A team of Seattle University students, staff and faculty are joining the community in an effort to support low-income youth in Seattle’s Central District.
The Seattle University Youth Initiative (SUYI) began in February 2007 as an idea based on a $100 million project at San Diego State University. In the model project, the university and local community members made a commitment to public schools in the area.
A Seattle U committee comprised of students, staff and President Stephen Sundborg, S.J. was created to try to develop one concrete goal for SUYI. After six months of collaborating, the group narrowed its objective down to educating youth with limited educational opportunities.
“Education is what we’re good at,” said Victoria Rucker, associate director for the Center for Service and Community Engagement. “We can provide scholarships, mentors, tutors and can reach out to students.”
A planning committee was formed in January 2009. It was split into five groups that looked into the demographics, community assets and partnerships available in Central Seattle and assessed what the community felt they needed most. The committee focused on determining the assets of the university and compared them with the needs of the community. The four major themes were educational access, job training, mentors and tutors and wrap around services that Seattle U could offer for free. For example, the law school could give free legal advice to foster parents, the nursing school could give free health clinics or the Albers School of Business could offer free income tax assistance).
“I’ve never seen Fr. Steve as excited about something as he is with this,” said Kent Koth, director of SUYI.
With support from the university, SUYI decided the Bailey Gatzert school had the most need.
Seattle Public Schools reports approximately 93 percent of students in the neighborhood around Bailey Gatzert Elementary School receive free or reduced lunches—meaning they are at or below the poverty level—and the school failed to meet the minimum yearly progress marks. Based off this research, SUYI decided to target all schools in this community: First Place Preschool, Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Washington Middle School and Garfield High School. From there, those involved with SUYI began asking students in those schools what they felt they needed most.
“We really want youth voice,” Rucker said. “Students kept telling us how they want adults to work with them and listen to them.”
The SUYI team has been holding regular meetings and conferences to gain community and university support as well as to recruit volunteers.
At a meeting held March 4, Seattle U students were encouraged to voice their opinion on how SUYI could expand its community engagement. More than 20 students attended the meeting and signed up to volunteer for another conference to be held May 8.
The goal of this next conference is to make a final decision on what the group will specifically be doing for the students in the Bailey Gatzert community, identifying what the students need most.
“It’s going to be really important to be able to take what we hear and put it into action,” said Carly Cannell, assistant to the director for the Center for Service and Community Engagement.
SUYI has already partnered with approximately 70 agencies citywide, including the Seattle Police Department and Treehouse. They are in the process of gaining more partnerships and are concentrating on continuing that growth with the help of the university. The committee hopes that with all the connections it makes this year, they can begin going out into the community by fall.
“The Seattle University Youth Initiative is an extension of community engagement on campus,” Cannell said. “We’re just building off of what we’re already good at […] [and] directing it in a focused way to make a bigger impact.”
Kat may be reached at acatlett@su-spectator.com
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