Lee Ho leads one of the most diverse communities in the U.S. As an Organization and Workforce Development Consultant with the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) and an AP-OD trainer, Lee brings over a decade of experience and passion to his work that supports the wellbeing of families and children.
Los Angeles County, home to nearly 10 million people, is one of the nation’s largest counties. With over 80 school districts serving 1.3 million students and more than half a million children ages 0 - 5, the need for a robust support system is immense.
Lee, affectionately dubbed “Trainer of Trainers,” has been instrumental in meeting this need. In partnership with AP-OD, he has been training a mighty crew to help provide the parents in LA county with tools and resources to increase overall well-being. His implementation of AP-OD's evidence-based curriculum began over a decade ago, in 2012.
“We were looking for a parenting curriculum that really focuses on children from birth to 5,” Lee says. “Specifically helping the children to develop into healthy and successful adults.”
AP-OD’s curriculum is just that. Through 10 interactive sessions, AP-OD’s curriculum prompts school readiness, family well-being, and advocacy. Parents and caretakers learn best practices in brain development, early childhood milestones, literacy, bilingualism, and more, all while building supportive communities.
“We see parents come together, learning together,” says Lee. “They want the best for their families. They want the best for their children.”
After training at a Texas convening in 2012, Lee, Luis and Sonja, the small team of LACOE AP certified facilitators, launched LA’s first institute in 2013, onboarding 48 facilitators. Since then, he and the growing team have continued to train over 500 AP-OD facilitators in response to the increasing needs of parents and families in LA county. Their team joins a nationwide network of more than 3,000 facilitators in 500 cities.
“One of the things I really appreciate about AP-OD is the wealth of resources and networking opportunities created nationally,” Lee shares.
With ongoing support from AP-OD, Lee continues to mentor facilitators, organizing annual refreshers to share best practices and the latest research. He remains dedicated to helping communities thrive.
“Sí sí sí, yes, I would encourage organizations serving families across the U.S. to become AP partner organizations,” Lee says. “We want to empower parents with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to support their children’s success.”
Learn more about AP-OD’s Community Trainer-of-Facilitators Membership at AP-OD.org.
