YDEKC Field Notes — June 2021

Greetings YDEKC Members and Friends:

We are so excited that the Best Starts for Kids Levy Renewal is on the ballot for King County voters this August! Last week, we had our YDEKC family, friends, and community members join us as we hosted our first annual King County Youth Development Advocacy Day! We shared stories and advocacy tips to help get the vote out for the upcoming BSK 2.0 Renewal. We had a great turnout and are excited to continue sharing follow-up resources with you!

We want to continue advocating and help get the vote out for the Best Starts for Kids 2.0 Renewal Campaign. To help you get started, these resources can be shared...

We are also so glad to welcome YDEKC's new Fundraising & Communications Manager, Aria Wilson! Reach out to her if you have quesitons or want to get involved!

TOMORROW, June 16, 3:00-3:30 PM — Partnership Quick Connections, Part VIII: Out-of-School-Time, Place-Based Partnership Highlight (Optional Partnership Office Hours, 3:30-4:15 PM)
June 16, 4:00-5:30 PM — Best Starts for Kids Community Conversation about the levy implementation plan.
June 24, 9:15-10:15 AM — (for our Members) YDEKC Member Connect: Executive Leaders Check-in.
NEW! August 6, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM — Thriving Organizations: Building an Organizational Culture that Supports Your Team to Thrive

June 16 — Join our friends at the Equity in Education Coalition for a Lunch and Learn about the Fair Start for Kids Act.
In case you missed YDEKC's King County Youth Development Advocacy Day focused on BSK earlier this month, check out the recording!
How you feel about your work impacts your organization’s results. Complete the Nonprofit Employee Engagement Survey to help your organization — and other King County nonprofits — better understand what makes people feel satisfied, supported, and valued.

June 22 — Mindfulness & Self-Compassion for Stress Management and Burnout Prevention, by 501 Commons.
The global shift to remote work has left us wondering How to stop thinking about work (so you can relax).
The Greater Good Science Center gives us 9 important tips for creating a gratitude journal to help improve our health and happiness.
See Shawn Ginwright’s piece, The Future of Healing: Shifting from Trauma-Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement.
Studies reveal diverse Asian American paths to health and resilience: How Identity Shapes the Well-Being of Asian American Youth.

Submit by July 30 — Workshop Proposals for Bridge; SAVE THE DATE Oct 26-29 for School's Out Washington's 19th annual (and 2nd virtual) Bridge Conference! Registration opens July 1.
June 17 — Who Taught You That? Understanding Gender, Creating Affirming Spaces, by School's Out Washington
June 24 — Cultivating Community Transformation Speaker Series
June 28-July 26 — Teens: Their Brains on Mindfulness, by Foundry 10 & YDEKC Member Space Between.
July 7-8 — Leaders of Color Virtual Retreat: Watch the Promise54 event trailer here.
stART Exploring — a resource for adults on how to support K-5 STEM learning through the arts.

FEATURED YDEKC MEMBER - STEM Paths Innovation Network

View more YDEKC Member organizations.

This month we’re eager to feature STEM Paths Innovation Network (SPIN), who have been members of YDEKC over the last year. They have been stewards in closing the opportunity gap in STEM education to support youth by offering STEM+Arts classes and programs to students in King County. SPIN exposes students to STEM fields and careers they may never have learned otherwise and envisions a world in which every student, family, and community can pursue science, technology, engineering, math, and arts fields.

Youth seated in a semi-circle doing an activity with SPIN staff.

SPIN offers after-school enrichment programs and will soon be offering a summer program in direct partnership with community organizations and school districts at no cost to families. To learn more or to sign up youth for SPIN programs, use the SPIN Student Interest Form. Since its founding in 2015, SPIN has served over 800 students, has over twenty community and school partners in the county, and is committed to serving students of color. Their work begins in elementary school with enrichment that introduces students to STEM. Through collaboration, mentorship, and capacity building in middle and high school, they add opportunities for youth leadership. Check out their blog and follow them on Instagram and Facebook to see their work in action.

They are currently hiring for several positions including two Program Manager roles — apply today to join their team. If you’re interested in volunteering to support students’ interests in STEM, fill out their Volunteer Interest Form at any time.

And don't forget to join STEM Paths Innovation Network, YDEKC, and SOWA tomorrow for Partnership Quick Connections: Out-of-School-Time, Place-Based Partnership Highlight!

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