Author: School's Out Washington

2022 Legislative Session sees wins for youth development

By School's Out Washington

The 2022 Washington State Legislative Session ended on March 10th with several youth development-related budget wins, including funding for mental health, additional child care subsidies, and more. And there were policy wins as well. The first was a behavioral health request ($1M) based on a pilot at the Boys & Girls Clubs that allows youth to access mental health services on-site and provides funding for mental health-related training for staff. The funding will go towards the pilot as well as for training for other providers. Child care received additional funding to increase subsidy rates by 16% ($45.9M) as well as … [ ]

Washington parents say afterschool programs provide the social, developmental, mental health supports many students need now.

By School's Out Washington

Most Washington state parents see afterschool programs as part of the solution to the social and mental health struggles so many students are experiencing right now, with 5 in 6 saying these programs give students time to engage with peers and reduce unproductive screen time, and 8 in 10 saying they help build confidence. That is according to Promoting Healthy Futures: Afterschool Provides the Supports Parents Want for Children’s Well-Being, a household survey released today by the Afterschool Alliance.   Afterschool programs are especially important now, as the country faces a youth mental health crisis. In December, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a … [ ]

ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop’s is uniting communities of Rainier Valley through the power of arts and culture

By Tran Tonnu

Southeast Seattle, especially the Rainier Valley area, is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the country. With a population of 84,000, Rainier Valley comprises 40 different ethnic groups and 59 languages. Located at the Rainier Arts Center in the heart of it all is ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop (ACEW).  ACEW’s mission is to create, expand, and offer options for youth to enhance growth, personal development, and academic success through the study of African culture, music, and dance. The organization is known for building education pathways for youth and families for the past 27 years. ACEW runs four key … [ ]

Get to know our Pierce County Program Quality Manager, Sergio Beltran.

By School's Out Washington

Throughout his career, Sergio always aims to be an empathic leader who builds relationships, community and centers his work in social justice and equity. Our organization is thrilled to have him on our team as we continue to grow our work across the state. In this Team Spotlight, Sergio shares how his role is helping to ensure equitable access to trainings, professional development and funding in Pierce County. Please share your journey into youth development I started my journey into the youth development field in 2010 during an internship I did for a sociology class. I was on Tacoma’s Juvenile … [ ]

Best Starts for Kids Expanded Learning RFP is now open!

By School's Out Washington

School’s Out Washington (SOWA), in partnership with Best Start for Kids (BSK), is seeking proposals for the 2022-2025 King County Best Starts for Kids Expanded Learning Initiative.  The RFP and application are available here. Proposals are due on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 by 11:59 PM. Investments in the BSK Expanded Learning Initiative will strengthen and increase expanded learning opportunities for King County young people (ages 5-13) who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and/or living in poverty. Expanded learning provides young people with high-quality programming through a range of activities including academic enrichment, cultural and social development activities, … [ ]

A statement from SOWA about harm we caused

By School's Out Washington

Dear Community,  We are writing to acknowledge that we recently caused harm to Key to Change, an organization that we featured in our Community Spotlight story series. For the purposes of transparency and accountability, we want to share what occurred, our learnings, and some of the steps we are taking to ensure this does not happen again.   On February 14, as part of a Community Spotlight series on Black-led youth arts programs for Black History month, we featured Key to Change, a Black-led nonprofit that inspires underserved youth through world-class music instruction and leadership development.  Our communications team mistakenly … [ ]