Youth Sparks Grant Project: Award Recipients
What is the Youth Sparks Grant Project?
Thanks to the advocacy of our young leaders and the support of the King County Council, Skyway Coalition has helped guide funds towards the Youth Sparks Grant Project.
The Youth Sparks Grant Project is youth-centered and youth-inspired. More than 100 young people shared testimony with King County Councilmembers about the importance of youth programming in Skyway. This grant was designed to serve projects that strengthen community-based or grassroots youth organizations' efforts that uplift and empower youth in Skyway. Our organization is honored to be entrusted with this process and emphasizes equity and prosperity in our application review.
We are proud to announce the recipients of the Youth Sparks Grant Project to a handful of organizations that will continue to do impactful work with the youth here in Skyway, ensuring a prosperous future for our community. Each organization has been awarded $29,133 to fund its youth-centered projects in Skyway.
Award Recipients
Building Bridges Community Service: A youth-driven project that provides financial support for youth-led events that create meaningful opportunities for young people to showcase how investments of time, energy, mentorship, and funding lead to dividends of tangible, inspiring outcomes. These events not only promote youth leadership but also demonstrate, in measurable ways, the self-agency and impact of the young people involved.
Legacies of Love: Strengthening Families to Uplift Skyway Youth: A program that centers the voices and experiences of families of color. BELONG Partners will offer workshops and a multi-session Parenting with Courage & Connection series to equip families with strategies to support children's social-emotional growth. By listening and adapting sessions based on feedback, they’ll create culturally responsive learning that strengthens youth connection, confidence, and engagement.
Indigenous Pathways Program: The Renton School District aims to engage Indigenous Students in a cultural and educational experience that provides deep, hands-on learning about Indigenous history, language, and ways of life. These programs will introduce students to traditional crafts and practices and connect them with both community elders and community members to understand their culture from those who live it, breathe it, see it, and encompass it in every fibre of their being.
Youth 360 Summer in Skyway: Youth Leadership & Belonging Project uplifts Skyway youth by creating spaces where they feel safe, seen, and supported while growing as leaders. It develops leadership and confidence through mentorship, teamwork, and leadership labs; fosters belonging and identity through the WEB model, which connects youth from Lakeridge, Dimmitt, and Renton High; and inspires purpose and service as youth lead peer mentoring and community projects that promote healing, safety, and unity across Skyway.
Skyway Middle School Transition Team
Connected Pathways: This project seeks to center youth voice and leadership through implementing the WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) middle school transition program in partnership with Dimmitt Middle School; begin youth-guided research and planning for high school transition support, and sustain and grow the work of the Skyway Middle School Transition Team. Through collaboration with schools and community partners, these efforts strengthen belonging, build leadership skills, and create a connected, caring network that uplifts youth across the Skyway community.
At the Root, LLC
Healing Connections: Strengthening Relationships between Mothers and Daughters: This project serves two cohorts of mothers and daughters, with parents, youth, and children attending sessions both individually and together to learn and practice new skills. The overall aim is simple: strengthen parenting skills and increase family resilience between mother and daughter by improving communication, resolving conflicts, and building a stronger emotional connection through the provision of a safe space for mothers and daughters to express themselves.
