From the category archives:

Youth

Teen Practicing in Mt. Baker Wins Award for Dedication to Rowing

January 26, 2012

in Education,South-End Scenes,Youth

SEATTLE – Next month, Renton teen Kenneth Muhammad, who commutes nearly three hours round trip after school each day to rowing practice at Mt. Baker Rowing & Sailing Center, will receive the Champion Award at the Fourth Annual Row to the Future Benefit Breakfast in Seattle.

“Kenneth is receiving the award for his dedication and commitment to the sport of rowing,” said Jessica Cothran, spokesperson for the George Pocock Rowing Foundation. “As a very eloquent young man, he regularly speaks to the community about his love for the sport and how it impacted his life.”

She added that, as an African American in a sport with traditionally little racial diversity, Kenneth knows what it is like to appear different. Yet, after four years of rowing, he has developed strong and lasting friendships with his teammates and is a leader in the boathouse and in the Row to the Future program. He changed schools several times during high school and each move brought new teachers, new classes and new friends. But not once did he lose his connection to rowing and his teammates.

“I’d like to go to college next year and maybe become an Olympic rower,” said Kenneth. “Win some gold. I also could start my own rowing club and become a coach. It all depends on what the future brings. Regardless, rowing will forever be part of my life.”

In addition to receiving the Champion Award at Row to the Future’s Benefit Breakfast, he will share his story with the event’s 300 guests from the rowing and physical education communities. The Seattle Yacht Club Foundation will also receive an award. Tickets to the event are on sale at www.rowtothefuture.org. Event proceeds benefit athletes like Kenneth, who is one of 19 athletes this year receiving scholarships, uniforms, healthy snacks, mentorship and more through Row to the Future.

Row to the Future, the youth development initiative of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, uses rowing to inspire youth to become healthy, active members of their communities. Photo/George Pocock Rowing Foundation

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Metro Football: Franklin Beats Cleveland to Clinch Sound Title

October 15, 2011

in Sports,Youth

By Ray Marcham, KOMO (RVP news partner)

The title picture in the Metro League got a little clearer this week, with Franklin clinching the Sound Division title and O’Dea and Seattle Prep winning to set up their showdown for the Mountain Division crown next week.

The Quakers beat Cleveland to clinch a spot in the Metro title game. Since Franklin has already beaten both Ingraham and West Seattle, they have the Sound’s top seed even if they lose next week. In other division games, Nathan Hale beat Chief Sealth on Friday, while Ingraham and West Seattle face off for second place on Saturday at West Seattle Stadium.

The big game in the Mountain Division had O’Dea winning at Bainbridge to stay unbeaten. That sets up a showdown for the division title with Seattle Prep next week, as the Panthers also stayed undefeated after winning at Rainier Beach. Eastside Catholic got their first division win of the season by beating Bishop Blanchet, while Lakeside visits Highline on Saturday night.

Next week’s games have four being played on Thursday, including the O’Dea-Seattle Prep matchup at West Seattle Stadium. Nathan Hale plays at Ingraham, Eastside Catholic heads to Bainbridge and Franklin plays Rainier Beach at Memorial Stadium. On Friday, it’s the battle for West Seattle as the Wildcats play Chief Sealth at West Seattle Stadium. Then on Saturday, Bishop Blanchet hosts Cleveland, while Lakeside hosts Mission, BC.

Here are this week’s scores from around the Metro League:

  • Eastside Catholic 28, Bishop Blanchet 14
  • Franklin 35, Cleveland 14
  • Nathan Hale 37, Chief Sealth 20
  • O’Dea 35, Bainbridge 14
  • Seattle Prep 48, Rainier Beach 20
  • Ingraham vs West Seattle at West Seattle Stadium, Saturday, 5 pm
  • Lakeside vs Highline at Highline Stadium, Saturday, 7 pm

Rainier Beach 7-Year Old Honored as Outstanding Young Philanthropist

October 13, 2011

in People In Your Neighborhood,Youth

RAINIER BEACH – The Washington Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals recently named six outstanding philanthropists to honor at its upcoming National Philanthropy Day luncheon, and one of the recipients is a young Rainier Beach resident.

At age 7, Rena Mateja is a very young philanthropist – realizing that every person can make a difference, no matter how young (or old). At age five, Rena Mateja started collecting coins to help homeless children.

She and her mother Sebrena were on the verge of homelessness and received help from Wellspring Family Services in the Rainier Valley. Once they got back on their feet, Rena hit the ground running by going door to door asking for change to “help homeless babies!”

She then decided that instead of getting presents for her birthday, she asked for money for homeless babies. After two years, Rena collected $506 to help homeless children in her community. She shared her story in a short film and when it was shown to Wellspring supporters, 110 matched her $506 for a total of $55,660 more.

“She is proof that all of us have the power to bring about the change we wish to see in our communities,” said Ruthann Howell, chief executive and president of Wellspring Family Services.

The luncheon will be held Nov. 18, at The Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. More than 1,000 donors, volunteers, leaders and other supporters of nonprofit organizations are expected to attend – making it one of the largest National Philanthropy Day celebrations in the nation.

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Seattle Audubon Seeks Volunteers for Environmental Education Program

October 7, 2011

in Education,Volunteering,Youth

Seattle Audubon’s Finding Urban Nature (FUN) program needs volunteers to help at Graham Hill Elementary School in Seward Park.

The free program is an environmental education program for 3rd and 4th graders that introduces students to the natural world in their own schoolyard habitats through observation, discovery and scientific inquiry.

Volunteers are trained and then work with small groups of four to five students for four, one-hour lessons, over the course of four weeks.

“Seattle Audubon has been able to provide this high-quality program, including small group instruction, for more than seven years, because of volunteers,” said Volunteer Coordinator Marieke Stientjes Rack. “FUN students spend over eight hours getting to know their schoolyard habitat and, on average, showed a 13% increase in environmental science knowledge for the 2010-2011 school year.”

Go here for more information or to volunteer.

Seattle Audubon also provides FUN Explorers at Graham Hill, where 5th grade students learn about birds, the connection between birds and native plant habitats, and do habitat restoration at a local park. Photo/Seattle Audubon

SE Seattle Student Journalists to Document Dedication of MLK, Jr. Monument in D.C.

August 22, 2011

in News,Youth

A group of five student journalists from southeast Seattle is raising money to travel to Washington D.C. this week to cover the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument.

The youth will use digital, video and social media to document the new 30-foot sculpture of Rev. King that sits on the National Mall near the Tidal Basin, between memorials honoring Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.

“This is a unique and amazing opportunity,” said co-organizer and community activist Yalonda Gill Masundiré.

The group – hosted by the Rainier Beach Empowerment Coalition’s — Freedom Net Project and the Rainier Beach Neighborhood Association – needs to raise $5,000 before they leave on Thursday.

Donations are tax-deductible and can be made here: www.wepay.com/donate/youthdctrip

There will also be a fundraiser on Tues., Aug. 23, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at Island Soul Restaurant in Columbia City, where 15% of all food and beverage receipts from the lounge that are paid in cash will benefit the trip.

Rainier Beach Empowerment Coalition leader Gregory Davis (above) will lead the student trip to Washington D.C. with Rainier Beach Neighborhood Association chair Yalonda Gill Masundiré. Photo/Rainier Valley Post

SATURDAY: Discover What Matters to Rainier Valley Youth With Photo Voice Exhibit in Rainier Beach

August 5, 2011

in Arts/Living,Youth

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South-End Scenes: Rainier Valley Teens Get Their Tech on With Geek Squad

July 19, 2011

in South-End Scenes,Youth

Earlier this month, nearly 180 Rainier Valley teens participated in the Geek Squad Summer Academy at Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club.

The annual academy is a community-sponsored program designed to fuel passionate teens – regardless of gender – with the means to pursue careers in technology.

“What really sets Geek Squad Summer Academy apart is not what we teach but how we teach it,” said Moira Hardek, Geek Squad Academy manager. “Kids aren’t just given sit-down lectures about technology; they actually get to interact with it.”

“For example, this year we’ll have the kids assembling computers during relay races and filming, editing and creating soundtracks for their own movies in front of a green screen,” she said. “And by bringing the camps to their backyard we give them a chance to experience something they may not have been able to experience otherwise, and that is truly special.”

Each Geek Squad Summer Academy session features courses in five areas, including PC Hardware, Digital Video, Digital Photography, Digital Music and more.

This was the second year that Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club hosted Geek Squad Summer Academy.

Photos/Geek Squad Summer Academy

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Rainier Valley Crime Watch: Kids With Guns

July 11, 2011

in 911,News,Youth

13-year old caught with gun near Othello Park (SPD):

On July 9th at approximately 10:33 p.m. officers responded to a report of a fight disturbance in the 4300 block of South Webster Street. While officers were in route the complainant called back and added that things were escalating and guns were seen.  Officers arrived on scene and saw one of the suspects trying to secrete himself behind a parked vehicle.  The male suspect had a gun in his hand and when he saw the police he fled on foot.

The suspect was caught and the handgun was recovered.

The 13-year-old male suspect was interviewed and subsequently booked into the Youth Service Center (juvenile detention).

New Holly 14-year old accidentally shoots himself in leg (SPD):

On July 8th at approximately 11:58 p.m. officers and Gang Unit detectives responded to a report of a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the Holly Park neighborhood and then dropped off at his residence in the 1500 block of 33rd Avenue.  A family friend drove the victim to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) for treatment of his non-life-threatening injuries.  Gang Unit detectives contacted the victim at HMC and subsequently interviewed him.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim and his foster brother were walking near 28th Avenue South and South Jackson Street when the victim shot himself while trying to insert a pistol into his waistband.  The two boys then returned home at which point a family friend drove the victim to HMC.

The actual location of the incident, the whereabouts of the gun, and their method of transportation home has yet to be determined.

Gang Unit detectives continue to actively investigate.

Photo/Will Austin Photography

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KIDS: FREE Seahawks Junior Training Football Camp Coming Up in Rainier Beach

July 8, 2011

in News,Sports,Youth

Rainier Valley kids ages 8 to 14 are invited to participate in a free Gatorade Junior Training Camp hosted by the Seattle Seahawks at Rainier Beach High School in the south Rainier Valley:

These two-hour clinics combine first-rate football instruction and life skills messages that focus on self-improvement and a motivational life-skills session with a Seahawks player, coach or alumni.

This non-contact football training camp is scheduled for Tues., July 19, from 10 am to 12 pm, and is limited to 200 participants. Go here for more information or to register. Photo/Seattle Seahawks

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Rainier Beach Late Night Program Moving to South Shore Elementary (CORRECTION)

June 20, 2011

in Arts/Living,Youth

Beginning July 1, Rainier Beach Community Center’s Late Night Program, which has been taking place at Rainier Beach High School while the new Rainier Beach Community Center is under development, will move to South Shore Elementary School (4800 S. Henderson St.), while Rainier Beach High School undergoes floor refinishing projects.

The summer Thursday Late Night program will begin on July 7 and will also be located at South Shore. All program times are 7 pm to midnight. The program is scheduled to return to Rainier Beach High School in late August.

Beginning June 25, the Asa Mercer Late Night Program will be located at Van Asselt Community Center (2820 S. Myrtle St.). This program is offered only on Saturdays and will operate at Van Asselt until September 3. The program will then return to Asa Mercer Middle School when the new school year begins.

For information on programs and activities at Seattle Parks and Recreation’s southeast Late Night sites, please call Nicole Franklin, Sr. Program Coordinator, at 206-255-2546 or email her at Nicole.franklin@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks’ Late Night programs provide a safe, supervised, environment for teens ages 13-19 to socialize with friends, interact with staff and participate in a variety of formal and informal recreation and learning opportunities that build capacity and help teens develop self-esteem and life skills that will help them as they grow up.

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With Rainier Valley’s Urban Wilderness Project, Local Youth Gain Leadership Skills, Service Learning Hours & More

May 30, 2011

in Arts/Living,Volunteering,Youth

This summer, youth ages 14 to 19 are invited to apply for the Youth Leadership Program with Urban Wilderness Project (UWP), a community-based, volunteer-supported organization headquartered in Columbia City.

The two-part program is for those interested in social justice and environmental stewardship while learning to use the arts to become community/cultural activists.

“UWP is helping to create more outdoor professionals of African, Native, Latino and Asian descent who are engaged with social justice issues that impact their community,” said UWP leader Jourdan Keith. “This program is a pathway beyond green jobs into green careers.”

The summer adventure begins at Ross Lake in partnership with the North Cascades National Park from July 7-July 26, 2011.

High School students develop leadership skills by learning to camp in the wilderness, backpack and construct trails while earning all of the service-learning hours they need to graduate. Working and playing together creates strong friendships and participants return to the city transformed and ready to stay engaged after the 17-day wilderness trip.

The leadership training continues when the group returns to the city. Through Blue Corps, the urban trek of the summer program, youth become arts activists, who learn about the connection between healthy water ways and healthy bodies. By exploring beaches, going behind the scenes at the aquarium, watching films and kayaking around local waterways while creating videos and portable murals youth are empowered through the arts.

Earning service learning hours as they discover how local issues impact their lives, the youth learn to use spoken word, storytelling and performance art to discover how they can make their voices heard on issues that matter to them. Blue Corps meets Tuesdays- Fridays in Columbia City, August 2-August 20, 2011.

Programs fees are offered on a sliding scale. No one is turned away for lack of funds. For more information or to apply, go here.

Photo/Urban Wilderness Project

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People in Your Neighborhood: Fletcher “Sway” Bailey Turns Music Into Hope

April 28, 2011

in Arts/Living,People In Your Neighborhood,Youth

For Franklin High School student and talented young rapper Fletcher “Sway” Bailey, knowledge is power, and school is where it’s at.

His commitment to education is hard won, having grown up in a crowded house with six people and the constant threat of financial instability.

Honestly, I see my financial situation as an incentive to be even more successful, so I just give 110% in everything I do. I want to make both my parents proud and be something better than what I see every day in my neighborhood. I encourage everyone around me to do the same.

He was recently selected as a finalist in a national video contest that focused on the importance of a good education, and encouraged entrants to express themselves and engage their peers with positive messages about their goals, going to college, school pride, motivation, dedication, etc.

Def Jam Rapstar, BET Networks and the Get Schooled Foundation hosted the video contest for which each contestant submitted an original rap or spoken-word video about one-minute long. In his video (see below), Bailey points out that many rappers have college degrees:

Did you know that half of your favorite rappers have Masters and majors that make their paper come stackin’ in even faster?

While he didn’t win the overall contest, Franklin’s assistant principal Patricia Newton said that “Fletcher is a great student and has really grown a lot in the past couple of years. He is a wonderful representative of our school and we are so proud of him.”

In his rap video featuring scenes from Franklin High School, Fletcher expresses the importance of  an education.

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Save the Date: 15th Annual Kids’ Bike Swap at Genesee Playfield

04.26.2011 Arts/Living

Bike Works, Columbia City’s nonprofit bike shop and youth bicycle education organization, will hold its 15th annual Kids’ Bike Swap on Sat., May 7, from 10 am – 4 pm at Genesee Playfield (43rd Ave. S. and S. Genesee St.). This annual event is an opportunity for families to trade in a bike their child [...]

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Urban Impact to Host Weekly Pediatric Care Clinic in Rainier Beach

04.25.2011 Health & Wellness

Beginning this Sat., April 30, Rainier Health and Fitness (RHF) will host a weekly pediatric acute care clinic, where doctors can treat basic respiratory and gastro-intestinal issues for kids 1-18 years old. Physicians and behavioral health consultants will also be available for general consultation. From Dave Kwok, Clinic Manager: The Kids Clinic at RHF is [...]

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Spring Has Sprung: Time to Hippity Hop Down the Bunny Trail With Several South-End Egg Hunts

04.09.2011 Arts/Living

The daffodils are blooming, and you know what that means – it’s time for spring egg hunts and celebrations with Seattle Parks and Recreation. Don’t forget to bring a basket or bag to gather up the goodies at these fun events starting next weekend: Sat., April 16: Spring Pancake Social and Egg Hunt at Van [...]

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Time for Kids 5-14 to Sign Up for Rainier Beach Youth Track

02.26.2011 Public Service Announcement

Parents and kids – here’s an opportunity to join one of the most successful youth track and field programs in our region, while learning from an experienced and dedicated coaching staff. Rainier Beach Track Club is actively recruiting boys and girls, ages 5 to 14, to participate in the 2011 spring track season. Whether you’ve [...]

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Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Oh My! Where in the Rainier Valley to Get Your Girl Scout Cookie Fix

02.25.2011 Eat

Local Girl Scout Troop 42276 met with Mayor Mike McGinn earlier today when they visited City Hall to celebrate the start of Girl Scout Cookie Sales, which run now through March 13. During this time, gaggles of Girl Scouts will spend their weekends increasing your calorie intake at the following Rainier Valley locations: PCC (5041 [...]

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Rainier Valley Middle-School Students Get Pulled Into Rowing

02.18.2011 Arts/Living

Seattle Times (RVP news partner): Former Olympic rower Portia McGee huddled with her teammates Friday morning, strategizing how to win the race that had brought her out of retirement. McGee wanted to beat seven other teams, and to do so she needed the help of her fellow rowers — three students from Aki Kurose Middle [...]

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Play Ball! Rainier District Little League Open for Registration

01.30.2011 Kids

On-line registration for the 2011 Rainier District Little League (RDLL) season is now underway, and south-end youth from 4 to 18-years-old are invited to participate. Players must reside within RDLL boundaries:  I-90 south to the city limits;  I-5 to Lake Washington, plus the communities of Georgetown, Skyway, Bryn Mawr, Lakeridge, and extending down to Grady [...]

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GIVE: Volunteer Tutors Needed in Rainier Beach

01.20.2011 Education
New School Field Day 2008

Looking to get involved? Your RVP’s new Give Page is the only comprehensive listing of volunteer opportunities in the Rainier Valley. Designed to link neighbors with local volunteer opportunities, this is the place to start if you’ve got time and/or financial resources and a desire to help improve your community. Each week, we’ll feature one [...]

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THURSDAY: Watch Rainier Beach Students Perform “Two Truths and a Lie”

01.18.2011 Arts/Living

The community is invited to join the Seattle Rep’s TeenSpeak program this Thur., Jan. 20, at 7 pm for “Two Truths and a Lie” at Rainier Beach High School (8815 Seward Park Ave. S.): How do truth and lies blur together to become an accepted reality? How much of reputation is made because of truth [...]

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