student wellness

LAEf Donated $245,000 to create the lahs well space, $60,000 to build middle school well spaces,
and $18,000 to furnish elementary well spaces!

These spaces are a calm and safe place for students to reset and seek counseling support. They promote improved mental health, and provide tools for social/emotional management and coping strategies.

LAEF donated $25,000 in the Fall of 2019, plus $35,000 in the Fall of 2020 for $60,000 in total to fund the construction of Well Spaces on campus at Oak (The Den) and McAuliffe (The Corner) Middle Schools! Principals Erin Kominsky and Ryan Weiss-Wright accepted the 2020 donation. A grant from CHOC furnished the spaces, and LAEF is funding ongoing needs for supplies and snacks. 

In the Fall of 2022, LAEF expanded support of Well Spaces district-wide by providing $18,000 ($3000 per school) to provide furniture and decor for the new elementary school Well Spaces.  

Thanks to the very generous support of LAEF donors during the 2022 Fundraising February for Los Al Kids campaign, LAEF donated $245,000 in September of 2022 to fully fund the construction and interiors for the Los Alamitos High School Well Space, known as The Loft.  The space is now open and students began accessing the space in December 2022.

LAEF provides annual donations to each school to maintain and stock each Well Space.  

LAEF partnered with the District and the Sethi Family to create a Wellness Garden outside of the LAHS Well Space, known as The Oasis.  The space officially opened in September of 2023.

LAEF is providing free after-school counseling groups at both middle schools.  Groups have focused on improving confidence and communication skills, building empathy and resilience, and grief support.

LAEF donated $73,185 in 2024-25 and $55,000 in 2023-24 to provide stipends for counseling interns.  These staff members provide extra support to students in our Well Spaces!

donations to Laef fund many exciting initiatives
to support mental health, wellness, and
social-emotional learning for los al kids!

LAEF has donated a total of $75,000 to support the salaries of Los Alamitos Unified’s mental health counselors in 2021, 2018 & 2017!

How Does LAEF support mental Wellness?
Watch this 1 minute video to find out

LAEF donated $10K to fund the 
2018 6th Grade C.A.R.e.s. Summits

In 2018, LAEF was proud to fully fund District-wide Sixth-Grade Summits, part of the C.A.R.E.S. Program (Compassion, Action, Responsibility, Empathy and support), which were presented and facilitated by Embassy Consulting Group. Sixth grade teachers from McAuliffe and Oak middle schools facilitated break-out sessions and every 6th grader participated in this social-emotional learning opportunity during one school day. The summits provided an intensive, one-day training for students in a wide range of interactive social and emotional learning skills, including character education, communication, team building and conflict management. All the lessons were designed to provide students with a foundation to increase positive classroom and school-wide community behavior and academic performance. Below, left and right are the check presentations for the 2018 6th Grade Summits. Lower left shows students participating in a Summit.