and confidence for over 600 students across our Community Charter Schools.
Youth Workforce Services: Through workshops, mentorship, internships, and case management, YWS provides opportunities for over 2,000 disconnected youth and adults each year to success in school, work, and life. Two main groups: prevention for at-risk in-school youth, and dropout recovery for out-of-school youth.
Student and Community Services: We use protective factors to create safe and connecting spaces for 4,000 children and caregivers each year. Our staff works to strengthen family environments and reduce barriers for children, youth, and adults to thrive.
Mission
Our model fosters pathways to success through excellence in education, powerful families, and strong communities for children and youth to thrive.
Values
Excellence: We always ask ourselves if there is a higher bar to set, if there is more to do and if have we explored all possibilities. We achieve together through discomfort and uncertainty because we understand the urgency and obligation to strive for the best possible outcomes for our communities.
Constant Learning: We are relentless in our drive to always improve. A learning organization actively creates its future by placing high value on feedback and development. Our work must withstand all levels of scrutiny.
Teamwork: Our teams thrive when we can truly depend on one another. We pledge to follow through on our commitments and actively seek out ways to support and collaborate with each other. When we bring our very best as individuals, we can run to the finish line together.
Community: Our families, team members and stakeholders come from many different heritages and histories. Our personal stories together form a tapestry of fortitude. We are made more resilient through these ties and hold our connection to each other as an invaluable asset.
Inclusion: We are at our strongest and smartest when we both acknowledge and consciously benefit from our differences. Authentic collaboration begins at the seed stages which means we partner with stakeholders early and often.
Trust: Trust comes from alignment of our words, beliefs and actions. We operate in highest service to our communities and can engage in true collaboration with each other when trust is strong.
Our History
Founded in 1980 in Skid Row, Para Los Niños — meaning “for the children” — was founded so that no child would be forgotten.
In October 1979, the Los Angeles Times published an article that galvanized a community. It was the first of many to spotlight the plight of children and families living in the depths of despair in Los Angeles’ inner cities.
It spoke of children living in Skid Row, locked in hotel rooms or left alone to wander dangerous neighborhood streets, while their parents worked to survive. At that time, little attention was paid to these forgotten children. Few services and safe havens existed for these young boys and girls. Ninety percent did not attend school.
Social worker Tanya Tull was inspired and founded Para Los Niños. In 1980, the organization came to life in a factory where at-risk children, eager for a chance to learn, were offered a safe and nurturing environment filled with exploration, hope and opportunity.
Today, Para Los Niños continues to respond to the ever-growing and ever-changing needs of Southern California’s most challenging communities. The organization’s proven approach helps to build stronger, more stable families and brighter futures for children.
Who We Are
These are “boilerplate” write-ups on PLN’s history, impact, and mission.
Founded on Skid Row in 1980, Para Los Niños (PLN) has a 43-year track record of creating effective, culturally appropriate programs for low-income, primarily Latino children, youth, and families in Los Angeles. PLN places education at the core of its mission to break cycles of poverty and inequity, operating early education centers, charter schools, and youth workforce services centers focused on high school drop-out prevention and recovery. As the only children’s mental health provider on Skid Row, PLN provides evidence-based mental health services and offers in-home counseling, case management, and crisis intervention. Finally, PLN brings together community members, community-based organizations, city and county agencies, elected officials, and businesses to tackle issues like food insecurity and COVID-19 awareness. All in all, PLN serves 10,000 children, youth, and families annually.
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Para Los Niños provides education and wraparound support to over 10,000 of L.A.’s most vulnerable children, youth, and families each year. PLN fosters pathways to success by striving for excellence in education, family support, and comprehensive social-emotional, and community-based services.
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Through early-education, TK-8th grade education, youth workforce services, and family and community services Para Los-Niños’ model provides a comprehensive, holistic approach to break the cycle of poverty and help children and youth thrive.
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Para Los Niños provides education and wraparound support to over 10,000 in some of L.A.’s most vulnerable communities. Through education, family support, mental health, and community-based services, their model provides a comprehensive approach to break the cycle of poverty and help children and youth thrive.
Key Message Points
Our unique approach is effective because of the aspects of working together:
Expectations
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What Not to Do
There are templates available for PLN staff to share events, meetings, and other information at the top of this page.
If you would like to request a new project, please submit it here or email the Communications and Marketing team here.
For signage needs please contact the Communications and Marketing team with your request and give at least 2 months for installation.
The Para Los Niños Communications and Marketing Department works in cooperation with news and other media outlets. To ensure we are focused on our mission of educating and empowering every student, along with our focus on safety and security, protocols are in place to guide media inquiries. All requests and inquiries are to be directed to the Communications and Marketing Department.
Staff who are contacted by the media must refer media requests Communications and Marketing prior to granting access to the media. Communications and Marketing staff will then assist the media with organizing dates, times and locations and provide other information, depending on the request or inquiry.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the Communications & Marketing Department if you have any questions or need assistance.
Unplanned Media on PLN Property
Prior approval from the Office of Communications & Marketing must be obtained before any media, including reporters, photographers or videographers, are allowed on PLN property.
All visitors, including the media, are required to check in at the site front desk or a school’s main offices and present state-issued photo identification. All visitors are required to wear visitor badges at all times while on PLN property.
Generally speaking, we ask the media who wish to conduct random “man on the street” interviews or who wish to get a video of a district facility do so away from district property, not disrupt the learning environment and/or block any entryways.
Student and Staff Privacy
Student and staff photographs, videos and interviews may only be conducted with permission and at the discretion of the Communications & Marketing Department.
All students photographed, filmed or interviewed must have media releases on file.
Professional student and staff photographs, videos, and interviews may only be conducted with permission and at the discretion of the Communications & Marketing Department.
All students and youth photographed, filmed, or interviewed must have media releases on file.
The approach to photography should mirror the brand voice showing photos that capture: Empowerment and Independence, Inclusivity, Focus and a Drive for Excellence, Teamwork, Community, and Trust.
Be a Brand Ambassador
Departments cannot create social media accounts without approval from the Communications and Marketing Team.
If granted, maintain separate professional and personal social media accounts. Use your PLN-issued email account to create any professional accounts, including employee, grade-level, and department accounts, and use those accounts only for school purposes.
Follow Our Social Media Pages
If you would like to order some PLN shirts, pens, notebooks, sweaters, etc. – you need to have the art approved by Marketing and Communications.
The MARCOM team is happy to support with design, production, and ordering. Please reach out and set up a time to discuss, or if you have something you would like printed with a different vendor you can share the artwork and specifics with MARCOM to okay.
Tips for success:
Occasionally PLN will open a “Swag Store” for staff to purchase more PLN branded items. Check all staff emails for information on dates and items.