At next week’s monthly coalition meeting, SESEC will be hosting the Mayor’s Education Summit Community Conversation! The community conversation will begin with a message from the Mayor, include a presentation about our schools and the opportunity gap, and give participants a chance to offer ideas and solutions about how to bring equity and excellence to each and every student in Seattle schools. Lunch will be provided. For more details, please see Upcoming Events section below.
SESEC is also currently seeking community volunteers, nonprofit leaders, and parents our Advocacy and Policy Workgroups to develop stronger policy and advocacy skills in the SE Seattle community. Learn more here.
Community Announcements
Please take 1-minute to add your name to a growing list of supporters so we can continue PreK classrooms at Van Asselt and Original Van Asselt. We need to let the Seattle School Board we want to maintain three preschool classrooms, two of which are in SE Seattle, and to expand to four new classrooms. High quality early learning is a priority focus for SESEC. Thank you MomsRising.org for supporting PreK in Seattle!
In addition to advocating for preschool with the Seattle School Board, please use your voice at the state level. Do you have 1 minute to contact your lawmakers and ask them to put $2 million in the state budget so that the 192 homeless children on the wait list for our state funded preschool program can be served? Please call 1-800-562-6000 and they will help you send a message to your lawmakers.
The Refugee Women’s Alliance’s new childcare course will be starting on April 18th. This is a free, full-time program for refugees and immigrants receiving TANF or BFET, and includes job-readiness training by a MERIT approved instructor, volunteer internship placement, STARS certificate, and job-search assistance after the course. They will be hosting orientation sessions at our Columbia City location starting on March 17th. These will be held every Thursday at noon until the beginning of the class. Please encourage interested clients to attend one of these sessions so we can test their English (level 2 required) and get them enrolled. Contact Annie Henderson with any questions at [email protected] or (206)721-2461.
3-Day iCvics Institute Opportunity. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in collaboration with the Seattle University School of Law is offering 5th through 9th grade teachers and afterschool/summer providers a unique opportunity to become proficient with using the free iCivics curriculum in the classroom AND IN AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS. This 3-day institute will help teachers and providers become proficient in the games and lesson plans, as well as learn more in-depth content on the federal judiciary, the U.S. Constitution, branches of government, and civil rights. Afterschool and Summer Providers can dismiss the reference to principal notification and teacher license number. Application is attached and is limited to counties west of the cascade due to the court’s jurisdiction. Limited number of spots available.
Got Green is looking for people who are open to being interviewed about food practices and culture for a video project that Got Green, Ijoarts, and Seattle Public Utilities are working on together. Got Green is collecting interviews to highlight the ways that low-income communities, communities of color, and immigrant communities are already engaged in food waste prevention, and show how environmental values are reflected in everyday activities. They are creating a short video to highlight some of these stories. Are you interested in being interviewed? If so please fill out this form. They will follow up with you with a phone call soon.
Upcoming Events
SESEC Meeting: Mayor’s Education Summit Community Conversation
When: Thursday, March 17 from 12.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m.
Where: Rainier Avenue Church, Fellowship Room (Downstairs), 5900 Rainier Ave S. Seattle, WA 98118
What: This spring, Mayor Ed Murray is bringing together families, teachers, school leaders, school district leadership, and our community partners to develop a shared vision for ensuring equity and excellence for each Seattle student. The Mayor’s Education Summit will be held on April 30 at Garfield High School. Before the summit, a series of community conversations will take place across the city. These conversations will provide opportunity for teachers, families, students and community members to have a rich dialogue about what solutions they see for addressing the opportunity gap facing our students and our schools. Ultimately, these discussions will guide the focus of the Education Summit.
ReWA Childcare Course Orientation Sessions
When: Every Thursday starting March 17 at 12.00 p.m. until April 18
Where: Refugee Women’s Alliance, 4008 MLK Jr. Way S., Seattle, WA 98108
What: ReWA’s new childcare course will be starting on April 18th. This is a free, full-time program for refugees and immigrants receiving TANF or BFET, and includes job-readiness training by a MERIT approved instructor, volunteer internship placement, STARS certificate, and job-search assistance after the course. They will be hosting orientation sessions starting on March 17th and these will be held every Thursday at noon until the beginning of the class. Please encourage interested clients to attend one of these sessions so they can test their English (level 2 required) and get them enrolled. Contact Annie Henderson with any questions at [email protected] or (206)721-2461.
Finance Unlocked for Nonprofits (FUN)
When: Friday, 25 March from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Where: Seatac City Hall, Council Chambers, 4800 South 188th Street, SeaTac, WA 98188
What: FREE. This workshop is aimed at nonprofit board members and staff wanting to elevate financial knowledge within their organization. Teams are strongly encouraged. Participants are encouraged to bring their own balance sheets and income statements, as well as a copy of last year’s IRS form 990 for their organization to tie the discussion back to their organization. To learn more and register, go here.
Rising SEAs Conference
When: Saturday, 21 May
Where: Paccar Hall, University of Washington, 4277 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195
What: Rising SEAs is a FREE one-day conference for Southeast Asian American high school students who are interested in attending college. Rising SEAs utilizes Southeast Asian American history and culture in such a way that motivates and empowers attendees to take control of their future. The purpose of this conference is to promote positive self-esteem, social consciousness, and cultural awareness, while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of higher education. Please encourage your students to respond as soon as possible, as participation in this conference will be based on a “first-come, first-served” eligibility and availability basis. Please note that priority will be given to high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors with a cumulative GPA 2.8 or higher (encouraged). All application materials must be submitted no later than Tuesday, May 10th, 2016.