by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Patheresa Wells
The Teen Summer Musical (TSM) has been a Seattle institution for over 25 years, providing an opportunity for young performers of color to share their theatrical talents with the community. This year’s family-friendly show, Dream!, runs Aug. 18–27, 2023, at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.
“It is our hope that Dream! will remind an audience that it’s never too late for dreams to come true. Settling for less than your dream can be the difference between happiness and contentment,” said Michelle Lang-Raymond, executive director of Acts On Stage Theatre.
Continue reading Teen Summer Musical Encourages People of All Ages to Pursue Their ‘Dream!’by Danielle Marie Holland
Almost a quarter of Seattle parents are raising their children in co-parent or single-parent households, and the percentage of blended families nationwide is on the rise. While every household structure comes with unique challenges and struggles, some hit harder than others. Just financially, the median income for married couples with children under 18 in Seattle peaked at $237,300 in 2021, according to U.S. Census data, but for single mothers, that number drops down to $58,600, well below a living wage in this city for an adult with children.
Continue reading Navigating Co-Parenting in Seattle’s South Endby Ronnie Estoque
Tascha Johnson was a graduate student at the University of Washington in 2018 when she was first introduced to CHOOSE 180, an organization focused on keeping youth out of the juvenile criminal legal system and breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. Sean Goode, executive director of CHOOSE 180 at the time, was a guest speaker in one of Johnson’s social work classes.
“When I heard him talking about the juvenile diversion program that they offer, and, you know, the impact on the community and working with systems to make changes within those systems, that really resonated with me, because I have family that has also been impacted by the juvenile legal system that then followed them into the legal system as they got older,” Johnson explained.
Continue reading Local Community Efforts Aim to Deter Gun Violence
Pongo Poetry Project’s mission is to engage youth in writing poetry to inspire healing and growth. For over 20 years, Pongo has mentored poetry with youth at the Clark Children & Family Justice Center (CCFJC), King County’s juvenile detention facility.
Many CCFJC residents are Youth of Color who have endured traumatic experiences in the form of abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence. These incidents have been caused and exacerbated by community disinvestment, systemic racism, and other forms of institutional oppression. In collaboration with CCFJC staff, Pongo poetry writing offers CCFJC youth a vehicle for self-discovery and creative expression that inspires recovery and healing.
Through this special bimonthly column in partnership with the South Seattle Emerald, Pongo invites readers to bear witness to the pain, resilience, and creative capacity of youth whose voices and perspectives are too often relegated to the periphery. To learn more about Pongo’s work, join its GiveBig campaign today.
By a young person at CCFJC
Sometimes I feel like I lost all hope
Because I’m trapped in a cage like an animal.
Only let out a couple hours a day
Because I’m trapped, I feel like I’m lost
On an island with no boat.
On the island there’s no one but yourself
It’s lonely at night but my heart is warm with heat.
by Lauryn Bray
In April, three child advocacy organizations released a new report outlining progress made toward accomplishing goals introduced with Washington State’s 2018 passage of Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 6560, which states that “beginning January 1, 2021, any unaccompanied youth discharged from a publicly funded system of care in [Washington State] will be discharged into safe and stable housing.” The report is the product of a collaborative effort between the Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ), the Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC), and TeamChild, and it puts forth recommendations for successful compliance with SSB 6560.
Continue reading Child Advocacy Organizations Outline Recommendations for Supporting Discharged Youthby Lauryn Bray
The Southeast Seattle Education Coalition (SESEC) just wrapped up its Youth Participatory Grant Making (YPGM) project, a program in which a group of high-school-aged Youth of Color from southeast Seattle schools were invited to learn about and engage in philanthropy. The cohort of students was given $10,000 to grant to organizations that fit a set list of criteria, determined by the students. With the guidance of SESEC’s Vivian van Gelder, director of advocacy and policy at SESEC, and group facilitator Simmy Kumar, the students designed and went through the grant applications themselves, choosing specifically to award organizations that provide housing and education services.
Continue reading SESEC Youth Participatory Grant Program Allocates $10K to 3 Organizationsby Alex Garland
In 2019, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made a slew of promises regarding the company’s Climate Pledge, which, according to its website, aims “to build a cross-sector community of companies, organizations, individuals, and partners working together to address the climate crisis and solve the challenges of decarbonizing our economy.”
Continue reading Youth Activists Deliver Climate Demands to Amazon HQby Gennette Cordova
As a child growing up in Seattle in the ʼ90s, I had the great fortune of receiving a wide range of non-familial nurturing, from the Miller Jet coaches to the Leschi Elementary School teachers. At Garfield Community Center, where I spent years enrolled in the after-school program and the summer camp, I always knew I had eyes on me. Eyes of adults who both cared about my well-being and would be quick to let my mom know if I was out of line.
When I became an adult who was responsible for children, I learned that after-school programs in our city aren’t readily available to many families. This is something that’s hard for me to understand, particularly in one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.
Continue reading OPINION | After-School Programs Are Vital for Children but Still Out of Reach for Most Parentsby Chardonnay Beaver
On Saturday, May 13, Liberated Village held their Arts & Education Festival at Alan T. Sugiyama High School. Free to the community, the festival featured live performances from young Seattle rapper Skye-Dior and DJ Vitamin D, meals from The Original Philly’s (“Philly’s Best”) and Rooted on 23rd, presentations, and outdoor information booths.
Continue reading The Liberated Village Arts & Education Festival Celebrates School Without Walls
