About Ánimo Venice

Steve Barr, the founder and CEO of Green Dot, has a special place in his heart for the Venice community—he grew up in the area, near Gold's Gym. After establishing charter schools in Lennox, Inglewood, Boyle Heights and Watts, he wanted to return to his roots and give back to the Venice community. As a result, some questioned his commitment to "high-need" areas, as Venice is commonly perceived as an affluent, idyllic neighborhood. However, the history of Venice is one of violence and gang warfare, and the effects on the community still persist.

Compounding the gang issue is the current wave of gentrification, which refers to the displacement of local residents by affluent property buyers. In essence, the gang issue was not resolved, but was pushed east into Inglewood, along with the local residents (for more information, read City Beat, issue #22). The situation can be likened to throwing the baby out with the bath water. This effect is evidenced by Broadway Elementary's declining student enrollment from the 700-800 students of the 1970s to the present 200-300 students.

Ánimo Venice wants to take a more proactive approach. One of our goals is to empower the community to stand against poverty and violence and, at the same time, preserve the community and its cultural heritage. Another goal is to re-create a sense of community by bringing together long-time Venice residents and affluent new-comers. By creating a quality, college-prepratory school such as Ánimo Venice, we want to give Venice residents a reason to have their children schooled in Venice. And, when children of all socio-economic levels attend school together, then the parents will have a reason to connect with each other.