ENTRENOUS COMMUNITY FEST 2026: DISCOVER AN EXCEPTIONAL JEWEL IN THE HEART OF COMPTON
- Compton Chamber Admin
- 11 minutes ago
- 9 min read
The Compton Chamber of Commerce would like to take this opportunity to honor and introduce one of our community’s exceptionally successful and laser-focused organizations: EntreNous Community Empowerment.
EntreNous has been doing remarkable work in Compton—educating, training, supporting, and opening doors for young people and adults—largely without the bright lights of a public stage.
Its accomplishments are not built around publicity or ceremony. They can be seen in the people earning accredited high school diplomas, completing occupational training, receiving nationally recognized credentials, entering career pathways, and creating more sustainable futures for themselves and their families.
As a proud member of the Compton Chamber of Commerce, EntreNous deserves to be more widely known and recognized. The Chamber would therefore like to share what we have learned about this extraordinary organization, the measurable results it has achieved, and the life-changing opportunities it provides from its campus in the heart of Compton.
The upcoming EntreNous CommUNITY Fest 2026 offers the perfect occasion to do so.
THIS IS NOT YOUR REGULAR BLOCK PARTY
The complimentary food, live DJ, line dancing, bingo, raffles, prizes, and family activities will make the day festive and enjoyable—but they are only part of the story.
EntreNous CommUNITY Fest 2026 is an invitation for the community to step inside an exceptional jewel in the heart of Compton. Visitors will discover nationally recognized culinary training, hands-on construction and apprenticeship preparation, an accredited high school diploma pathway, and community-service organizations ready to provide information and answer questions.
This is where celebration meets discovery—and where an enjoyable afternoon could introduce someone to an opportunity that changes the direction of a life.
Behind the doors of its North Oleander Avenue campus, EntreNous helps young people and adults complete their education, earn nationally recognized credentials, receive hands-on occupational training, and prepare for sustainable careers. Yet many Compton residents may not realize the quality, reach, and national recognition of the opportunities available right here in their own community.
On Saturday, September 19, 2026, EntreNous will open its doors so residents can meet its team, tour its programs, explore community resources, and see this important work firsthand.
EVENT INFORMATION
Saturday, September 19, 2026
11:00 AM–4:00 PM
EntreNous Community Empowerment
1108 N. Oleander AvenueCompton, CA 90222
Admission is free.
Guests who register through Eventbrite and bring their tickets will be eligible for an exclusive in-person prize.
DISCOVERY WRAPPED IN A DAY OF COMMUNITY FUN
While CommUNITY Fest has an important educational purpose, EntreNous has designed the day to be lively, welcoming, and enjoyable for the entire community.
Visitors will not simply read about the programs or sit through formal presentations. They will be able to experience elements of the training firsthand, speak directly with instructors and advisors, and see what EntreNous participants are learning.
Guests can expect:
Food tastings prepared by students from the Impactful Bites Hospitality and Culinary Arts Program
Demonstrations of construction tools, skills, and building methods connected with the Constructing Success Academy
Education advisors available on-site to answer questions about the fully accredited high school diploma program
Information about enrollment, eligibility, career pathways, apprenticeship preparation, industry credentials, and participant support
Opportunities to meet EntreNous instructors, staff members, students, and program representatives
The event will allow visitors to move beyond brochures and program descriptions. They can taste what culinary students are preparing, observe construction skills in action, and receive direct answers about returning to school and earning an accredited high school diploma.
The learning and discovery will be surrounded by a full afternoon of community entertainment, including:
A live DJ
Line dancing
Bingo
Raffles and prizes
Complimentary tacos
Music, socializing, and family-friendly activities
CommUNITY Fest brings together the serious and the celebratory. Families can enjoy food, music, dancing, bingo, raffles, and prizes while discovering educational and career opportunities that could have a lasting impact long after the festival ends.
The fun may bring people through the gates—but the programs, people, and possibilities waiting inside are what could change lives.
THREE EXCEPTIONAL PATHWAYS TO A BETTER FUTURE
The interactive program tours will introduce visitors to three of the most important opportunities available through EntreNous:
Impactful Bites Hospitality and Culinary Arts
Constructing Success Academy
The accredited high school diploma program offered through YouthBuild Charter School of California
Together, these programs demonstrate how education, occupational training, industry credentials, and individualized support can be combined to create practical pathways toward employment, economic independence, and long-term personal growth.
IMPACTFUL BITES: A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CULINARY PROGRAM
The Impactful Bites Hospitality and Culinary Arts Program prepares participants for entry-level employment and continued advancement in the restaurant, hospitality, and food-service industries.
Students receive hands-on instruction in:
Food safety
Nutrition
Proper food handling
Food preparation
Kitchen operations
Customer service
Teamwork
Professional workplace expectations
The program also introduces participants to career opportunities in restaurants, hotels, catering operations, institutional food service, event hospitality, and other food-related industries.
Through its work with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Impactful Bites helps participants develop restaurant-industry competencies and earn recognized workforce credentials.
Depending upon the participant’s course and training pathway, credentials may include:
Restaurant Ready or Work Ready certification
Food Handler certification
Responsible Beverage Service certification
CPR certification
An OSHA 10-Hour General Industry card
Students also gain practical experience, industry exposure, career introductions, and opportunities to learn directly from hospitality professionals.
During CommUNITY Fest, visitors will have an opportunity to meet people involved with Impactful Bites and taste foods prepared by the program’s culinary students.
SELECTED AMONG THE NATION’S LEADING COMMUNITY CULINARY PROGRAMS
Impactful Bites recently earned significant national recognition when EntreNous was selected as one of only 10 grant recipients from a field of 137 applicants nationwide by the Jacques Pépin Foundation.
The Foundation awarded EntreNous a $10,000 grant to support and strengthen the Impactful Bites program.
The importance of this award extends well beyond its financial value.
Jacques Pépin is one of the world’s most respected chefs and culinary educators. His foundation supports community-based culinary programs that use professional training to expand opportunity, prepare people for employment, and help individuals overcome barriers to sustainable careers.
Being selected among only 10 recipients from 137 applicants represents a meaningful national endorsement of the quality, direction, and community value of Impactful Bites.
It also sends a powerful message: programs developed in Compton can compete successfully for national recognition and investment.
CONSTRUCTING SUCCESS ACADEMY: BUILDING SKILLS AND BUILDING COMMUNITIES
The Constructing Success Academy introduces participants to the construction trades through hands-on occupational training, leadership development, safety instruction, and practical work experience.
Participants learn basic construction skills while preparing for employment, apprenticeships, and continued advancement within the building trades.
Training includes instruction in areas such as:
Construction mathematics
Jobsite safety and OSHA workplace standards
Proper use of tools and materials
Measurement and blueprint fundamentals
Workplace readiness
Leadership and teamwork
Construction-industry expectations
Union apprenticeship pathways
A central component of the program is the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum, commonly known as MC3.
MC3 is a nationally recognized pre-apprenticeship curriculum that introduces participants to multiple construction trades and helps prepare them for union apprenticeship opportunities. Participants completing the required training can earn a nationally recognized MC3 credential, strengthening their qualifications for future construction employment and registered apprenticeship programs.
The academy also connects occupational training with service to the community. Participants gain practical experience through affordable-housing construction and involvement with Habitat for Humanity, allowing them to apply their developing skills while contributing to work that benefits families and neighborhoods.
During CommUNITY Fest, visitors will be able to observe demonstrations involving construction tools and methods, meet program representatives, and ask questions about training, safety credentials, apprenticeships, and careers in the building trades.
This combination of classroom instruction, recognized credentials, hands-on experience, and community service makes Constructing Success Academy more than a basic vocational course. It creates a bridge between learning a trade and entering a real career pathway.
A SECOND CHANCE TO EARN AN ACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
EntreNous also provides an essential educational opportunity for people who did not complete high school through a traditional school setting.
Through its partnership with YouthBuild Charter School of California, EntreNous offers a fully accredited high school diploma program for eligible students ages 16 and older.
This is an accredited high school diploma—not merely a short-term training certificate or workforce-readiness document.
Students learn in small, supportive classrooms led by credentialed teachers. The educational program uses project-based and socially relevant instruction while connecting academic progress with career preparation, leadership development, and practical support.
Students may receive assistance through:
Small classroom environments
Credentialed teachers
Individualized academic support
Project-based education
Career exploration
Occupational training
Industry-recognized certifications
College and career readiness
Case management and life coaching
Support in overcoming personal barriers
The objective is not simply to help students complete academic requirements. It is to help them leave the program with an accredited diploma, marketable skills, greater confidence, and a clearer pathway toward employment, apprenticeship, college, or other postsecondary opportunities.
Education advisors will be available during CommUNITY Fest to explain the diploma program, discuss accreditation, answer eligibility and enrollment questions, and help prospective students understand the process of returning to school.
UNDERSTANDING THE YOUTHBUILD RELATIONSHIP
Two related but distinct organizations are involved in this work.
EntreNous operates Compton YouthBuild as a Full Affiliate of YouthBuild Global. Through that affiliation, EntreNous follows the evidence-based YouthBuild model, which combines education, career training, leadership development, community service, and comprehensive participant support.
The fully accredited high school diploma program, however, is offered through EntreNous’ educational partnership with YouthBuild Charter School of California.
In other words:
EntreNous operates Compton YouthBuild as a YouthBuild Global affiliate.
YouthBuild Charter School of California provides the accredited high school diploma pathway.
This combination allows participants to work toward a recognized academic diploma while also developing occupational skills and preparing for the next stage of their lives.
ENTRENOUS: A COMPTON-BASED LAUNCHPAD FOR OPPORTUNITY
EntreNous Community Empowerment is a Compton-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people build sustainable futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Its approach recognizes that education or occupational training alone may not be enough for someone facing financial hardship, interrupted schooling, family responsibilities, involvement with the justice system, or other barriers.
EntreNous therefore combines education and workforce development with leadership training, case management, life coaching, mental-health services, career preparation, civic engagement, and other forms of individualized support.
Since 2012, EntreNous reports that it has supported more than 2,000 individuals.
According to organizational materials:
77 percent of participants earn industry-recognized credentials.
85 percent enter postsecondary education or career pathways.
Alumni earn an average wage of approximately $16.64 per hour from day one of employment.
These results help explain why EntreNous describes itself as a launchpad for opportunities. Its programs are structured to help participants move beyond temporary assistance and toward education, employment, personal stability, and self-sufficiency.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO HELP
CommUNITY Fest will introduce visitors to more than EntreNous’ own educational and occupational programs.
Community-serving organizations will be present with informational booths throughout the festival. Their representatives will be available to speak directly with visitors, explain available services, answer many different types of questions, and help families identify resources suited to their circumstances.
Participating exhibitors are expected to represent areas such as:
Education and occupational training
Employment and workforce development
Internships and career pathways
Nonprofit and public-benefit services
Cultural programs and community foundations
Legal-assistance resources
Other community support and referral services
Visitors will therefore have an opportunity to ask questions about much more than the three featured EntreNous programs.
Whether someone needs information about completing an education, entering an apprenticeship, beginning a career, obtaining legal guidance, finding supportive services, or connecting with a community organization, knowledgeable representatives will be available to help point them in the right direction.
The Compton Chamber of Commerce encourages residents to come with their families—and to bring their questions.
COME FOR THE FESTIVAL—LEAVE WITH INFORMATION, CONNECTIONS AND NEW POSSIBILITIES
Come taste foods prepared by EntreNous culinary students. Watch demonstrations of construction tools and methods. Speak with education advisors about earning a fully accredited high school diploma. Meet community-service organizations and learn what assistance is available.
Then stay for the DJ, line dancing, bingo, raffles, prizes, and complimentary tacos.
The festival atmosphere will make the day enjoyable, but the information, relationships, and opportunities discovered there could continue making a difference long after the music ends.
This is not merely a festival to attend. It is an opportunity to walk through the doors of EntreNous, learn what is available, and connect someone—a young person, an adult learner, a job seeker, or an entire family—with a pathway that could change the direction of a life.
THE CHAMBER PROUDLY SUPPORTS ITS MEMBER
The Compton Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize EntreNous Community Empowerment as a Chamber member and to help introduce its programs to the broader community.
Strong communities require more than businesses and buildings. They require organizations that prepare residents to enter the workforce, complete their education, develop marketable skills, and pursue meaningful careers.
EntreNous contributes to that work by investing directly in people.
We congratulate the EntreNous leadership, instructors, staff, partners, volunteers, students, and alumni on the continued success of these programs—and on the national recognition earned by Impactful Bites.
We invite the entire community to attend EntreNous CommUNITY Fest 2026, explore the campus, meet the team, ask questions, and discover the opportunities available inside.
ENTRENOUS COMMUNITY FEST 2026
Saturday, September 19, 2026
11:00 AM–4:00 PM
EntreNous Community Empowerment
1108 N. Oleander Avenue
Compton, CA 90222
Free admission • Interactive program tours • Student-prepared food tastings • Construction demonstrations • Education advisors • Community resources • Complimentary tacos • DJ • Line dancing • Bingo • Raffles and prizes
Guests who RSVP through Eventbrite and bring their tickets will be eligible for an exclusive in-person prize.
Learn more about EntreNous Community Empowerment and its programs at www.entrenousyouth.org.
The Compton Chamber of Commerce proudly invites the community to discover this exceptional jewel in the heart of Compton—and to see firsthand the extraordinary work EntreNous has been accomplishing without the bright lights of a public stage.
