Tag: Best Starts for Kids

Best Starts for Kids’ deep dive into training series

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

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 … [ ]

What goalsetting means for Best Starts for Kids 2.0

By School's Out Washington

The Best Starts for Kids Expanded Learning Initiative (BSK) grantees welcomed the new year by reflecting on their experiences in 2022 and setting some resolutions for program quality improvement in 2023.   Following a Fall season filled with onboarding and learning more about Youth Program Quality Initiative, grantees kicked off 2023 with a training called Planning with Data. In this training they closely reviewed their assessment data for the first time and began to make plans for a cycle of continuous program quality improvement.  Grantees were guided into the work of identifying some places where they wanted to improve their … [ ]

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 … [ ]

Celebrating the 2018-2021 BSK Out-of-School Time Cohort

By School's Out Washington

In 2018, SOWA implemented the first round of Best Starts for Kids (BSK) funding and support known as the Best Starts for Kids Out-of-School Time Initiative. We partnered with 32 organizations that provide access to consistent, high-quality, and culturally relevant summer and afterschool programming, infusing more than $12 million to underserved communities across King County. Grantees more than doubled the number of youth served to reach over 2,100 in their BSK Out-of-School Time programming in Fall 2021, according to Public Profit’s final evaluation. Some grantees dramatically expanded the number of youth they were able to serve, and other grantees created … [ ]

Best Starts for Kids Expanded Learning Awardees Announced!

By School's Out Washington

School’s Out Washington, in partnership with King County Best Starts for Kids (BSK), is excited to announce the BSK Expanded Learning cohort for 2022–2025! In total, 65 awardees will receive $16,102,303 in funding over the next three years. The BSK Expanded Learning initiative provides funding and resources for expanded learning providers across King County to increase access to high quality expanded learning opportunities for youth (ages 5–13) who are BIPOC and/or living in poverty. This is accomplished through two primary funding models:  BIPOC-led organizations that are embedded in culturally specific or cross-cultural communities of color Place-based collaboratives that are made … [ ]