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Building Crucial Connections through Convenings

Jun 09, 2026

Convening with peers in the youth development field is one of the many benefits grantees in the Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Expanded Learning Initiative have. This voter-funded initiative administered by School’s Out Washington (SOWA) provides youth organizations in King County with funding, quality improvement, and professional development supports. Due to resource constraints such as time and funding, youth providers often find themselves isolated, making it easy to forget that so many other providers are grappling with similar questions and challenges. Additionally, building partnerships requires significant time, effort, and interconnectedness that many programs don’t have capacity for—making convenings like BSK Learning Community Meetings (LCMs) an invaluable opportunity for grantees. LCMs are designed to give BSK grantees that rare chance to connect, share, and learn from and with each other. While SOWA hosts smaller cohort-based LCMs throughout the year, the annual spring All-BSK LCM brings … [ ]

Advocating at the Capitol: Recap of 2026 Advocacy Day

Feb 23, 2026

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 … [ ]

Investing in Rural Youth: The Impact of School-Community Partnerships

Feb 09, 2026

Corey Belser knows firsthand how activities outside of the classroom can open doors of possibility for young people. His career as a professional basketball player and coach took him around the world—but he never forgot his roots: Spanaway, Washington, where he jumpstarted his basketball career during his time as a student in the Bethel School District. When he later returned to Washington to raise his family, Corey was determined to give back. He founded D.R.E.A.M. Basketball, a non-profit organization that offers basketball camps, clinics, and individual and group training for young people in an enriching, educational, enjoyable environment—something his hometown … [ ]

Spotlight: Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center

Feb 09, 2026

In 2021, Claire Bruncke helped found the Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center (DJHCC) to address a severe lack of access to afterschool programs in her rural community of Pacific County, Washington. The DJHCC has since become a key touchpoint for families and children in the county, serving roughly 65% of K-12 youth in the district last year. But, like many youth providers across the state and rural programs in particular, the DJHCC has had to navigate a glaring gap: funding. While 26 states dedicate funding for afterschool programming, Washington does not. As the executive director of the only youth program … [ ]

Legislative Kick-Off Recap

Jan 23, 2026

On January 21, 2026, School’s Out Washington (SOWA) and the Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST) hosted a virtual Legislative Kick-Off to highlight the coalition’s 2026 legislative priorities and share ways the community can support and advocate for the youth development field across Washington. Centering young people in this work was a highlight of the event. Two youth speakers shared powerful stories about how youth development programs have shaped their lives. Both speakers served on SOWA’s Youth Advisory Subcommittee, a group of 10 passionate young people who worked together in the fall and summer of 2025 to complete a policy project with guidance and support from the YDST coalition and SOWA team. One of the youth speakers, Lexi, shared how participating in youth development … [ ]

Spotlight: Hilltop Children’s Center’s Commitment to Continuous Growth and Improvement

Jan 05, 2026

School’s Out Washington (SOWA) supports youth programs on their program quality improvement journey. One program that has shown commitment to quality improvement is Hilltop Children’s Center. A longtime partner through a contract with the City of Seattle, Hilltop is an early childhood center that offers afterschool programming and childcare for elementary-aged children. They are dedicated to helping young people thrive through strong relationships with trusted adults. Elli Licea, a Mentor Educator at Hilltop, has seen firsthand the value of SOWA’s support, and during her tenure, Hilltop has deepened their engagement. “The more I experienced the coaching and Learning Community Meetings, … [ ]