It’s hard to believe that it’s been 14 years since the horrific events of September 11, 2001. I will never forget the day our world changed forever.

I will never forget the heroism of brave police officers and firefighters rushing into the unknown to help save the lives of fellow Americans.

I will never forget the determination and selflessness of rescue workers working day and night at Ground Zero and the Pentagon.

I will never forget the courage of our troops—many of whom sacrificed family and themselves in honor of keeping our country and democracy safe.

Whether you are a survivor, a family member of a victim, military veteran, first responder or someone who watched the day unfold on the TV, September 11th will always be a part of our lives and its impact is still felt 14 years later.

Please take a moment today to pay tribute to all those we lost on 9/11, and to the men and women who continue to sacrifice everything to protect our country and liberties we enjoy each day.

God bless our troops. God bless our first responders. God bless the United States of America. We will never forget.

Nonprofits are known for serving their communities, but who serves the nonprofits when they need a little guidance and support?

Running a nonprofit in 2015 is serious business. There’s the ongoing need to fundraise, create marketing plans, manage a board of directors, budget and build out sophisticated technology infrastructures.

Similar to a new business, more than 30 percent of new nonprofits go under within two years. The passion may exist, but a solid nonprofit business plan is needed to survive and thrive.

To help, the Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership (LBNP) was formed in 1993 by a small group of community leaders and nonprofit professionals who believed in the importance of a strong, well-supported nonprofit community in Long Beach.

Today, the organization serves about 500 nonprofits annually in over 35 cities throughout Southern California. In Long Beach alone, there are 2,000 nonprofits. In LA County, it is estimated there are 42,000 – all of varying size and supporting diverse causes big and small.

“Our primary goal is to build up the capacity of nonprofits so they can enable change,” said Linda Alexander, executive director of LBNP. “They serve such a vital role within our communities, but it is important they too have a support system and can invest in their own leadership and strategic plans.”

Alexander, who took over as executive director a year ago, has spent the past several months interviewing 200-plus leaders and fundraisers in the nonprofit world to learn more about their needs in this post-Great Recession era of giving.

“While we’ve discovered that charitable giving is finally slightly up, we’ve seen the giving is actually going to fewer organizations, but at higher dollars,” said Alexander. “Now, more than ever, there is a huge emphasis on how nonprofits tell their stories effectively, so they can convince givers to invest in and support their particular cause.”

LBNP delivers a number of high-quality, cost-effective programs to provide training, promote collaboration, enhance resource development and aid in capacity-building for the full range of nonprofit organizations. It offers referral and consulting services, networking opportunities, and a full schedule of year-round, educational seminars and workshops – both online and in-person.

One of the organization’s signature programs is the Nonprofit Leadership Institute, which accepts 15 to 20 participants each year for an intensive 10-month journey.

“We really noticed a need for the emerging leaders – managers and directors already working in the space and poised to take over high-profile roles in the future,” said Alexander. “Our program helps those middle leaders grow and we take them through the entire ecosystem of the nonprofit world.”

Each month, the cohort participates in a full-day session on various topics ranging from technology to accounting to working with the board of directors. The group then breaks away for homework in between their in-person meetings, and receives mentorship from seasoned leaders and experts throughout the year.

“The Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership facilitated the critical resources and support that I needed for further development as a working professional in the nonprofit sector,” said Lindsay Gervacio, a recent grad of LBNP’s Nonprofit Leadership Institute Emerging Leaders Program. “Plus, Families in Good Health benefitted from the Partnership’s resource pool of consultants, enabling us to build on our work as an organization.”

The Emerging Leaders Program is a big commitment, but Alexander notes nonprofits can call LBNP anytime for support. The small team of four is well connected and eager to offer ideas, make connections and strengthen LA County nonprofits however then can.

“I’m proud to support an organization that gives so much to help others serve their communities,” said Supervisor Don Knabe. “The Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership is a helping hand that extends across Los Angeles County and touches the lives of so many people.”

To learn more about LBNP, visit their website at lbnp.org or call 562-888-6530. LBNP is available to service and support nonprofits throughout LA County.

Textbooks are great, but when you really want to dive into science, nothing beats a great exhibit or hands-on learning lab.

Each year, thousands of elementary and middle school students come to Hacienda Heights Youth Science Center (YSC) to discover the excitement of science and technology through classes and programs designed to promote learning through interaction.

Kids dive into 3D printing, plant seeds, design model green cities, build solar car racers, dissect squid and reuse soda pop bottles to soar beyond.

“Our classes feature teachers who have a specialty and real enthusiasm in particular areas of the sciences, so they’re able to go deeper into different science, technology, engineering and math specialties,” said Patricia Smith, long-time YSC volunteer and retired science educator. “We don’t just read about marine biology, we go to the tide pools. We play with Lego robotics. We learn how to construct buildings to withstand disasters.”

While many of the classes take place during the summer months, YSC additionally offers after-school programs and serves as a site for local teachers to enrich their own classroom science activities and curriculum.

The fun comes with playing with the materials, ultimately getting young students to work their minds and problem-solving skills to come up with solutions to change the world.

“We really work on arming our kids with science notebooks, teaching them to do investigative research and experiment,” said Smith. “We show the kids how science and technology work together, and how we can move ideas to inventions.”

In addition to the classes, YSC is opening an on-site science room at Bixby Elementary School, scheduled to open in fall 2015.

“It’s a work-in-progress,” said YSC Chairman of the Board Ron Chong. “Through grants and donations, we want to keep adding to it and hope it will be a wonderful place to feature exhibits and labs to bring science to life.”

Chong, who has also had a role with YSC for more than 25 years, said the real joy comes when he hears stories of students who learned to love science after interactions with YSC.

“Just a few weeks ago I had a mom share that her son left YSC to go on to be a star student in middle school, valedictorian in high school this past June and will now attend Stanford to study (Molecular Biology).”

The interest, Chong said, started with YSC.

“The Youth Science Center has really been a step ahead of our national agenda to grow the sciences,” said Don Knabe, LA County Supervisor. “Today, we’ve all heard the importance of getting our kids STEM-ready to enter the workforce of tomorrow, but YSC has been offering our young people opportunities to be hands-on for decades – what a gift for our community.”

To learn more about the Youth Science Center, visit http://www.youthsciencecenter.org. The on-site Center is now located at Bixby Elementary School, 16446 Wedgeworth Drive in Hacienda Heights and is open on Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. To visit, please call ahead (626) 588-7818.