Author: School’s Out Washington - Page 5

Homepage
/

Best Starts for Kids’ deep dive into training series

May 03, 2023

By School's Out Washington

Best Starts for Kids (BSK) grantees had the opportunity to attend four different Youth Work Methods “Deep Dive” trainings over the past few months. The Youth Work Methods trainings are designed to give direct service staff practical skills that can be immediately implemented into programming and are directly connected to practices addressed in the Program Quality Assessment. The BSK team took the Methods training a step further by giving folks extra time to work through the content and materials and ask more questions in a more “deep dive” approach. The four trainings offered during the series were specifically chosen to … [ ]

Best Starts for Kids sees early impact in King County

Apr 05, 2023

By School's Out Washington

The Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Expanded Learning initiative is underway! School’s Out Washington has received our first round of data from grantees. We’re excited to share the impact of this investment so far, alongside what we’re hearing from their perspectives in the field. After contracts were signed in July and August 2022, the 56 Expanded Learning grantees focused on launching programming, navigating new partnerships, new sites, and/or new curriculum in addition to diving into the Youth Program Quality Initiative. Despite the busy start to the school year, the BSK Expanded Learning cohort reached 3,848 youth from July-December 2022, with … [ ]

Action alert: Funding earmarked for youth development is in jeopardy!

Apr 04, 2023

For several years, OSPI has channeled federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to youth development through the Afterschool, Summer Program Fund, and Community-Based Organization (CBO) grants. Currently, more than 130 nonprofits and public agencies utilize this funding for afterschool and summer programs, mentoring, wrap-around services, and more. Last week we learned that the legislature is proposing to fund additional CBO and afterschool programs using these same ESSER funds. However, these ESSER dollars have already been obligated by OSPI and are currently in contracts. This includes many youth development providers that received funding through the Community-Based Organization (CBO) … [ ]

TAM educators discuss what accessible art means to them and their community

Mar 24, 2023

By School's Out Washington

The Tacoma Art Museum (TAM)’ s mission is to “transform our communities by sharing art that inspires broader perspectives and cultivates a compassionate future.” TAM aligns with their mission for both young people and their families through after school and community-centered programs. A group of Museum Educators share their stories from the community and their passion for accessible art for all.

2023 legislative session update: A setback and forward momentum

Mar 22, 2023

By Gloria Jordan

2023 legislative session update: A setback and forward momentum Our two bills (Senate Bill 5601 and House Bill 1386) passed out of their policy committees but did not receive a vote in their respective budget committees. In addition to $50M in grants for program providers, our ask included small but critical, state infrastructure investment to help the field deepen and sustain equitable outcomes for our youth. While we experienced overwhelming engagement from both lawmakers and community advocates, we now understand that budget constraints stemming from a decrease in state revenue collections resulted in the end of our bills this session. … [ ]

Author: School's Out Washington