Five sophomores will be among 20 Los Angeles high school students given the opportunity to experience culturally diverse aspects of Los Angeles during a summer program and eight Saturdays next year through the Los Angeles Service Academy.

Ben Winters ’16, Noah Redlich ’16, Shelby Weiss ’16, Emma Schechter ’16 and Patrick Hudnut ’16 will explore historic and cultural urban sites through LASA, which will begin its third year in September and is administered by the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, an organization that studies western American culture. History teacher Ken Neisser will serve as a chaperone.

The goal of LASA is to supplement the regular school year by providing students with a greater understanding of local infrastructure and culture. The academy visits locations such as Warner Bros. Studio, the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters and Union Station.

“I look at Los Angeles in an entirely new way,” history teacher and 2012-2013 LASA chaperone Katherine Holmes-Chuba said.

The program consists of a four-day summer program and eight Saturday meetings during the school year. At each meeting, students will attend a seminar on a specific aspect of Los Angeles culture and then visit sites that demonstrate this aspect.