Shaniah Andal came to Y-WE as an eighth grader and has now participated in several Y-WE programs including our summer intertnship at Marra Farm. By feeling safe, she has built confidence in her voice and leadership during her time at Y-WE.
Andrea Martinez is a recent Y-WE graduate and culinary school graduate who stepped into her leadership this summer as a facilitator for Y-WE Create. After learning to take creative risks at Y-WE programs, she wants to teach others to do the same.
Check out Y-WE Grow’s feature in the King County Department of Health’s Environmental Justice Speaker Series. Youth participants Andrea, Fatima, Jaydalen, and Emma share their important perspectives on environmental and climate justice. Learn more about the pressures young people are facing, the things they’ve learned in their time at Marra Farm, and what you can do to support this work.
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods met with Y-WE Participant, Fatra, to talk about her thoughts on Reimagining Black History Month and her dreams for Black future in Seattle.
Blackness itself means so many things in our past, present, and future so you can’t sum it up with words. It’s a culture, a fashion, an unwritten constitution, a lens, a lifestyle, an expectation, a feeling, a motivator, the change, the radicality, the possibility, the past, the present, the future; it’s everything. Y-WE participant, Indigo, shares her experience with Blackness, whitewashing, and more.
On June 4 we gathered together with community at Marra Farm to celebrate those who will be “graduating” from Y-WE Programs, and becoming Y-WE Alum. Check out these impactful remarks from our keynote speakers!