Elevate Washington was a community resource that captured data on youth-serving programs across our state. From camps and afterschool classes to services and support, Elevate Washington’s directory featured programs that help build lifelong skills, improve academic performance, provide safe spaces outside the school day, and inspire young people to discover their passions.
School’s Out Washington created the Elevate Washington data platform so that we would have the tools and information needed to see where youth programs are operating in our state and better understand who was being served. Comprehensive data allowed us to monitor cost and availability of youth programs across Washington, advocate for resources, and provide youth and families with a free, easy way to find programs in their area.
Key components of the Elevate Washington data platform included:
- A member system where providers shared information about the programs they offered.
- A public directory for families, advocates, and young people who needed a free, comprehensive tool to find and evaluate direct-service programming for youth (ages 5 to 24).
- A data service that provided tailored information for partners and funders.
- A place that shared stories and showcased providers and programs innovation and hard work.
With regret, we have to announce that Elevate Washington has shut down. Unfortunately, we have been unable to secure new funding to keep the site active and given the current funding climate at both the state and federal levels, the outlook for additional funding in the near future is not promising. Without an infusion of funding, the data had become out-of-date and less useful, which made this the most responsible decision given the current reality.
Without Elevate Washington, there is no single site that lists youth programs in Washington state, but there are quite a few focused on specific communities or types of programs. Many school districts such as Spokane Public Schools, Highline Public Schools, and Seattle Public Schools publish lists of community partners, including afterschool programs serving students in their district. Child Care Aware of Washington can help families find child care options, including programs for school-age children in summer and after school.
Although the website is no longer live, we have retained archives of the site and database so that, in the event we receive future funding for Elevate, we will be able to restore it. A significant investment would be required to update the data and integrate the latest database technology. If that investment can be secured at some point in the future, we hope to bring Elevate back online, and we will continue to advocate for the need for a statewide youth program database directory.
