Author: handala

In their own words—coach Lynda’s spotlight on Centro Rendu

By Lynda Llavore

Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) providers and school district personnel agree that they are Zoom fatigued, depressed, and no longer motivated to join any kind of virtual learning. Like them, Maricela Rodriguez, a Centro Rendu staff member, has been thinking of strategies to engage her young people to attend their Zoom virtual session regularly. Since Centro Rendu has a strong partnership with parents and community resources, she decided to invite parents and people from the community to co-facilitate with her.  One of her guests was Father Carlos Orozco from St. Louis Parish in Bellevue. Father Orozco is known for his collection … [ ]

Growing our communications team—meet Adriana

Adriana (sher/her) joins SOWA as the Communications Coordinator to establish an enhanced focus on storytelling for the organization and elevate community voice for SOWA’s programs. Adriana graduated from Central Washington University with a BA in Public Relations and a minor in Nonprofit Management in 2013. Since then she has been passionate about community work centered around communications, youth, and volunteerism. Her work ranges from coordinating volunteer events for United Way of King County to curating poetry from incarcerated youth in New York City. She is an AmeriCorps VISTA Alum and actively seeks volunteer opportunities that support young women of color. … [ ]

Growing our communications team—meet Tran

As Marketing Manager, Tran (they/them) develops digital and print communications strategies to support the mission and programs at School’s Out Washington. Most recently, they served as the communication coordinator for Soar, where they spearheaded the organization’s rebranding effort. Tran is most passionate about using communications and marketing as a tool for social change. Outside of work, Tran regularly organizes with VietQ an LGBTQ Vietnamese collective. In February 2020 they co-founded the first LGBTQ Vietnamese conference in Washington state. Tran also enjoys reading, drinking ice tea, and building miniature furniture for their mischievous cats.

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 … [ ]

King County Best Starts for Kids quality out-of-school time initiative extended for fourth year

By Lex Gavin

The Out-of-School Time Initiative, a part of King County Best Starts for Kids, began in 2018 and was slated to provide youth program providers with funding and quality improvement support through 2020. The initiative is designed to increase access to high quality and culturally relevant summer and afterschool programming for elementary and middle school youth. In total, $8.3 million was distributed to 12 People-of-Color-Led organizations and 7 Place-Based Partnerships (representing 26 organizations). The cohort represents dynamic, engaging youth development work and has fostered a richer landscape of services across King County In January of last year, the SOWA Best Starts team was gearing up to enter the final assessment season, collecting data on programs’ gains, and planning to close out the inaugural cycle with a bang. When COVID hit, communities across the county (and the world) scrambled to support each … [ ]

Professional development made easy—an interview with Janell Jordan

By Adriana Zazula

A new year often means change and that holds true for SOWA’s training opportunities. Janell Jordan, King County Program Manager, shares their excitement for the new King County Training System and provides insight as its project manager. While virtual, trainings are open to any youth development professional and there is no fee to attend. What is the King County Training System? Why King County?The King County Training System is an option for organizations and their staff to access training and professional development opportunities. Training opportunities range from topics such as Exploring Structure Racism, Mapping Multiracial & Cross-Cultural Identities, Leap Into Science, our suite of … [ ]