The Black Education Expo, a free resource fair for kindergarten-through-12th-
The one-day event puts colleges, employers, health providers and community organizations in one hall for students ages 5 to 18, their families and educators, organizers said. Organizers put the expo hall at more than 70 resources in their news release and at more than 50 curated exhibitors on their flyer.
The expo runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Conference Center on the convention center’s lower level, 300 E. Green St. Admission is free, and organizers ask attendees to register for a free ticket through Eventbrite. Families from Los Angeles, the Antelope Valley, Orange County and San Bernardino County are invited.
Two parent and educator workshops are scheduled, from 10 to 10:45 a.m. and from 11:15 a.m. to noon. A Teen Zone will include an artificial intelligence literacy workshop presented by Google, mental health and resilience programming, a teen-led career panel and college access information, according to the release. A Wellness Zone will offer “Know Your Numbers” screenings, including blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol, and a Parent Zone will cover financial wellness, scholarships, college pathways and family engagement, organizers said.
The Educator Lounge, hosted by the Black Educator Advocates Network, will open with a restorative sound bath, the release said. A Joy Zone, presented by the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute with support from Russell Westbrook’s Why Not? Foundation, will offer free books, face painting and family games, the release said. The flyer lists spades, Uno, dominoes and coloring among Joy Zone activities, and music among the day’s highlights.
Victoria Williams of BWP Enterprises, a 2020 Leadership Pasadena graduate, founded the expo, which began at Lake Avenue Church on Feb. 24, 2024, and moved to the convention center that October.
“Access is at the heart of BEE,” Williams said in the release. “It’s not enough for great resources to exist—we have to make sure families can actually get to them and know they’re available.”
The flyer names Ray Cunningham of UNCF Los Angeles, the Los Angeles area office of the United Negro College Fund, as host, along with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. At noon, Cunningham will host a program in the expo hall with raffles and partner highlights, the release said.
Los Angeles City Council District 8, We Grow LA, Education Is Key and Mor Girls With Goals are providing a free bus from South Los Angeles, organizers said. Riders board at 9 a.m. at the Chase Community Center on Crenshaw, according to the release.
Hampton represents the city’s District 1.
Pasadena City College and the Pasadena Community Foundation are among the expo’s partners, the release said. Organizers are still accepting partners, and large groups traveling by bus are asked to email the expo.
NEED TO KNOW
Event: Black Education Expo. When: Saturday, Oct. 3. Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost: Free; register for a free ticket at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
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