Tag: Youth Development Professionals

20 on 2020—Advocacy Champions

By School's Out Washington

In a year like no other, we saw how youth workers and organizations came together and reimagined what it meant to support children, youth, and families. Below is one of 20 people and organizations that inspired us in 2020. Read the full report. Beth Monfils  Beth is the Education Services Manager for the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, which has multiple 21st Century Learning Centers. These federally funded programs are supported by SOWA and offer young people from underserved communities expanded learning opportunities.   Beth shares how and why she has stepped up to be an advocate for the youth and families … [ ]

2021 Bridge Conference

For our second virtual conference, we will come together to celebrate, influence, and learn in community with the expanded learning field on October 26-29, 2021. Join us for a Systems Leaders Pre-Conference, inspiring keynote speakers, up to 28 workshops to choose from, and unique opportunities to connect with your peers from across Washington State and beyond. About our 2021 theme Across time and cultures, humans have found comfort, guidance, and knowledge amongst the stars. Before we had the technology to tell us what was out there, we were grounded and deeply connected to this unknown we reached for it. The … [ ]

5 things you can do today to support LGBTQ youth

By Tran Tonnu and Janell Jordan

For LGBTQ folks, June is an important month of celebration and awareness. While commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York, Pride also serves as a reminder of the fearless existence of LGBTQ people. Though often a joyful occasion, the everyday lived reality of many LGBTQ people—especially those with multiple intersecting marginalized identities—cannot be overlooked. This year alone more than 250 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in states across the country, many of which directly affect young people. In 2020 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the national Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance report showing that LGBTQ students … [ ]

SOWA’s coaching philosophy in action

By Adriana Zazula

Coaching is at the heart of SOWA’s work in the community. Below is a conversation with Maria Pia Johnson Barreto, who has been a coach with SOWA in Spokane for over two years and is now our new Learning and Design Manager. How did coaching change for you during the pandemic? Community had been advocating for virtual opportunities for years. We were expanding virtual support in the years before the pandemic for communities that didn’t have direct access. The pandemic allowed for more people to see not just the need, but also the value of virtual opportunities and spaces. It allowed us to reimagine the … [ ]

Building Quality in Washington State

By Sarah Terry & Sheely Mauck

The origins of quality improvement Since 2008, School’s Out Washington has been leading the effort to build and sustain a quality improvement system for expanded learning programs. The impetus for this work is grounded in the belief that all children deserve the opportunity to thrive and an understanding of how historical inequities continue to limit opportunity for children experiencing poverty and racial oppression.  The reality is that schools cannot meet these challenges on their own. We need an integrated approach to learning across the day and year to narrow opportunity gaps and amplify classroom learning. We know that children and … [ ]

Thriving as a Leader in Changing Times

By SOWA

Belonging to a team, feeling valued and respected (as a whole person, not just “as an employee”), and being encouraged to innovate–this kind of culture enables us to adapt during challenging times, and it emerges when we lead by integrating racial equity and social and emotional learning to create equitable environments for youth and adults. Join us to explore what it means to be this kind of leader, and how each of us, from wherever we stand within organizations, can work towards building thriving organizations.