Executive Summary
Creating the youth development fund to increase access to positive youth development programs
Background
Youth development engages young people within their communities, families, peer groups, schools, and organizations to support their overall well‑being. These programs offer meaningful opportunities to develop essential life skills, enabling youth to grow in confidence, leadership, and problem-solving. Youth Development programs work to equip young people with the tools they need to navigate challenges and empower them to thrive and make positive contributions to their communities.
Summary
A Youth Development Fund account is created. The Youth Development Fund creates a dedicated account that can support community‑based youth programs. This legislation does not specify funding for the Youth Development Fund account that is created. Grants will be distributed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to support youth development programs. School districts and educational service districts may apply only when partnering with community‑based organizations or when no nonprofit program is available in their area.
Youth development programs may include, but are not limited to, programs that provide:
-
- learning acceleration;
- social-emotional learning
- mentorship
- connection to relevant resources outside of schools
- support related to postsecondary access and career pathways
- arts, STEM, and sports-based programming
- outdoor education
- youth civic engagement
- cultural programming
-
- Equitable geographic distribution with a focus on areas where young people have the least access to youth development opportunities based on available data.
- Support for youth who face the greatest barriers, including:
- youth from groups that have historically not met academic standards,
- youth at higher risk of dropping out,
- youth in foster care,
- youth experiencing homelessness, and
- youth living in poverty
Key Points
Creating the fund, even if it is initially small and/or mostly containing private funding, establishes a
formal state intention to invest in youth development for the first time, and a transparent place in the state budget for youth development investments.
You can find more information on what this does and how this can impact Washington communities here.
Ways to Get Involved
Steps to Get Started
- Learn where the bill is in the legislative process.
- If there is an upcoming hearing, decide how you would like to get your voice heard and take action.
- If there is not an upcoming hearing, or if you want to supplement your advocacy, call or write your legislators.
- Spread the word and get other people on board.
Participating in a Hearing
Sign in Pro, Con, or Other
This is when individuals, advocates, and organizations make their position on a particular bill known for the record. This is particularly powerful in large numbers. Many organizations will send out Action Alerts asking people to sign in Pro or Con on a bill.
Submit Written Testimony
Submitting written testimony is a great way not only to make your position known to legislators but also to explain why in more detail. This is a good option if you don’t want to speak in front of others. People also like to offer more nuance to their position by writing.
Testify Virtually
Since COVID, many legislators are allowing remote/virtual testimony for bill hearings, as it greatly expands access to the legislative process across the state. For this, individuals usually have between 1-2 minutes to state their opinion on a bill in front of the legislative committee on Zoom.