Happy New Year!
The beginning of a new year has always been a good time to connect, reflect, and look forward to what lies ahead. Not one to buck tradition, I thought I’d take this opportunity to connect and share a few thoughts.
Our goals as a community partnership are lofty – and they should be. We’re striving to improve how we work together so that barriers are eliminated and more equitable pathways are created for children and youth, cradle to career, in East King County. These are deeply-rooted systems we’re aiming to change – that’s an ambitious but achievable goal!
The loftier the goals the deeper the foundation must lie. 2019 was a year of deepening the foundation of the Partnership and the Backbone. The Backbone recruited, hired, onboarded, and trained an entire new staff. While that was happening the community, burgeoning staff, Board of Directors, and Partners came together via dozens of convenings throughout 2019 resulting in the Eastside Pathways 2020-2023 Strategic Plan approved in September. With the alignment, clarity of direction, and staff to support our work forward we’ve deepened that foundation and the stabilization necessary as we work towards our lofty goals together in 2020.
Looking forward our mission remains the same, only now with a keen focus on racial equity. In our experience, which encompasses years of work within the various systems and programs serving our children and young people, we keep coming back to one issue: a lack of equity. And we know that addressing this will subsequently have a positive impact on all populations. Still, it’s important to note that this is a living plan — it can, and will, evolve with the changing needs of the community. To help us get there we’ve committed to some goals in the next year, including:
- Learn how to best work together. This means an added focus on learning and coaching opportunities which provide the structure necessary, so we work collaboratively to get better results.
- Modify and improve existing policies, practices and procedures. We’re working to change the systems, i.e. the adults rather than the children. Work will focus on refining how individuals and organizations support or deliver services to children and youth.
- Measure progress. Specific performance measures (indicators) for each area will be identified and tracked. Workgroups — once called Collaboratives, now Collaborative Action Networks (CANs) — will identify time-bound targets and track data-driven measures.
As you can see from the timeline below, we’re currently in Phase Two of our Strategic Plan, “Organizing for Implementation,” and we’ll soon be moving into the next phase where the CANs will begin their work.
We’ve also just announced open RFPs for the 2020 Bill Henningsgaard Fund Grant. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2020. You may read more about 2020’s grant here.
We continue to offer Eastside Pathways 101 and Institutes in the coming months as part of our continuing learning opportunities. See the schedule below and feel free to sign up or forward this information to those you feel would benefit.
Though there is much work to be done, one thing I know for sure is that if any community in the country has the opportunity, the experience, the passion and the will to make the necessary systemic changes to build a more equitable pathway for children and youth, it is our community in East King County. Let’s reach for those lofty goals together and get this done.
Here’s to 2020!
Stephanie Cherrington
Executive Director
Eastside Pathways 101:
Monday, February 10, 2020, from 3 PM – 5 PM
Register here.
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall,
2650 148th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98007
Friday, April 3, 2020, from 9 AM –11 AM
Register here.
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall,
2650 148th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98007
Eastside Pathways Institute:
Tuesday, January 14, 2020, from 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Register here.
Friday, February 28, 2020, from 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Register here.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020, from 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Register here.