Eastside organizations reinforce partnership for future goals.
On May 4, representatives of children- and youth-focused organizations serving the East King County region gathered to network and connect over their shared purpose: to work towards equitable pathways and outcomes for children, youth, and young adults. The meeting was virtual, but the connections were genuine. These are committed partners of Eastside Pathways, representing 66 organizations across the “cradle to career” continuum, and including community leaders and philanthropists.
Angela Phan, a manager of the City of Bellevue’s Youth Link program, served as the co-emcee for the program. She was joined by Catherine Cruz, Family Engagement & Outreach Coordinator at the Lake Washington School District. “It made absolute sense that Angela and Catherine were our presiding emcees, since their work reaches across the spectrum of youth services.” says Eastside Pathways Executive Director Stephanie Cherrington. “They are familiar to many in this space as true leaders.”
The theme of the day was “Stepping outside of yourself to achieve the impossible.” Attendees were buoyed by the keynote address from Dr. Victor Vergara, Executive Director of Equity and Student Success at the Edmonds School District. In nearly two years, Dr. Vergara has helped the district put equity at the center of its work to strengthen awareness, promote learning & inquiry, and take measurable action.
The opportunity for one of Dr. Vergara’s more immediately tangible projects emerged upon his arrival at Edmonds in spring of 2020, just as the pandemic disrupted the accessibility of education. Together, the district and community supporters created the Edmonds Hub, or E-Hub, as a community resource center to ensure that students had basic needs met so that they could continue their schooling. He estimates that a few hundred students, many of whom were experiencing homelessness, came to rely on those discreet, fundamental resources during the pandemic. It was a clear demonstration of the benefit of agreeing on an equity-centered approach.
“They said it can’t be done, but we did,” said Dr. Vergara as he outlined clear steps that stemmed from the focus on equity. The district’s next actionable tactics include increasing professional development, instituting program changes to address performance and graduation gaps, improving communication with Spanish-speaking families, and promoting student voices.
Dr. Vergara fielded questions from the Eastside Pathways Partners about how to deal with pushback. “I’m in the action phase,” said Dr. Vergara. “I listen a lot. I know not everyone is going to be happy, but I am convinced that this is the right work… and if we sit down and be quiet, nothing is going to get done.” He added, “The solutions are not just to be done by one person; it’s a community thing.”
Attendees saw themselves in exactly those types of community-based solutions during the updates on from the various ongoing Collaborative Action Networks on mental health, early learning, and racial equity. To finish the session, participants were encouraged to convert talk to action, by considering:
- Is there new information you want to learn more about?
- Are there new perspectives you will take time to go deeper into?
- What will you do differently as a result?
“My action will be to continue to make those connections to take those ‘small’ steps towards large systemic change!” quipped Cruz in the chat. As she reflected on the take-aways of this semi-annual meeting, Cecilia Martinez-Vazquez, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager for the City of Redmond, echoed, “I am reminded that I need to go back and lean in with other practitioners, and that we are not alone.”
The next Eastside Pathways All-Partner Meeting will be late autumn.