Youth Development Executives of King County
Working to advance the youth development field |
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Greetings YDEKC Members and Friends –
The tulips in full bloom seem to mirror the many initiatives and activities that are getting off the ground this spring after seasons (sometimes years) of careful planting, watering and tending to ensure there are more and better opportunities for our young people to reach their full potential. Some of the hardest work is ensuring that we are tending to our internal organizational practices and that we are continually improving and growing so that our impact can help lead to optimal outcomes for young people we serve. Read on for opportunities to get involved, learn and grow!
Use the hyperlinks below to jump to another section of our Field Notes.
In service and gratitude,
Jessica
Executive Director, Youth Development Executives of King County
ydekc.org | jwerner@ydekc.org | 206.336.6912 |
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Advocacy: We advocate for policy changes that address youth development field needs and King County youth issues.
YDEKC Members prioritized our cross issue and cross jurisdiction advocacy agenda at our November Summit which has beenupdated here. If you are a YDEKC member and are interested in joining our Advocacy Committee on a bi-monthly basis, please contact rmurry@ydekc.org. YDEKC Member Lunching with Leaders with OSPI Superintendent Chris Reykdal on June 1st
Join YDEKC for lunch and conversation with OSPI Superintendent Chris Reykdal for our next Lunching with Leaders! This event is for YDEKC members and will be held in Federal Way. Address and directions will be sent separately to confirmed guests. RSVP here! If you have any questions, please contact Eddie atecleofe@ydekc.org.
Lunching with Leaders with Seattle Human Services Department on April 11th
We had a robust turn out for our last Lunching with Leaders highlighting the City’s Youth Opportunity Initiative. Catherine Lester, Tiffany Washington, and Tara James shared the latest information about the Mayor’s new Youth Opportunity Cabinet, as well as the timeline for the new Community Safety strategy that will replace SYVPI. Their presentation is available here and on our website.
Bills to Watch
As the State Legislature has entered its first Special Session, YDEKC continues to support several bills “in play” in the Legislature. Contact your legislators about:
- HB 1661: Creating a new Department of Children, Youth, and Families
- HB 1508: Breakfast After the Bell
- “Sunset” the Document Recording Fee to free up money for the Housing Trust Fund
- Expanded Learning Opportunities Initiative: Reach out to Senators to encourage them to support the ELO Initiative in budget negotiations.
- When in doubt, let legislators know that “new and additional revenue is required in order to fully fund education and provide the necessary services!”
2017 Legislative Session
Check out the list of Representatives and Senators that represent some portions of King County here or on ourwebsite. Not sure what your District is? Use this site to find out! |
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Cross Sector Convening: We lead, convene, and participate in cross-sector collaboration and partnerships, particularly with the K-12 education sector.

Our Partnership Ecosystem Toolkit Early Adopters Cohort members pose with their ecosystem maps, a visual representation of the individual relationships and assets within their school-community partnerships. Interested in connecting your team or group to the toolkit resources? Contact Anne Arias at aarias@ydekc.org about bringing an activity to your next meeting!
Youth Development for Education Results
YDEKC staffs the Youth Development for Education Results workgroup of the Road Map Project, focused on whole day, whole child issues. To learn about our recent work on
- Goal 1: More & Better Out-of-School Time (King County Out-of-School Time Task Force): This cross-sector group meets bi-monthly to support coordination and implementation for “More and Better” expanded learning opportunities – before and afterschool and in the summer. The slidedeck for our most recent meeting on April 6th can be found here.
- Goal 2: Social Emotional Learning. Save the Date! August 18th! We will be hosting a Social Emotional Learning Symposium II for Practitioners – an engaging, practitioner-based event for teachers, counselors, youth workers and other folks who work directly with young people in the region. As a reminder, on October 7, 2016 we hosted a first-of-its-kind symposium on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Road Map region. Find the summary report and recommendations from the first Symposium here; and links to workshop content here.
- Goal 3: Improved Partnerships between School & Youth Serving Organizations. See the partnership toolkit above, and training below.
Best Practices in Partnership
Columbia Branch Library, 5/4/2017, 4:00-6:00
You are part of an important partnership between a school and youth-serving organization, but how do you improve communication and collaboration to create a stronger, more effective partnership? This workshop will offer tools that you can use to strengthen your partnerships at the site level, help you better define the level of partnership you want, and provide tips on how to work with your partners to achieve it. RSVP by 4/27/2017 here! Hosted by: YDEKC & SPS School & Community Partnerships |
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Field Building: We build tools, disseminate effective practices, and foster skills that support leadership, racial equity, and organizational development.
YDEKC Racial Equity in the Field: Member Conversation & Happy Hour
Elliot Bay Brewing, Burien, 5/11/2017, 2:30-5:00
Join with other YDEKC members for a conversation about racial equity in the youth development field! We’ll be sharing information from recent research with Leadership Tomorrow and Public Allies’ Advancing Diversity paper and launching recruitment for our Racial Equity Community of Practice. RSVP here. NEW! Research and Evaluation Peer Learning Group: YDEKC recently launched an informal peer learning group for staff who do evaluation-oriented work in youth-serving organizations. Group meetings will be structured around a Problem of Practice process (see our adapted Problem of Practice protocol for details), and will include time for making connections with professional peers. Contact Sarah if you are interested in learning more, or joining the next meeting in June.
Upcoming Workshop on Using School Data for Program Planning: The next workshop in our Measurement and Evaluation series is scheduled for May 9, and will cover the ins and outs of accessing, using, and protecting academic data. Specific focus on the relevance of different kinds of school data to program activities. Click here for more details and to register for this workshop.
Upcoming Seattle Public Schools/City of Seattle/YDEKC Workshop: Using Data for Continuous Improvement: The final Seattle Public Schools Professional Development Calendar workshop is scheduled for May 16. Using data to inform your programmatic and youth serving decisions is a skill set that is very powerful for all community partners to continually develop. In this workshop community partners will develop their own logic model and practice using data in a cycle of continuous improvement. Click here for more details and to register for this workshop.
The King County Youth Development Network is live on Facebook!
The King County Youth Development Network (KCYDN) is a collaborative resource sharing network to support youth workers and the youth development field in King County. If you have job postings, training opportunities, or events for youth workers, please submit them on our Facebook page! YDEKC, SOAR, and School’s Out Washington (SOWA) collaborate to manage the page.
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Funding & Training Opportunities
Best Starts for Kids
King County’s Best Starts for Kids Levy has begun rolling out RFPs. Be sure to check out their website and subscribe to their blog to get the latest information.
Lean Learning Series
Various Locations, 5/1, 6/5, 7/10/2017
Join other leaders from non-profit, government, and education to learn how various mission-based organizations have applied Lean concepts into their work. Each month we convene for one hour that is fast-paced and powerful. You will hear directly from leaders in the field share about Lean concepts, how they applied them, and the results they created. More details and registration available here.
Washington Nonprofit State Conference
Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, 5/17/2017
Join Washington Nonprofits for the Washington Nonprofit State Conference in May. The conference will gather over 700 nonprofit leaders for a day of networking, learning, and new ideas. Themed workshop tracks include: Trends in Turbulent Times, Championing Equity, and Advocacy Now! Details and registration available here.
Authentic Community-School Partnership Institute
8/3-4/2017
Are you an individual or organization that has a stake in educational outcomes for students in King and Pierce Counties? Do you believe we can change opportunity and access gaps for students and families if we have deeper, more authentic community-school partnerships? Is racial equity important to you or your organization? If yes, please join PSESD for the Authentic Community-School Partnerships Institute! Contactmgulbranson@psesd.org or (425) 917-7878 for more info and registration.
Funding Opportunity- Foster Grandparent Program: Could your program use experienced tutors and mentors for young people with special and exceptional needs? Consider applying for funding though the SeniorCorps Foster Grandparent Program. More information and technical assistance webinar details availablehere. |
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Thank you for continuing to work together to advance the youth development field. Hope to see you soon!
The YDEKC Team
Jessica Werner, Executive Director
Sarah Terry, Research & Evaluation Manager
René Murry, Public Policy Manager
Anne (Powell) Arias, Project Manager
Eddie Cleofe, Communications & Database Coordinator
Copyright © 2017 Youth Development Executives of King County, All rights reserved.
Youth Development Executives of King County (YDEKC) is a coalition of youth-serving organizations working together to improve outcomes for young people.
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