Author: School's Out Washington

Best Starts for Kids and the celebrations of 2.0 (so far)

By School's Out Washington

In summer of 2022, School’s Out Washington launched the second iteration of the Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Expanded Learning initiative. We celebrated the distribution of over 16 million dollars in funding awarded across 62 different community programs throughout King County, and an in-depth guided experience of the Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) process. Each incredible program provides high quality expanded learning opportunities for youth, ages 5-13, who are BIPOC and/or living in poverty in King County.   The 62 grantees hit the ground running with school and programs starting shortly after the funding announcement. The BSK Expanded Learning initiative is a … [ ]

2022 Bridge Conference Reflections

By School's Out Washington

Conferences are a time to learn, reconnect, and dream a little bigger. At this year’s Bridge Conference, there was an undeniable hum of excitement in the air. We were back together, in-person, after two years of connecting virtually. Youth development leaders, community workers and organizers traveled from across the state and beyond to hear from one another. Lines formed at registration as early as 7:30 AM and groups gathered with their pastries and coffee waiting for the first plenary to begin. Tanaya Winder grounded the crowd of over 530 in intentionality and the hard work of the “heartwork.” From there … [ ]

Celebrating queer youth leadership, every day.

By Adriana Zazula

An oasis is defined as a, “peaceful area in the midst of a difficult or hectic place.” For LGBTQ youth in Tacoma,  Oasis Youth Center  is just that.  For more than 36 years it has been a place of joy, community, and understanding. Their mission is to, “transforms the lives of queer youth by creating a safe place to learn, connect, and thrive.”  “Oasis believes that queer youth are amazing leaders that have the ability to change the world,” said Siggy Frank, Program Manager at Oasis Youth Center. Frank was introduced to Oasis at 14 years old  and participated in … [ ]

The Youth Development Strategy Table invites you to Regional Networking Meetings

By School's Out Washington

This Fall the Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST) will be traveling around the state to hear from providers and stakeholders what their needs are to support youth and strategize how to increase state investments for the youth development field. The YDST is currently working on legislative priorities including the creation of a state agency home for the youth development field, long-term funding, and funding for programs. Join us to learn more about the priorities, add your input, and network with other youth development providers and stakeholders. We hope to see you there! City & Region Event Location Date & Time … [ ]

Graduate Tacoma and the spirit of collaboration.

By School's Out Washington

Graduate Tacoma is a community-wide movement of more than 350 cross-sector partners across the full education ecosystem. The Foundation for Tacoma Students (FFTS) plays a unique role in building and strengthening the community-wide movement to help every child achieve success from cradle to college and career. “The most unique thing we see [in Tacoma] is the spirit of collaboration. How do we make sure that students have access to all of our programs or how do we make sure folks know what kinds of programs we have and fill gaps where we know there aren’t enough programs? That spirit of … [ ]

Lights on Afterschool 2022

By School's Out Washington

Every year, Lights On Afterschool highlights amazing expanded learning opportunities all over the nation! Programs invite families, schools, policymakers, the media, and others to see the important work happening after school to engage youth and improve academic and social-emotional learning outcomes. We have a goal of getting as many Washington programs registered as possible to show our state’s leadership when it comes to providing quality expanded learning opportunities afterschool and during the summer.  That’s why we need your help! You can plan an in-person or online event at your site. Go to the Afterschool Alliance website for a comprehensive list … [ ]