Champion Profile: Helen Chavez Leads By Example Through LAUP Special Initiatives

Champion Profile: features individuals who exemplify First 5 LA's tagline, "Champions for Our Children."

Helen Chavez is director of Special Initiatives at Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), where she spearheads programs involving inclusion, early literacy, and health to of develop high quality preschool programs that implement research-based best practices.

Chavez's passion for early learning dates back to 1999, with her experience as a case manager for pregnant and parenting teens in Pasadena. She earned her master's in social work from USC and her BA in sociology from UCLA before joining Karen Hill Scott & Company as a policy analyst during the final phases of LAUP's planning process.  

Which book has most influenced your life?
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs.

What makes you happy?
My work--improving the lives of children.

What makes you angry?
Social injustice and poverty.

Which historical figure do you most admire?
Jane Addams, a Nobel laureate, social worker, and founder of the social settlement Hull-House in Chicago, which resulted in reform movements in the areas of child labor and compulsory education in the early 20th Century.

What is your favorite way to spend time with an important child in your life?
Going to the library.

What is your motto?
"Aim high."