Expand LA
Co-creating standards with and for the providers shaping young people's lives to elevate expanded learning across Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County is home to hundreds of out-of-school time programs — each doing vital work and telling their own story. ExpandLA is a countywide intermediary committed to expanding equitable access to high-quality expanded learning; They recognized that without shared quality standards rooted in LA's specific context, the sector was leaving impact on the table. While statewide standards existed through the California Department of Education, they didn't capture the nuances of LA's diverse communities, program types, or equity priorities. ExpandLA brought in Fractal to help the sector build their own.
Process
Fractal designed and facilitated a multi-stakeholder co-creation process centering the expertise of those closest to the work. We convened and stewarded a Task Force of over 20 learning providers from across all eight regions of LA County — representing community-based and school-based organizations, programs spanning arts to STEM to workforce development, and organizations of all budget sizes.
Over six months of structured sessions, the Task Force developed a Quality and Impact Framework grounded in seven pillars, from youth-centered program design to equitable access to resources. The framework was developed with input from youth, caregivers, and community members, then pressure-tested with a broader network of providers and a funders table through listening sessions. We also facilitated a parallel Systems Leaders workgroup, bringing together city and county staff, to assess what systems-level adoption and alignment would require.
Results
Together, we created a sector-owned resource designed to meet organizations where they are and help them tell a more compelling, consistent story of impact. The framework earned overwhelming support from providers across the county and has become the foundation for ExpandLA's next phase of work: developing a data platform and piloting a measurement tool expected to launch by the end of 2026. By creating shared language and shared standards, Fractal helped position ExpandLA to make a more unified case to funders, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and advance the policy and systems change the expanded learning sector deserves.
Let’s Work Together
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