2021 The Learning Centers at Fairplex Strategic Plan

THE LEARNING CENTERS
AT FAIRPLEX

STRATEGIC PLAN

Adopted 2018, Reaffirmed 2021

S LETTER FROM TLC BOARD CHAIR MIKE BECKMAN
AND INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CIELO V. CASTRO

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I want to first thank you for taking a moment to reflect and celebrate the tremendous growth of our
organization. Whether you have been with us from the beginning or are just now joining us on this
journey, you have been essential in building the strong and vibrant community that drives our work.
For nearly four decades, The Learning Centers at Fairplex (TLC) has enriched hundreds of thousands
of lives through unparalleled educational experiences for students of all ages and socioeconomic
backgrounds. Capitalizing on the resources of Fairplex, TLC has established innovative programs
that uniquely address the educational, economic, and community needs in our region. Our distinctive
relationship and history with Fairplex positions TLC to serve students and families in a capacity which
no other educational organization is equipped to do.

In 2018, TLC launched an inclusive, multi-stakeholder, year-long strategic planning process. An
extensive listening tour provided us with the time and information to update our core purpose, core
values and top priorities. We engaged 14 different stakeholder groups through one-on-one interviews
and focus groups. Our Board of Directors, Advisory Committees and staff were heavily engaged in the
follow-up discussions, and data analysis to help us get a better understanding of the needs facing our
community and the specific role that we can play in helping to address those needs.

The product of this work has been articulated with and determined to complement the 2018 Fairplex
Strategic Plan. The plan was approved by the TLC Board of Directors in October 2019. From these
conversations, revisions and critical inquiries, we are confident that TLC exists to transform lives
through life-long learning experiences in partnership with Fairplex and the community.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which halted the traditional way TLC programs are
conducted, the TLC Board revisited the previously approved strategic plan. The plan had not been
enacted by the start of the pandemic in March. This gave the Board the opportunity to take the time to
adjust and reaffirm the strategic plan in 2021.

We are pleased to share The Learning Centers at Fairplex’s Strategic Plan. This living document
represents a set of values and structure for leadership and governance that upholds our commitment to
inclusivity, excellence, transparency and, most of all, love of learning.

Sincerely,

Cielo V. Castro Mike Beckman
Interim Executive Director TLC Board Chair

01

LETTER FROM LACFA BOARD CHAIR HEIDI HANSON
AND INTERIM FAIRPLEX CEO WALTER M. MARQUEZ

Dear Community Partners,

During Fairplex’s strategic planning process in 2017-18, we reaffirmed our role as a public benefit
institution whose primary purpose is to serve as a creator of memories. We like to say that we are
in the business of inspiration. The Learning Centers at Fairplex (TLC) is the primary mechanism
that allows us to take that inspiration, amplify it and help people see a path for their futures through
education.

The Los Angeles County Fair Association (LACFA) has been proud to support TLC’s education
programs, which have collectively served hundreds of thousands of children, teens, adults and families
for more than 40 years.

TLC’s strategic planning process has helped us to better understand ourselves as a unique collective
of organizations. Through this process, we have come to understand ourselves (LACFA, the Child
Development Center and TLC) as embodying a broader vision of three organizations, one campus.
Within this framework, each organization has its own clear role and purpose, but together our
organizations are able to present a suite of programs and resources to the community that is much
greater than the sum of its parts.

The results of TLC’s strategic plan are set: Distinguish core strategic priorities of life-long learning,
sustainability and community partnerships; and complement and reconfirm the priorities laid out in
Fairplex’s own strategic plan in 2018 – to serve as an economic engine, a presenter of the best
of Southern California arts and culture, and to be a true community partner. The fact that these
independent processes have landed at a set of priorities that fit together so well indicates to us that
we have been on the right track. This remarkable campus of nearly 500-acres is one of Southern
California’s most renowned cultural assets. With TLC and its newly adopted Strategic Plan, we now
have a path forward as we work to realize the incredible potential of this resource.

Sincerely,

Heidi Hanson

Walter M. Marquez Heidi Hanson
Interim CEO LACFA Board Chair

02

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

In late 2018, after an extensive strategic planning process by Fairplex, TLC set out to create its own
plan that would explain, guide and help govern the way we leverage this incredible 487-acre campus to
serve the educational needs of our community. With more than a year of communication, deliberation
and outreach, we came out of that process with a renewed commitment to the original vision of TLC,
refocused through a lens that looks towards the future.

CORE
PURPOSE

Transforming lives through life-long learning experiences in partnership
with Fairplex and the community.

In serving this core purpose, the work of TLC will be guided by a set of five Core Values:

Transformational Educational Opportunities
Complementary Partnerships
Sustainability
Future Focused
Unique Resources of Fairplex

Moving forward, TLC will launch and develop initiatives focused on three top strategic priorities:

Life-long learning Community Sustainability
partnerships

03

A BRIEF HISTORY OF
THE LEARNING CENTERS AT FAIRPLEX

The Learning Centers at Fairplex (TLC), a 501(C)(3) nonprofit,
has offered decades of service in providing opportunity and
educational resources to the community. TLC encompasses
the Child Development Center at Fairplex (CDC), the Millard
Sheets Art Center (MSAC), the Career and Technical Education
Center (CTEC), and FairKids Field Trip program. The name – The
Learning Centers at Fairplex – was adopted in 2010 to better
define the educational programs at Fairplex. However, the roots
of TLC began as individual programs, stemming back to the
1930s.

The Millard Sheets Art Center opened in 1937 as the fine arts
building. Named after famed California artist Millard Sheets, who
was the LA County Fair’s fine arts director for many years, the
center has served as exhibit space for well-known artists and as
an educational space for the community.

A child care center was opened in 1939 but didn’t bloom
into a state-of-the-art center until 1980, when it was
formally opened as the Fairplex Child Development Center
(CDC), offering early childhood education to children from
infancy through preschool age. In 1991, the CDC merged
with the University of La Verne’s child care program and
the facility underwent more than $1 million in renovations
following a grant from the County of Los Angeles.

The Fairplex Education Foundation, started in 1998,
was organized to encompass educational programs
under a 501(C)(3). It oversaw the LA County
Fair Field Trip Program, which brings thousands
of school children to the Fair on free field trips. It
eventually became the FairKids Field Trip program.

Subsequently, the Millard Sheets Art Center and
Fairplex Education Foundation were moved under
the umbrella of the Foundations at Fairplex, a
501(C)(3). In 2004, the LACFA Board added
the CDC under the Foundations at Fairplex. This
allowed for fundraising under one nonprofit, the
Foundations at Fairplex, with donors having the
option of designating their gifts to the Foundation for
educational programs, the Art Center, or the CDC.

04

A BRIEF HISTORY OF
THE LEARNING CENTERS

The CDC remained an independent 501(C)(3), with its own Board
of Directors, Strategic Plan and branding – which continues today. It
was combined under the Foundations at Fairplex in name only as it
shared the same basic philosophy of education.
As the need arose for more educational programming, the Junior
Fair Board was added to the Foundations at Fairplex as a leadership
course for high school students. In the early 2000s, a group of
LACFA members expressed an idea to use the 487-acre campus
and all its attributes to offer vocational classes to high school
juniors and seniors. CTEC was created to assist in fulfilling unmet
educational needs by educating and preparing students for real-
world careers and professional success to help them make a
positive contribution to the community.
In 2010, to better define the education programs at Fairplex,
the Foundations at Fairplex changed to The Learning Centers at
Fairplex. In 2014, the Ambassadors volunteer program was added
under the TLC umbrella.

The unique structure of three organizations on one campus
– TLC, CDC and Fairplex – reinforces the collective’s

commitment to education. It has been a commitment of
LACFA since 1922 and it has not wavered.

05

OUR CORE
PURPOSE

Transforming
lives through
life-long learning
experiences in
partnership with
Fairplex and the
community.

06

THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
AT FAIRPLEX

For more than 40 years, the Child Development Center at Fairplex (CDC) has been committed to
educating and preparing today’s children, their families and tomorrow’s teachers to succeed in a
diverse and changing world. The CDC’s infant, toddler, preschool and kindergarten programs serve
children ages 12 weeks to 6 years.
The CDC opened in 1980 and later merged with the University of La Verne (ULV) child care center in
1991, and now serves as a teaching lab for ULV students studying child development. Children are
admitted into the various programs regardless of income, religion, ethnicity, gender, culture, language
or developmental differences, based upon enrollment space availability.
To fulfill its mission to support families, build community among a diverse constituency, and pursue
excellence in early education, the CDC’s programs include:
• An integrated early childhood curriculum that provides development in all learning domains
• Individualized and group literacy and engagement activities for children
• Hands-on, practical opportunities for ULV students pursuing degrees in child development
• On-site parenting education classes

07

CAREER AND TECHINCAL EDUCATION CENTER
AT FAIRPLEX

The Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC),
provides hands-on workforce development and
transformational programs that prepare our students
for long-term career pathways.

Through hands-on and virtual classroom instruction
by credentialed instructors who are industry
professionals, engagement with industry experts from
the surrounding communities, and interaction with
real work sites and professional environments, CTEC
provides innovative learning experiences that give
students the necessary skills to enter the workforce or
continue on the pathway of higher education.

The overarching priorities of the CTEC program are 1) to help students on their path towards high school
graduation; 2) to connect students with viable career opportunities in growing industries; and 3) to
strengthen economic mobility and opportunities throughout the community.

CTEC accomplishes these goals by:
• Creating a relevant year-round educational platform
utilizing the unique resources of the 487 acres of
Fairplex, home of the LA County Fair
• Presenting a hands-on learning experience that is
focused and appeals to our state’s diverse labor market
• Establishing partnerships with public and private-sector
organizations that share our passion for interactive
learning, in order to provide the very best educational
experience possible
• Supporting students to graduate from high school with a
full range of options including industry certifications,
internships, formal job training, military service and/or
two or four-year college opportunities

CTEC offers career pathway courses with focused training in
Arts, Media & Design, the Alex Xydias and Pete Chapouris
Center for Automotive Arts (AXC), AXC Welding and
Fabrication, Agriculture & Urban Farming, Energy & Utilities, Culinary and Hospitality. Each career
pathway consists of several courses that give students the opportunity to not only gain hands-on
experience and exploration of career options, but also includes the training in the essential skills
necessary to obtain and retain employment in today’s marketplace.

08

THE FARM AT FAIRPLEX Since 1922
at fairplex

The Farm at Fairplex is an innovative, model agricultural business
and educational resource that serves our diverse communities.
Through sustainable and locally focused programs, The Farm builds
awareness of healthy food options, and exposes diverse, multi-
generational audiences to an array of farm-related culinary and
agriculture disciplines.

Leveraging Fairplex’s five-acre urban farm as a “living classroom,”
TLC introduces children, youth, adults, and seniors to over 150
varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs, including row crops,
an olive grove, fruit tree orchard, vertical demonstration garden,
hydroponics and aquaponics demonstration areas, as well as a
vineyard. Through the Career and Technical Education Center
(CTEC), Urban Farming class, Ambassador volunteer program, and
community events, TLC has transformed The Farm into a dynamic
teaching and learning space that can serve as a regional hub for
promoting healthy lifestyles and improving health outcomes in the
Pomona Valley and Inland Empire communities.

Few organizations have the capacity to couple a
working, productive farm with a hotel, conference
center, catering business and event space. As
TLC builds out educational programming at
The Farm, we will incorporate opportunities for
business incubation and robust career pipelines
in the agriculture and food service industries that
are fully integrated with our programmatic goals
around health, wellness and community-supported
agriculture.

09

AMBASSADORS

TLC maintains a robust volunteer program, where approximately
350 Ambassadors contribute approximately 25,000 hours
to support the educational programming of TLC and guest
experience at Fairplex. Ambassadors are critical to the success
of the FairKids Field Trip program and year-round field trips to
The Farm at Fairplex, where they have the opportunity to share
their passions with the next generations. Ambassadors also
play a vital role, planting and harvesting at the five-acre Farm at
Fairplex to ensure crops are ready for the field trip program.

FAIRKIDS AND YEAR-ROUND FIELD TRIPS
AT FAIRPLEX

The FairKids Field Trips program offers educational field
trips to the LA County Fair and to other locations on the
Fairplex campus year-round. During September, the LA
County Fair offers vast interactive exhibits aligned with
curriculum for science, agriculture, math, history, social
sciences and visual arts. Some limited transportation
subsidies are available on an application basis for the
program during the LA County Fair. For year-round field
trip options we have educational programming available in
The Farm at Fairplex, supporting students understanding
of agriculture, healthy eating and ecological sustainability. Educational opportunities also exist with our
giant and miniature train exhibits and our Millard Sheets Art Center.

MILLARD SHEETS ART CENTER

The Millard Sheets Art Center (MSAC) produces year-round
exhibitions showcasing artwork at varied levels of skill and
experience in order to create a deeper engagement with art and
culture in our surrounding communities. This historic facility was
built in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration, and served
as the first public-facing art gallery in Los Angeles County. As
such, it continues to develop programming that reaches new
audiences in Eastern Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.

10

CORE VALUES

TLC utilizes the massive Fairplex campus that is almost infinitely adaptable. The possibilities for
programming, for education and for creating tangible impacts are nearly limitless. Through the strategic
planning process, we have confirmed a set of core values which will guide our decision-making and
help us to evaluate future opportunities and refine the scope of our programming:

Transformational Educational Complementary Partnerships
Opportunities
TLC complements Fairplex by demonstrating
TLC focuses exclusively on hands-on learning. an educational depth and breadth that Fairplex
We believe that these types of experiences alone could not provide. Similarly, TLC programs
can transform the way our participants think, are characterized by a symbiotic relationship
learn and relate to one another. We have found between our organization and school districts,
that this is true for everyone from our pre- community colleges, government partners, non-
school students to senior citizens volunteering profits and local industry and business. Rather
at The Farm at Fairplex. Engaging people’s than competing, we enact partnerships to bolster
bodies, minds and spirits allows us to facilitate opportunity to its full potential by providing
transformative experiences both large and resources and services that could not be found
small, from a third-grader who, for the first time, elsewhere.
understands what a tomato plant looks like to
a struggling high school student who discovers Sustainability
a passion for automotive work and develops
the confidence and skills to pursue a long-term TLC is committed to being financially healthy,
career. organizationally effective and environmentally
friendly and we believe that many of our
11 programs can serve all purposes. We plan to
enact programs that have potential revenue
streams and that position partners for future
financial success. We will function through
strong governance that will allow us to grow and
move forward. In addition, we want to ensure
that we contribute to environmental sustainable
knowledge and action for the community and
especially for our youth by offering programs that
engender environmental sustainability. Examples
include educational programs at The Farm at
Fairplex and STEA2M Fairs.

CORE VALUES

Future-focused

In order to provide educational opportunities that help
prepare our community for success and economic
access, we have to be focused on what lays ahead.
The jobs, technology, and essential skills of the future
must be a central consideration in our decision-making.
Our programs should have a view toward the horizon
to anticipate how and when knowledge will be used.
Similarly, throughout its history, Fairplex has served as
a place where guests could visit to envision and explore
the future – the latest technology, trends and business.
Through TLC we can help our community embrace,
understand and harness this knowledge.

Unique Resources of Fairplex

Because of the unique attributes of Fairplex, TLC could not exist anywhere else. Sitting on 487 acres
in one of the most densely populated regions of the country, Fairplex offers a variety of conditions no
other fairgrounds, or even a school campus, could. Fairplex is home to exposition halls, a five-acre
farm, an entertainment grandstand, an art gallery, hotel, conference center and a drag strip. It is where
drag racing began. It is where entrepreneurs first developed and sold products like the Frisbee™ and
Hot Dog on a Stick®. It is where artists like Millard Sheets, Sam Maloof and Patssi Valdez exhibited
their work.

The goal for TLC is to leverage the campus to its best ability. Instead of replicating what other
organizations could do, by making all of our programs uniquely Fairplex, we ensure relevance and
a distinct signature. As Fairplex addressed in its Strategic Plan, we both strive to be a model 21st
Century “place.” Fairplex is more than a venue, it’s more than a space. Fairplex is a mission-driven
place where people come to learn, to share their passions, to work, to volunteer, to have fun, to create.
With this ethos Fairplex creates constant opportunities for inspiration. TLC is uniquely positioned to
convert that inspiration into real-life learning.

12

TLC STRATEGIC PLANNING AND
DECISION-MAKING MODEL

The TLC Board of Directors developed the following model to guide and inform major decisions
regarding current and future initiatives at TLC. TLC’s core purpose and values serve as a filter to
ensure future initiatives are aligned with our strategic plan. This model is designed to facilitate quality
decision-making. It is not intended to be the only form of review and analysis, but to help guide further
thinking and deliberation. As the TLC board weighs opportunities and challenges, each programmatic,
financial and organizational decision will be weighed on the basis of these core values. This model
makes certain that each step forward is building on TLC’s past while safeguarding the organization for
the future.

Does this meet our Core Purpose?

Transforming lives through life-long learning experiences
in partnership with Fairplex and the community.

Future-focused Transformational Sustainability
Educational
Opportunities

Which Core Value
does this align with?

Complementary Unique Resources
Partnerships of Fairplex

If both criteria are met, further thinking and
deliberation of the decision will take place.

13

ORGANIZATIONAL
PRIORITIES

The COVID-19 pandemic caused us to reassess
our pathways, and consider if they still work
within the TLC structure. The outcome was that
our pathways are still valid, however, we are re-
evaluating them through a different lens.

#1 Promote Well Being Through
Life-Long Learning

We believe education, particularly the type of
hands-on experiential, applied craftsmanship
education that TLC specializes in, does not end
when we leave school. TLC is uniquely able to
leverage Fairplex’s diverse multi-generational
audience with experiences that can be found
nowhere else. Our mission follows a polytechnic
philosophy – learn by doing. And that philosophy
has no age limit.

#2: Evaluate and Enhance Collaborative
Partnerships to Build Programming

TLC’s existing local partners have helped build
the program into what it is today. To expand
and increase impact, TLC will need to make
inroads and cultivate new relationships with
school districts, community colleges, government
partners, employers and industry leaders, and
nonprofit organizations.

#3: Create a Sustainable Foundation for
Growth

As we build a framework for financial
sustainability through fundraising and creative
partnerships, we will also strengthen our
governance and seek to support the economy
and prioritize environmental sustainability.

14

INITIATIVES OVERVIEW

Through the strategic planning process, TLC developed a set of
priorities that will assist in keeping the plan moving forward. Each
priority or initiative was given a time guideline:

Short term - 1 to 2 years
Medium term - 3 to 4 years
Long term - 5-plus years

Fairplex underwent its own strategic planning process in 2018.
Initiatives from Fairplex’s Strategic Plan that are in alignment with
TLC are incorporated in the priorities grid that follows and are
highlighted in blue.

PRIORITY #1
PROMOTE WELL-BEING THROUGH LIFE-LONG LEARNING

Short-Term Initative

• Align Career & Technical Education to evolving
regional economy and job opportunities

• Achieve state, national and industry standards
of excellence in all programs

• Enhance leadership development & career
readiness within CTEC

• Restructure advisory committees to adhere to
state education guidelines

• Evaluate needs of our partners and align
programs accordingly

Medium-Term Initative

• Explore afterschool and summer camp programs to promote career education for middle
school students

• Develop additional hands-on student experiences during year-round field trip programs to
increase educational outcomes

• Expand community programming in wellness, agriculture, food and art
• Build upon the success of the STEA2M Fair to promote learning in Science, Technology,

Engineering, Arts, Agriculture, and Math for the students of the region

15

Long-Term Initative

• Build upon the success of CDC and
develop a plan for expanding services

• Explore adult and multi-generational
learning opportunities

• Explore the opportunities for a year-round
hands-on children’s museum

Fairplex Initatives

Expand exhibits at MSAC; connect The Farm
programming with community need, particularly
around agriculture, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles.

PRIORITY #2
EXPAND AND ENHANCE COLLABORATIVE
PARTNERSHIPS TO BUILD PROGRAMMING

Short-Term Initative

• Enhance connections with industry
partners to create additional
resources, internships, and jobs
for CTEC students

• Identify partnerships to increase
access to CTEC and CDC
Programs

• Evaluate partnerships to ensure
they continuously align with CTEC
values and programming

Medium-Term Initative

• Explore more partnerships with federal, state and local governments that benefit TLC learners
• Continue to develop formal partnerships with local community colleges to support educational

programming

16

Long-Term Initative

• Seek and develop relationships with
grant funders and partners whose
values align with TLC and support the
advancement of educational pathways

Fairplex Initatives

Enhance community partner relationships
around workforce development and engage on-
campus partners to connect from education to
employment. Partner with educational entities
to complement and fill gaps in educational
programming, including CTEC and STEA2M.

PRIORITY #3
CREATE A SUSTAINABLE FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH

Short-Term Initative

• Strengthen governance at all levels
of the TLC Organization to improve
oversight and outcomes

• Invest in educator and volunteer
professional development to improve
educational outcomes and experiences

• Expand fundraising platform to support
annual operations, capital expenditures
and new initiatives

• Increase TLC brand awareness in the
community

Medium-Term Initative

• Measure student
achievement to identify
opportunities for continuous
program improvements

17

Long-Term Initative

• Invest in capital improvements
to meet industry standards
and to enhance learning
opportunities in the areas of art,
agriculture, CTE and wellness

• Invest in capital plan for
expansion of the CDC

Fairplex Initatives

Expand FairKids Field Trip bus funding to focus on Title 1 schools; explore creating green spaces for the local
community that encourages healthy living; explore expansion of the CDC to additional locations.

18

THE LEARNING CENTERS
AT FAIRPLEX

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mike Beckman, Chair
Christine Dennis, Secretary
David Prenovost, Treasurer

Kathy Banuelos
Bernie Bernstein
Jessica Clague-DeHart
Reyna Del Haro
Michael Driebe
Heidi L. Gallegos

Peter Hidalgo
Margarita Luna
Todd Wagner

Ben Wong

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TLCFAIRPLEX.ORG/DONATE

1101 W. MCKINLEY AVE.
POMONA, CA 91768