DEEL’s fall 2022 newsletter is available now! This issue features investments in Seattle Preschool Program Summer Extension, International Baccalaureate programming at Rainier Beach High School, and educator diversity. Also highlighted are DEEL’s proposed 2023 budget, a spotlight on our new Early Learning Division Director, Leilani Dela Cruz, and supportive student and family resources from preschool to postsecondary.
[Read more…]From July through early October, DEEL’s school and community partners welcomed the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy Oversight Committee (LOC) to observe programs in action and learn more about each investment area. Field trips were organized for nine DEEL-funded programs ranging from preschool through postsecondary.
The community-led LOC was established by city ordinance to monitor the levy’s progress toward achieving educational equity and make recommendations to DEEL leaders on how to improve outcomes for Seattle children, youth, and families through FEPP-funded investments. This series of field trips created an opportunity for committee members to engage with students and program partners in person, celebrate successes, and better understand challenges to programming caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
[Read more…]Last week, hundreds of Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) participants started kindergarten better prepared and with more confidence around the big transition to school. That’s because preschool classes were extended through the summer for the second consecutive year, with some programs having as many as 10 weeks of extended programming.
Summer extension was first piloted in the summer of 2021 in response to a school year rife with learning interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides rising kindergarteners extra support and more opportunities for social and academic preparedness as they get ready to enter the K-12 system. SPP providers, whose contracts with the City typically cover September through June programming, were offered a second summer extension option. Many of these programs experienced frequent staff and student absences during the 2021-2022 school year, as the impact of COVID-19 on learning persisted, and 20 out of 26 provider agencies opted to participate in the 2022 summer extension. Over half of SPP’s 128 classrooms stayed open to serve their preschoolers through late July or August.
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DEEL’s summer 2022 newsletter is available now! This issue features DEEL’s investments in summer programs and the annual FEPP Levy Year 2 Report for 2020-2021. Also included are highlights from the ribbon-cutting ceremony for SPP Provider Tiny Tots Development Center’s new facility in Othello Square, Seattle Public Schools graduations, and upcoming funding opportunities for early learning providers and community partners.
Read DEEL’s summer 2022 newsletter here, and sign up for DEEL’s mailing list to get updates and announcements delivered to your inbox.
$1M in investments will enhance academic opportunities, college and career exploration, & social-emotional learning to support student achievement and wellbeing in response to COVID-19
Today, the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning announced $1 million in community investments to enhance summer learning opportunities for more than 1,400 kindergarten through 12th grade youth in Seattle. Funds will support community-based organizations to provide academic experiences, college and career exploration, and enrichment opportunities for Seattle youth, focusing on social-emotional learning.
2022 is the second consecutive year DEEL will partner with community organizations on summer programming for youth to address the impact of COVID-19 on student learning. This year, 19 organizations will receive awards ranging from $11,400 to $75,000. Programs will serve historically underserved youth disproportionately impacted by systemic inequities and disruptions to learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
[Read more…]NEWS RELEASE
Bruce Harrell, Mayor
Dwane Chappelle, Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2022
Contact: Sage Leibenson, sage.leibenson@seattle.gov, 206.507.6701
Funding will support academic opportunities, enrichment, and college and career exploration for historically underserved youth in Seattle
DEEL Invests $1M in Community-Based K-12 Summer Programs to Address Continued Impacts of COVID-19 on Student Learning
SEATTLE (May 31) – This week, the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) announced $1 million in grant awards to enhance community-based summer learning for more than 1,400 youth. For the second consecutive year, DEEL’s community investments in summer programs address the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on student learning by providing greater access to expanded learning opportunities to support student success as school resumes in the fall. This grant’s summer programming includes academic activities, social-emotional learning, enrichment, and college and career exploration. All programs will occur between June and September 2022. Investments are funded by the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy.
[Read more…]NEWS RELEASE
Bruce Harrell, Mayor
Dwane Chappelle, Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sage Leibenson, sage.leibenson@seattle.gov, 206.507.6701
New Funding Opportunity: Community-Based Organizations Are Invited to Apply for DEEL’s Summer Learning Request for Investment
Apply by April 27th for grants up to $75,000
SEATTLE (April 12) – The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) is currently requesting applications from community-based organizations and city agencies for DEEL’s Summer Learning Enhancement Request for Investment (RFI). Funded by the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy, this funding opportunity seeks to expand or enhance existing community-based summer programs for Seattle K-12 students.
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DEEL’s fall 2021 newsletter is here! DEEL is proud to welcome our City’s brilliant scholars back to classrooms for in-person learning. In this issue, we share stories about how the education community continues to support students throughout the pandemic from early learning to postsecondary. We also kick off the new school year by sharing information about resources that support student success and wellness including the Child Care Assistance Program, Seattle Preschool Program enrollment, School-Based Health Center services, and more!
[Read more…]Contributors: Kyra and Lul, Seattle Youth Employment Interns
Meet Kyra and Lul, two Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) interns who joined DEEL’s Communications Team for the summer! Work-based learning helps inspire and prepare students with the skills they need to achieve their post-secondary goals. We’re proud to have welcomed these two bright young people to our team to learn about social media management, communication strategy and what it’s like to work at a public agency.
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Earlier this month, the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) announced $1 million in Community-Based Summer Enhancement and COVID-19 Response Funds to expand summer programs for more than 1,300 K-12 students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Programs, which run from late June through August 2021, will help students better prepare for academic success and social-emotional well-being this fall as students and schools return to full-time learning in the classroom.
Seventeen community-based organizations received awards ranging from $5,720 to $100,000 to enhance or expand a diverse array of student enrichment opportunities, including reading, writing, STEM, social justice, college mentorship, career exploration, physical fitness, and arts. These programs, many of which are concentrated in South Seattle, provide K-12 students with greater access to academic supports and culturally responsive enrichment experiences promoting physical wellness and social-emotional learning. Of the 17 award recipients, eight are first-time funding recipients from DEEL.
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