White Center Holds Community Summit on Saturday, December 3 Multicultural Forum Includes Free Workshops on Housing, Jobs, Health, and Education
White Center - On Saturday, December 3, the White Center Community Development Association (CDA) is proud to host the 10th Annual Community Summit - an event that celebrates the White Center neighborhood and the many efforts of residents, organizations, and community partners to connect to resources and one another. This year’s theme - “Building Neighborhood Equity” - is driven by the concerns that local residents have raised about housing, healthcare, employment, and education in 2011. The Summit will feature workshops in each of these areas.
EVENT DETAILS
What:Building Neighborhood Equity
When: Saturday, December 3, 10:00a.m.-3:00p.m.
Where: White Center Heights Elementary
10015 6th Avenue SW; Seattle, WA 98106
The Community Summit is a catalyst for local change led by the community. It aims to help residents find solutions to improve their lives in 2012 and beyond.
The Summit is also an opportunity to share, learn, and experience the culture of White Center. Attendees can explore a diverse selection of food, youth performances, interactive electronic polling, and neighborhood videos. This all-inclusive event is free and open to everyone who supports and wants to learn more about White Center. Translation and interpretation services will be available in multiple languages including: Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Somali, Khmer, and more. Free childcare will be also provided.
Free “I Heart White Center” t-shirts will be given away in limited quantities. The White Center Community Summit is co-sponsored by the City of Seattle, Amerigroup RealSolutions, King County Housing Authority, and Noise Without Sound.
Register for this event online here: http://goo.gl/60sdU. The preregistration deadline is Tuesday, November 15 to be guaranteed an event shirt.
Promise Neighborhoods is a place-based initiative created by the federal Department of Education and inspired by the Harlem Children’s Zone. The vision of this program is that all children and youth growing up in a Promise Neighborhood have access to a continuum of great schools and strong systems of family and community support that will prepare them to attain an excellent education and successfully transition to college and a career. The purpose of Promise Neighborhoods is to significantly improve the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth in our most distressed communities, and to transform those communities.
For more information visit whitecenterpromise.org
Video directed and edited by Jerome Buenaventura
Music featured:
John Legend & the Roots - Wake up everybody feat. Melanie Fiona
John Legend - Shine (Waiting for Superman version)
You have a say on the qualities and characteristics you want Highline’s next superintendent to possess. What qualities and characteristics should our next leader have?
Voice your opinion at Next Tuesday’s Community Meeting.
Where: White Center Heights Elementary
Address: 10015 - 6th Avenue SW
Seattle, Wa 98146
Date: September 27, 2011
Time: 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
From our friends at Cultivate:Back by popular demand! We’re doing an encore Cultivate Open Mic in White Center, right next to DubSea Cafe. It will be an outdoor event to celebrate one of the best communities in Seattle. Bring your shades, lawn chairs and blankets. Come enjoy talented local artists tommorow, Aug 26th, 7pm at the Green Bridge plaza 9910 8th Ave SW Seattle, WA.
Seattle-born artist Macklemore recently debuted his video for “Wings”, partially filmed in White Center (Cascade Middle School and the Log Cabin at Steve Cox Park). Filmed and Directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi.
Check out our previous blog entry about the making of this video here.
White Center CDA staff joined residents from the Greenbridge neighborhood and Family Connections staff (Mt. View Elementary and White Center Heights Elementary) to advocate for the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries at the King County Library System’s (KCLS) board of trustees meeting in Issaquah last night.
A large contingent of White Center’s community attended last night’s KCLS board of trustees monthly meeting to advocate against the closing and consolidation of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries. Among them were residents from the Greenbridge neighborhood to provide their perspectives on how a potential closure will effect them and their families. Lan Le and Anab Abdulle from Family Connections provided interpretation in Vietnamese and Somali, respectively.
The experience for our Greenbridge neighbors was a new one - many of them had not been to Issaquah but were eager to speak in front of the board. They spoke about access, how their families utilize the libraries, and how closing the libraries will have an effect on the Greenbridge library (located inside the YWCA learning center).
The board heard from many other White Center representatives, notably the White Center Library Guild, who have been longtime advocates of the libraries and leading a campaign to “Save Our Libraries”. Over 1,700 signatures were collected by the Guild and community partners, which was presented to the board by Astha Tada of the Guild. King County council member Joe McDermott was also in attendance to reiterate his support of the community.
The KCLS board of trustees decided to defer their decision of library consolidation of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries until a decision about annexation is made by the City of Burien. We will provide more information about the library situation on this blog (as well as Facebook and Twitter) as it develops.
The Promise Neighborhood Community Engagement Approach is community friendly and culturally competent. It has a couple of components including an educational/information campaign and survey. The Survey is available through a variety of means and in many home languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Somali & Arabic). The Effort has an emphasis on going to the people to learn from them and start where people live.
Residents & Community Members from White Center Promise Zone, White Center Community Development Association, King County Housing Authority, Highline Public Schools, Southwest Youth and Family Services and Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington have been engaging parents over the past month and a half through a community survey. Parents are asked about what it takes for their children to be successful in school and life. Parents share their hopes for great schools and quality teachers where their children can feel supported to be successful and confident. Many parents share that their support networks include their parents, family members, caring professionals, church, and after school programs. Neighborhood Mothers and Fathers also talk about the need for community centers, counseling programs, free activities for youth during the summer and tutoring programs.
Cambodian New Year Event, April 30:
Spring Clean, May 14:
CDA Membership Mixer (Social), May 20:
Math Market Nights and Coffee Hours:
Greenbridge Community Council Meeting, May 14:
Join the Promise Neighborhood Community Engagement Team and talk to your neighbors and parents about what it takes for their children to be successful in school and life. Share your ideas and opinions to guide a brighter future for the youth of White Center by taking the Promise Neighborhood Community Survey here - www.whitecenterpromise.org.
