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SPIN Girls Monthly Newsletter | February 2021
It's Black History Month!
Today marks the start of Black History Month. The theme for 2021 is Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity, which explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States. If you're interested in being inspired, check out this reading list that highlights 13 trailblazing Black women.
In this month's newsletter, you'll find a recap of our activities in January and what your students can look forward to in February. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. - Nell
MONTHLY RECAP
Field Day: All cohorts got to see inside a lab at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and heard from an amazing and inspiring panel of women who work there. From the panel, they learned about different educational and career paths available to them if they are interested in scientific research.
RESOURCES
Kick Off Black History Month With Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain and a Host of Other Events: Week-long free virtual programming at the National Museum of African American History & Culture to celebrate Black History Month.
Picture Books Representing Black voices - A list of picture books by (majority) Black authors exploring topics related to Black Lives Matter movement values. Support a local Black-owned bookstore, by purchasing from Estelita’s Library or L.E.M.S Bookstore.
Washington State Dept. of Health “Phase Finder” - online resource to find out when you can get the vaccine and sign up for notifications when you’re eligible for it in Washington State.
Seattle Dept. of Transportation “Winter Weather” Planning - tips for staying safe during snowy, rainy, and icy conditions. Translations available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, and more.
LOOKING FORWARD
Field Day on February 27th from 10AM-12PM.
Summer Retreat will be held the week of July 12-16. Timing is TBD depending on whether or not we are able to meet safely in person, but assume an all day retreat schedule for now.
SPIN Girls Newsletters Archive
Starting in February 2021, we’ll be posting our monthly SPIN Girls newsletter to our blog for everyone to catch up on the fun things we’re doing! For now, if you’d like to explore our past newsletters, here’s our current archive:
Magic Mamas: How Parent Partnership is Expanding Learning in Northgate
Thank you, School’s Out Washington (SOWA) for featuring our Northgate program on your blog! We love working with Seattle Parks & Rec to support Northgate students through this difficult time.
Thank you, School’s Out Washington (SOWA) for featuring our Northgate program on your blog! We love working with Seattle Parks & Rec to support Northgate students through this difficult time.
“Rebecca remembers the early days of the COVID crisis and trying to plan next steps amidst so much uncertainty. She says that SPIN Deputy Director Kat Barr, ‘really stepped in while I was just starting to put some pieces together and asked ‘so what are we gonna do for our kids?’’
While SPR was fleshing out their new virtual programming, SPIN started providing 3-D printing classes virtually—and wound up delivering almost double the amount of sessions that were originally designed. ‘The Best Starts for Kids grant is what guaranteed that we could run direct service. We have a unique opportunity here.’ Other possibilities opened up too because of the partnership at Northgate. Weeks before Seattle Public Schools was able to secure laptop donations from Amazon, SPIN was loaning their program equipment to families. ‘These devices help the kids get access to SPIN and to their education, but it also means parents have access to laptops in their homes, too, for things like filling out unemployment applications.’”
For the full article, visit SOWA’s blog here.
Support Women in STEM with SPIN Girls and Warr-King Wines!
RSVP to join us for this fun event via Zoom at 6pm, October 22nd.
Order some Tenacity of your very own! Proceeds benefit SPIN and SPIN Girls.
Resources to Support Black Lives Matter
There are many ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Here are a few we want to highlight. We focused on the Seattle-King County area as that is the area we serve. This is by no means a complete list, and we encourage you to continue to look for ways to support the movement. For a master list of national resources, click here (including mental health resources!!) and for a comprehensive Resource Document for This Moment, click here.
DONATE
For direct donations, check out these organizations:
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County
If you don’t have money, you can still donate by watching monetized YouTube videos. Make sure you turn off ad blockers and don’t skip the ads. Watch here.
PROTEST
Attend a protest and let your voice be heard! Be mindful that we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, so be sure to take the necessary precautions to stay safe.
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County’s Statewide Silent March and General Strike on Friday, June 12
Attend a vigil for George Floyd every Monday evening in Rainier Valley
Where to livestream the Seattle protests
SIGN A PETITION
There are numerous petitions out there. The #blacklivesmatter Google Doc compiles a long list of them and lots of other useful information.
REGISTER TO VOTE
With the 2020 presidential election coming up in the midst of a global pandemic, voting may be impacted. Make sure your voice is heard by registering to vote!
Washington State Voter Registration
EDUCATE YOURSELF AND THOSE AROUND YOU
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” - Angela Davis
Put in the work to be an anti-racist and a better ally to the movement. Share what you learn with those around you (friends, family, co-workers) and if you have kids, consider the lessons you’re teaching them implicitly and explicitly.
Please don’t ask Black folks to educate you unless they offer. (If that’s not enough for you, here’s one reason why.) Turn to these resources instead:
From a Model Minority - An Introduction to BLM (written by one of our SPIN Girls mentors)
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County’s statement on recent protests and the actions of Seattle's mayor.
Anti-Racism Resources for White People
How to Talk About Race, Justice, and Equality with Your Children
Queen Anne Book Company’s Adult Reading List for Justice and Change
SUPPORT BLACK-LED & BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES
If you’re already ordering takeout or buying some new things, check out these Black-led and Black-owned businesses, restaurants, and organizations.
Black-Owned Restaurants in Seattle
Black-Owned Businesses & Restaurants in Seattle You Can Support Right Now
Support These Local Black-Owned Businesses & Non-Profits and Help Make Change
Stay safe, take care of yourselves and each other, and continue to fight for what’s right. We’ll continue to update this post as needed. #BlackLivesMatter