About the Foundation
Scholarships…internships…mentoring…field trips. These are some of the benefits that high school students receive from local travel and tourism businesses via the LA Academy of Travel and Tourism (AOTT). The LA Travel and Tourism Education Foundation (LATTEF), established by LA INC. in 2001, takes an active role in all aspects of the AOTT program, providing financial and industry support.
Established in 2001 by LA INC., LATTEF provides financial and industry support to AOTT. Essentially a specialized school within a school, the Academy curriculum is incorporated into two inner-city institutions, Fremont High and Miguel Contreras Learning Center. Together they serve a population of nearly 10,000, largely minority children, the vast majority of whom are economically disadvantaged. More than 85% of the students in both schools qualify for free or reduced rate lunch meals, an indicator of the poverty level. The graduation rate at Fremont is 40% and Miguel Contreras Learning Center is 46%. Currently, 400 students are enrolled in the AOTT program, a dramatic increase from its start 10 years ago, when a mere 27 students participated. The AOTT graduation rate is 77%, with more than 80% of those graduates going on to college.
