First Lady Michelle Obama Goes Urban Gardening

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/white_house_garden

WASHINGTON – The White House is getting a new garden.

First lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to break ground Friday on a new garden near the fountain on the South Lawn that will supply the White House kitchen.

The Planning - Step 2

The past few weeks have been focused on refining the curriculum that was formalized by Marcia Arunga from Arunga & Associates.

Her work with the project last year gave it its necessary guidance on the mother-teacher analysis and process. Marcia balanced the planners, architect, and social services angles that were at the table and what came out of it was a great pilot project and the opportunity to stabilize the program at Yesler Terrace for at least five years is fantastic.


The inclusion of University of Washington and Seattle University students with experience (and some without) working in minority and marginalized communities is going to be in interesting learning experience, however it will also improve staff process, ensure team teaching at all times, and free-up the site manager and supervisor (new positions this year) for administration and community/schedule coordination.

Some of the staff from last year will be back this year, and we are also only recruiting from Yesler Terrace youth this year to refine and build a community youth leadership core for summer youth leader positions next year and so on...

This years focus is on design. The consulting firm, Collins-Woerman, that is developing the Yesler Terrace alternative site concepts will be the lesson tools to guide the teens through design planning, site planning, model building, community engagement, and design considerations. Though these are professional level skills development, this was found to be a way to empower teens with an understanding of government process, rights, responsibilities, and ways to explain and see more clearly what the source and meaning of the change going on around them.

This year the activities will be more hands-on and less talky. Last year we talked too much, there wasn;t enough outside time, old school design time, talking and reflection, survey and recording of their voice. That also is one of the areas of change this year.

Environmental Racism from the Top

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson -- Lisa Jackson, the first African American administrator of the EPA, will appear today on the Tavis Smiley broadcast and explain her views on environmental racism.

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200903/20090317.html (Link for more information)
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/broadcast/ (Link to check for
local listing schedule)

2009 Summer Project is a GO!!

2009 is ON!

After months of negotiation the 2009 Yesler 2014 Program has been approved and budgeted for funding from the Seattle Housing Authority's Executive Board!!!

This years program will begin recruiting in April and applications will be posted at the Yesler Terrace Management Office as well as the Community Center.

This year's program will focus on DESIGN. This means that focus will be placed on community assessment, skills development around design, drawing, model building, and assessing, planning, and learning the tool required for the design process.

This year the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Department of Planning and Development (DPD), Seattle University, University of Washington, the Urban Land Institute (ULI), American Planning Association (APA), and DK Architects will be working with Creative Community Builders, LLC to make this year better, more engaging, and enjoyable for all that participate.

There are only 8 positions this year for new enrollees, but there are two Intern spots for older teens to work and learn management skills!!

We are excited and look forward to getting the process started for recruitment.