Akasa Community Outreach

Akasa Community Outreach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides a diversified wellness curriculum to low-income communities throughout Los Angeles. Through our program, students ages 7 to 18 and parents learn about the process of growing, harvesting, sourcing and cooking food to make informed choices about their overall health and wellness. With an eye toward demonstrating the impact of our work, and building a replicable model for other communities, Akasa aims to evaluate our programs on the students and parents it serves.

We aspire to create a community in Los Angeles where children and families have access to affordable healthy food opportunities and education on how to best care for their bodies. Through our curriculum and services, we aim to provide a preventive health model. We provide a framework in which students, families and their communities can thrive through a holistic lifestyle. Within this framework, the program focuses on four principle areas that encompass overall wellness:

Emphasize the importance of nutrition and model cooking techniques, empowering students to leave the program with a clear understanding of how to prepare a nourishing and fulfilling meal at a cost that they can afford. 

Teach the principles of sustainability, seasonality and environmental justice by building school gardens with hydroponics and raised beds, utilizing the garden for recipe development and providing recipes that are seasonal, healthy, delicious and affordable.

Facilitate nutritional education through the lens of diabetes prevention.

Lay a foundation for understanding the connection between mind and body, especially how nutrition can impact physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.