Category: News

2023-2026 Strategic Plan

We are proud to present our 2023-2026 strategic plan, which has been deeply informed by School’s Out Washington’s community and supported by the thoughtful guidance of Be The Change Consulting. This strategic plan represents a broadening of School’s Out Washington’s focus and a deepening of our ambition. Our role as an intermediary expanded considerably in 2020. Through collective action and advocacy, grant making, and new levels of responsive training and coaching, we supported providers in sustaining and adapting to meet the heightened needs of youth and communities. We saw glimmers of what is possible when systems align, and programs are … [ ]

How was your Bridge?

Thank you for joining us at this year’s Bridge Conference: Forging Brighter Futures. We would love to hear about your experience. What were the highlights? How was the venue? How can we improve?  Please complete this evaluation form by November 20th. It only takes 5 minutes! Share your feedback STARS credit Workshop certificates have been added to all applicable workshop sessions and STARS credit has been updated for attendees. If you do not see credit in your MERIT account, reach out to us at bridge@schoosloutwashington.org. Accessing materials Materials from your sessions are still available in Sched. Please follow the directions below to access session materials, … [ ]

Bridge Conference 2023 Highlights—Forging Brighter Futures

By School's Out Washington

What an event! Together, we set out to Reflect, Connect, and Reimagine our work to advocate and uplift the young people around the state of Washington. With our collective wisdom and knowledge, we achieved our goal. Now, we have a rejuvenated pathway to Forging Brighter Futures.  Where are you rooted?  On Bridge day one, we opened the conference with a powerful message from our keynote speaker, Melannie Denise Cunningham. Her talk centered on our foundation and how we show up for ourselves and others. Ms. Melannie challenged us to reflect on our upbringing and on the cycles of socialization that … [ ]

Bridge 2023 closing plenary: Mobilizing for a Brighter Future

What role do we play in forging brighter futures for young people? Through youth and community voice, collective action and advocacy, and the resourcing and development of our rich tapestry of providers and programs, we create the conditions for all young people to be healthy, thriving, and reach the future they envision. In this closing session, we will hear from a panel of national and local leaders about how the youth development sector can be mobilized to move us toward our goal of building sustainable systems that elevate and empower young people and their communities.  Come ready to be inspired and called to … [ ]

Celebrating the legacy of YDEKC, a pivotal King County coalition and convener 

By School's Out Washington

When Youth Development Executives of King County (YDEKC) was created in 2010, the youth development sector in King County was made up of loosely connected agencies, often competing for scarce funds and ill equipped to stand in equal partnership with other youth-serving sectors. From the beginning, YDEKC’s goal was to organize, activate, and empower our sector to achieve more equitable results for King County’s young people. It developed into a diverse coalition of leaders representing youth-serving community-based organizations. Its members partnered with schools, communities, and families to ensure every young person has what they need to learn, grow, and thrive.  … [ ]

Announcing Bridge keynote speaker: Melannie Denise Cunningham

SOWA is excited to welcome Melannie Denise Cunningham to this year’s Bridge Conference, Forging Brighter Futures. Melannie is a Tacoma-based thought leader and practitioner who has excelled as an educator, social justice activist, scholar, entrepreneur, and humanitarian. Her leadership spans diverse industries, profoundly impacting college administration, youth development, government service, broadcast media, and more. Reflecting first, so that we can move toward connection and reimagining. Melannie will kick off Bridge Conference 2023 by grounding our experience in the initial theme of reflection. By inviting us to reflect on our biases and individual journeys, we can then embrace the learning and … [ ]