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$1-million donation will help needy students with their homework at L.A. libraries

The busy lobby of the Tom Bradley Wing of the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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Thirty-eight branches of the Los Angeles Public Library that offer homework help to poor and homeless students will receive a boost from a $1-million donation.

The gift from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, announced Tuesday, will create an endowment for the free after school homework centers, which offer students access to computers, printers and other devices they might not have at home, if they even have permanent homes.

There are an estimated 16,000 homeless students in L.A. Unified schools.

The donation is meant to allow the centers to continue the work they are already doing — helping students with homework or completing college and scholarship essays — but it also could pay for updated technology, according to a press release.

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“We know that the hours immediately after school are crucial to the success of many young people,” said Ken Brecher, president of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. “The generosity of the Broad Foundation helps to make our Student Zones true safe havens and productive centers for students to do their homework now and in the future.”

According to the release, the gift is being made in Edythe Broad’s honor.

Editor’s note: Education Matters receives funding from a number of foundations, including one or more affiliated with an individual mentioned in this article. The California Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter Family Foundation, the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and the Wasserman Foundation. Under terms of the grants, The Times retains complete control over editorial content.

anna.phillips@latimes.com

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Twitter: @annamphillips

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