MEET OUR DIRECTOR

    THE LAB, a unique youth program, began with a desire to assist one struggling student with a math test.  THE LAB’s Director Artia Thomas started out as a Teacher’s Assistant with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Artia noticed that students responded well to positive re-direction, consistency and repetition more than any other intervention implemented. This sparked her desire to learn more about how to assist and motivate struggling students to excellence.

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    She became a substitute teacher with the Inglewood Unified School District. One day of day-to-day teaching turned into a career as a sixth grade teacher. There Artia learned about the difference positive experiences, positive self-image and support have on a student’s ability to thrive.

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    She made the decision to earn a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology. She became a School-Based Therapist and was able to engage students in a different manner. The focus changed from academia to social/emotional wellness. After years in a community wellness setting she decided it was time to return to education and blend her volunteer experiences as a: soccer coach, camp counselor, room parent, foster youth advocate, tutor and babysitter. She knew she could not build alone so she partnered with counselors, educators, psychologists, coaches, camp directors, parents and most important, students. From there The LAB was birthed.

A place where experiences, efforts, personality and passion can be mixed up, perfected and distributed.

In THE LAB.