YT2014 Summer 2009: Youth Mind on Design

Welcome Back for 2009!

The Yesler2014 program applications are being moved around the neighborhood and teens from 15 to 19 years old are responding to the call for participants. This year is all about DESIGN. "Youth Mind on Design" is the program theme and we are looking forward to starting on Monday July 6th.

The program was given some energy when two staff members went to the American Planning Association Conference in Minneapolis in April to meet and absorb information on the front-lines of planning and youth engagement programs around the country.

Workshops and Speaker Sessions with representatives from Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI, AIA Youth Design Program, and others.

Our program this year is linking with other teen and young adult training programs being started through partnerships between Seattle Housing Authority and community partners centered around "Green" job development, training, and entrepreneur incubation.

Look forward soon to updates and exciting details!!!

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.

Changes in the Hood': ID 2030 Presentation!!

Anticipating significant zoning changes to South Downtown the International District community produced a plan to guide and shape growth, ID Vision 2030.

Please join us at GGLO on March 12 for a brownbag lunch presentation on ID Vision 2030 by Tom Im, hosted by Seattle Great City Initiative.

Tom Im has been a community organizer and planner for InterIm Community Development Association in the ID for the last 11 years.

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Find details here
Time: March 12, 2009 from 12pm to 1:30pm
Location: GGLO Harbor Steps
Street: 1301 First Ave – Enter at GGLO Level A-off of the steps.
Event Type: brown, bag, lunch

SE Community Event!

We are excited to discuss the Transit Oriented Communities Bill HB 1490 with you and hear your ideas. Here’s the proposed agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. We are looking forward to a productive discussion. If you need to reach me tomorrow, my cell phone is 206-619-3903

Agenda

2:00 pm – Welcome and introductions
2:10 - 2:30 pm -Transit Oriented Communities HB 1490: An overview
2:30 – 3:15pm – Discussion and feedback – Addressing community ideas and concerns about the bill
3:15 pm – Next steps
3:30 pm - Adjourn

Thank you for giving up your Saturday afternoon to be with us!

Details:
WHEN: February 14, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
WHERE: Rainier Vista Center, WAMU Room, 4410 29th Ave South, Seattle, WA 98108

Light refreshments will be provided.

Thanks
Shefali and the staff at Transportation Choices Coalition and Futurewise

Shefali Ranganathan
Director of Education and OutreachTransportation Choices Coalition
Phone: 206-329-2336; Fax: 206-329-2705www.transportationchoices.org

College Scholarship Funding 2009

Scholarships for African American StudentsAlpha Omicron Boulé ScholarshipRenewable scholarships and mentoring to African American male citizen who is a high school seniors from the Puget Sound region.

BAM! (Blacks at Microsoft)Financial assistance and mentoring to outstanding high school seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in technology

Patricia Fisher Endowed ScholarshipTo assist African American high school seniors and undergraduate students living in Washington state with a serious career interest in print, photo or broadcast journalism

Dorothy E. General ScholarshipTo a deserving African American student in the field of healthcare

Yes You Can (YYC) ScholarshipRenewable scholarships to African American students of business, law, technology, science or education

Youth Programs in the Region

Here are links to similar programs that we are working with or connected to in a drive to expand our support:

Stuart Foundation
Planners Network
Center for Cities & Schools at UC Berkeley
Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment
Academy of Urban Planning
DUMBO Improvement District
Communities in Schools - New Orleans (CISNO)
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)
Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership
PLANetizen

The project is outcomes are working...

Last week, we were contacted regarding possible youth intern positions at the Seatle Department of Transportation. Several of the 2014 teens were asked to prepare for school-year employment opportunities and get their resumes out of the computers for printing. We were told that 5 positions were opening and to notify as many teens as I could who went through the 2014 project this summer.

We were able to field four teens and four positions were filled with Yesler 2014 teens!!! Word back has it that the training and exposure this summer aided in preparing them for the interviews, as well as provided the ability to have an informed conversation about some of the fundamentals of urban planning and design.