We know that high-quality youth development programs transform lives and build stronger communities—but Washington still hasn’t caught up with the 26 other states already allocating centralized state funding for youth development. Washington has secured small funding wins across state agency budgets, but this approach leaves funding vulnerable and makes it difficult to track the true extent of cuts across budgets.
One of the ways that School’s Out Washington (SOWA) supports our state’s youth development field is by serving as the backbone of the Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST), a statewide coalition of public, non-profit, and community stakeholders working together to secure long-term commitments from funders and legislators for youth development.
Each year during the legislative session, SOWA and the YDST host Advocacy day in Olympia to convene providers, educators, parents, community leaders, and young people from across the state to speak directly with their legislators and advocate for youth development. This year’s event was held on February 16, 2026.
About Advocacy Day
Our Advocacy day is designed to be low barrier so any passionate community member can participate. When attendees arrived, they received a folder with our 2026 Advocacy Day packet—including our legislative agenda, information about the bills we’re tracking, and resources for crafting an impactful story—and a schedule of meetings based on the individual’s legislative district.
Over 40 advocates joined us at the Capitol, including 13 young people and participants from as far as Spokane. Roughly half of the participants were attending an Advocacy Day for the first time. One youth participant shared, “This was my first time participating in an Advocacy Day in Olympia and I learned so much. I already want to get more involved. Sign me up for next year’s!” Moments like this highlight the importance of creating opportunities to engage in the legislative process—especially for youth.
Our Impact
Since legislators started slashing budgets at the state and federal levels in 2025, the advocacy landscape—particularly around funding—has not been particularly hopeful. But we’ve spent years building momentum through our advocacy, and with many providers already facing the impact of funding cuts, showing up this year was crucial.
Advocacy Day attendees helped keep youth development at the top of legislators’ minds by holding 33 meetings with representatives from 36 legislative offices to speak specifically about youth development. Multiple legislators even left the chamber floor to meet with our attendees.
Young people shared how youth development programs have changed their lives. Providers offered stories about the impact of their programs on youth in their communities, and how budget cuts have affected their ability to serve those youth. And everyone emphasized the critical need for state investment in youth development.
Teresa Jordan shared her powerful experience attending Advocacy Day: “As the founder of The R.O.Y.A.L. Project, visiting the Capitol to advocate for Senate Bill 5992 was a powerful reminder of why programs like mine must speak up for Black girls and girls of color in our districts. If we don’t raise our voices, we’ll never be heard and our communities deserve that change. Stepping into that space felt like claiming our seat at the table for the next generation. I couldn’t have done it without the support of SOWA. What an amazing experience.”
Moving Forward
Our bill, SB 5992, which would create a centralized Youth Development Fund, passed through the Senate in February. The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee, where it is currently waiting for a public hearing to be scheduled. The bill must be voted on by the committee by Wednesday, February 25 to move forward.
We’re grateful for our bill sponsor, Senator Krishanadasan, for championing this bill, and for the senators that passed SB 5992 through the Senate. We’ve learned a lot from this legislative session, and—thanks to our Advocacy Day attendees—we have gotten closer to securing funding for youth development in our state.
To stay updated about our policy and advocacy work and learn about opportunities to get involved throughout the year, sign up for the YDST newsletter here.