Fairfax High School art teacher Liz Kim with artist and Locavore Lit illustrator Maddie Saunders.

Locavore Lit supports educators by combining free online access to written and visual artworks paired with tailor–made lesson plans. We also provide middle school and high school educators with Common Core-aligned curriculum to teach LA’s best and most diverse contemporary writing. Our professionally-designed curriculum is utilized to enrich understanding of the stories and enhance reading, writing and verbal skills through discussion and critical thinking.

Please browse the stories and curriculum on this website to become familiar with our content.

How We Connect with You

Our initial step is to make sure the program is a good fit in your classroom. We work together with our instructor-partners to discuss the best author and artist visitations, age-appropriate story selections and other ways we can support your students’ reading and writing development. Each teacher decides how to best utilize the accompanying curriculum in their classrooms. Following content planning, we coordinate with you to schedule class visits by our authors and artists.

Teacher Testimonials

“As part of our school’s overall initiative to improve reading, our students have improved their reading stamina, and their literacy standardized test scores are trending upwards. Broadening the horizons of our students to include the possibility of becoming a writer. Young people who dream of their future jobs are usually limited by what they’ve seen. So, kids talk of becoming teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers and cops. We are trying to show them that becoming a writer, journalist, even a poet is a viable option for them.”
—Kevin Stricke, English Department, West Adams Preparatory High School

“Locavore Lit breathes new life and energy into the classroom every time they visit! The classroom community is strengthened and our imaginations are restored. I wish every single English classroom to have the luck to experience literature brought to life with Locavore Lit.”
—Patrick O’Donnell at James A Foshay Learning Center

“I want my students to look inside—feel, think—and draw and paint whatever they find. This is hard! Reading and analyzing literature helps them do it. Poems, stories, and books should be a part of their creative life, and they should see literature as a natural way to find inspiration. Your program encouraged them to do that.”
—Elizabeth Kim, Visual Arts Instructor, Fairfax High School

Locavore Lit in Your School

If you are interested in bringing Locavore Lit to your school, please contact Program Manager Jessica Lopez at [email protected]. Reference your specific request in the message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.


Kevin Stricke and students, West Adams Preparatory High School.