SOAR connects, convenes and catalyzes communities in King County in order to create a welcoming, safe and empowering environment to give young people ages 6-18 the opportunity to reach their full potential.

King County Action Agenda for School-Age Children and Youth Executive Summary Four Goals

School-Age Implementation Team

The School-Age Implementation Team (SAIT) is a group of professionals who developed and are now overseeing implementation of the King County Action Agenda for School-Age Children and Youth. The Action Agenda is a document SOAR created through an extensive, inclusive community planning process. The School-Age Implementation Team includes representatives from child- and youth-serving agencies, local government, parents and guardians, business, philanthropy and education sectors. 

The School-Age Implementation Team (SAIT):

• is a catalyst to energize King County agencies and groups that serve youth
• champions best practices and legislative policies to ensure quality opportunities for all young people
• convenes youth and youth service professionals for training, mentoring, and capacity-building.
• connects all those in the community working toward the common goal of preparing young people for lifelong success.

Four Goals – School-Age Children & Youth

Goal 1.  Access to Quality Out-of-School Programs: Children and youth have full and safe access to local, quality, engaging and relevant programs that help them succeed in school and in life.
Goal 2.  Meaningful Roles: Children and youth have culturally relevant and age-appropriate opportunities to be leaders, decision makers, and engaged members of a community that values them.
Goal 3.  Meaningful Relationships: Children and youth have positive, healthy, and nurturing relationships with caregivers, family, peers, mentors, program staff, and their community; these relationships guide and inspire them toward success.
Goal 4.  Resiliency & Valued Identities: Children and youth build resiliency and participate safely, without experiencing or expressing bias, as valued members of diverse, conscientious communities.

Current School-Age Action Team Accomplishments

• King County Youth Development Network (KCYDN): The goal of the KCYDN is to support and strengthen youth development work in King County by sharing resources, collaborating, and connecting individuals and organizations, both online and in-person. Since SOAR launched the site in June 2009, over 5300 individuals throughout King County have connected to the site. Youth workers actively post youth development events, jobs, discussion, and blogs. Monthly networking events are attended by 20-40 youth workers. These events help staff share ideas, resources, and create new opportunities for youth. Over 90% of attendees report developing a new partnership after attending a networking session.

• Since 2006, over 5,600 youth development professionals participated in SOAR sponsored professional development activities; 89% reported increased knowledge of youth development and acquisition of skills applicable to their work.

• SOAR supports the King County Youth Worker’s Forum, a space to address issues that are facing youth development worker. In 2009, SOAR coordinated quarterly training and networking Youth Worker Forums, which were attended by 30-50 youth workers.

• SOAR coordinates the annual Putting the Pieces Together networking and training event, providing free resources and training to over 350 nonprofit and public agency staff and community members.

• SOAR supports Schools Out Washington, a statewide afterschool support organization, in the development of a statewide professional development system and serves as the convener in Seattle and King County

• SOAR manages the Multicultural Youth Leadership project, which includes developing and distributing a free leadership curriculum and designing and facilitating trainings on the curriculum. Since 2006, 266 youth development professionals have been trained in curriculum implementation and 93% indicate incorporation into daily work. A growing pool of youth workers trained in the curriculum volunteer as co-facilitators of the curriculum trainings. Over 3,700 copies of curriculum have been disseminated locally, throughout the US, and internationally.

• Throughout 2008-09, SOAR supported six existing or new youth councils in North King County. These groups regularly engaged over 100 youth, leveraged over $10,000, and produced youth-led outcomes including youth-led coordination of a 3 day overnight camp experience for low-income youth, leadership and diversity training for the youth council, youth presentations to City Councils, coordination of a Pink Prom for 80 LGBTQ youth and their allies, and youth facilitated discussions on healthy relationships, school cliques, bullying, stress, peer pressure, sexism and life after high-school. 

Action Teams

Action teams meet monthly at locations around King County. Membership to SAIT and the action teams is open and new partners are encouraged to join. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please contact Kyla Lackie at kyla@childrenandyouth.org or 206-336-6937.

• Access to Quality Afterschool Programs
  
• Professional Development for Youth Workers
  
• Collaboration between Schools and Community-Based Organizations
  
• Resiliency and Valued Identities
  
• Meaningful Roles and Relationships for Youth
  

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