Bellevue Schools Foundation in partnership with Eastside Pathways and the Bellevue School District (all middle and high schools) was awarded a Best Start for Kids grant: Trauma-Informed and Restorative Practices in the School Environment. The award of $634,500 is for a period of three years.
The grant will help the organizations to expand two existing school-based programs for black and brown students that have been successful – Break Out Of the Margins (BOOM) and Sistahs Having Outstanding Uniqueness Together (SHOUT). The schools will, in the next school year, regularly host BOOM and SHOUT meetings during the school day to engage students, foster community building, leadership, and advocacy, improve school culture, and build relationships with mentors and community leaders who reflect their race and ethnicities.
“Best Starts for Kids’ support will expand our programs and enable us to deepen our commitment to racial equity and justice for our Black, Latinx, Native American, Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander and multi-ethnic students,” said Lynn Juniel, Executive Director of the Bellevue Schools Foundation. “We are excited about the student success stories this grant will facilitate—stories of students who feel welcomed and safe at school, who have been nurtured by leaders who reflect their race and ethnicity, whose academic performance is on par with their peers and who look toward the future with optimism and pride.”
The impact of the BOOM and SHOUT experiences to date has been measured by student surveys and their personal stories. For example, 95% of boys shared that they felt accepted for who they are at the BOOM event in December 2017. A SHOUT participant in March 2018 event shared, “If you feel insecure about your race or your environment, SHOUT is an amazing way to feel empowered and learn.”
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to support racial equity and help increase students’ sense of belonging and build positive relationships with peers and adults in school and the community,” said Stephanie Cherrington, Executive Director at Eastside Pathways