Los Angeles

Making an Impact in Los Angeles

Malia has big dreams for the future. She wants to be a research scientist and focus on the field of pathology, the study of disease, and be in the front lines, investigating and fighting illnesses like COVID-19. The high school senior is one of more than 50 Los Angeles area students enrolled in the American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red enrichment program. As a young girl, Malia never considered a career in STEM. “Before STEM Goes Red, I didn’t have female role models in STEM.” Naomi shares the same sentiment. “I’ve noticed that women are only a small part of STEM fields and that can be discouraging,” said the 10th grader who is on her second year in the program, like Malia. She, too, is planning for a career in STEM and sees herself working in a lab, conducting experiments on potential solutions to health problems. A troubling gender gap exists in STEM, from the lack of women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math to the number of women in STEM jobs. STEM Goes Red is working to close these gaps. Both Wilson and Fernandez said the program opened their minds to possibilities with opportunities to connect, shadow and learn from female mentors, work on STEM-themed projects and participate in experiential activities outside of the classroom.

Building Active Communities

We are working to address social and environmental barriers to safe walking and biking to promote healthy, active living. In Inglewood, a group of local organizations, called the Inglewood Active Communities Coalition, have joined hands to help improve youth physical activity in the city. Another collaboration, this time between the AHA and the 77th Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and The District Music Group, called Community S.T.E.P.S. creates a safe space for dialogue and physical activity between community members and law enforcement. Finally, through our advocacy work we're improving streets, metro access, outdoor usable space and biking routes to create environments that support an active lifestyle.

Recursos en Español

Un enfoque importante de la American Heart Association (AHA) es informar, educar y motivar a la comunidad de habla hispana a prevenir las enfermedades cardiovasculares. En especial, la campaña Go Red Por tu Corazón tiene como objetivo educar a las mujeres latinas en Los Angeles a prevenir su asesino número uno: las enfermedades cardiovasculares.

Bajo esta campaña, anualmente organizamos la conferencia gratuita “Por tu Corazón”, donde expertos en medicina, salud mental y ejercicio físico comparten sus conocimientos con mujeres latinas de la comunidad. “Por tu Corazón” se celebró el pasado 24 de septiembre de 2020 de manera digital, y volverá a celebrarse en el 2021, cuando lo anunciaremos en esta página.

Your Voice Matters

We will only beat heart disease and stroke if we work together. We advocate for policies that prevent cardiovascular diseases, improve the quality of and access to care, increase research funding and expand rehabilitation services.