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SPIN Girls Monthly Newsletter | June 2022
Happy Summer!
June is Pride Month! Check out our resources section for some activities for LGBTQ+ youth. June 19th is Juneteenth! Find programming to celebrate with in our resources section below.
In this month's newsletter, you'll find a recap of our activities in May and what your students can look forward to in June. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. - SPIN Girls PM
MONTHLY RECAP
Lab Day #5 :
Thank you to those that attended our last Lab Day event of this program year! I hope you had an amazing time seeing each other and working on your STEAM projects! Our 8th grade students finished their biology inspired backpacks, our 9th grade students finished designing their Lego robotics obstacle courses, and our 10th graders finished their climate change research projects!
RESOURCES
NAAM — Juneteenth Week 2022: Celebrate Juneteenth with free programming from the Northwest African American Museum.
Youth Events Calendar — Lambert House: Lambert House offers free and virtual activities and resources for LGBTQ+ youth including resources on parenting and supporting youth.
Children and Youth Summer Food Service Program: From June 27 through August 24, 2022, City of Seattle will run its annual Summer Meals Program for youth 18 and younger. Meals from identified partner sites can be picked up by parents for youth who are not present. Some sites might also follow a waiver guideline that lets them hand out more than one day's meals at a time to minimize the number of visits a family must make to the site.
LOOKING FORWARD
I want to thank you all for participating in our SPIN Girls 2021-2022 program! Please join us for the SPIN Girls Capstone Presentation 2022!
Date & Time: Saturday June 4, 2022 10AM-2PM
Where: Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S Tukwila, WA 98178
The students will have the chance to showcase their biology inspired backpacks, LEGO robot obstacle courses, & climate change solutions projects that they've been working on all year. We will also celebrate our graduating Stellar Cohort of 10th grade students!
Each student and mentor that attends will be given a Capstone gift to recognize their hard work and dedication. We will conclude the event with a small award ceremony and lunch will be provided by caterers from Spice Bridge.
Please RSVP for the event here. Please let us know if you have any questions. I hope to see you there!
SPIN GIRLS FELLOWS
Students who graduate from SPIN Girls are invited to apply for SPIN Fellows in the Spring of their 10th grade year. Fellows are accepted based on their commitment to SPIN Girls and their interest in pursuing a STEM career.
The goal of SPIN Fellows is to empower SPIN Girls students to feel confident in pursuing STEM college majors & careers. The vision is to grow a strong alumni community, supported by SPIN Girls mentors, staff, and other alumni. SPIN Fellows breaks down the barriers that girls* of color face when exploring and pursuing STEM careers and shapes a more inclusive future.
MONTHLY UPDATE
New Program Manager:
SPIN Fellows welcomed their new program manager, MaryAnn Hartman, this month. As a group, they brainstormed the qualities that they desired in their ideal PM. From being a local woman of color with a STEM background to being committed and caring among other characteristics, MaryAnn possesses many of these preferences. A short bio can be found in our “About Us - Our Team” page here.
UW Campus Tour and Panel:
The Fellows visited the University of Washington - Seattle Campus and listened to members of UW’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) share their educational and career experiences. They were also able to ask their own questions and received valuable feedback and advice. The panel followed with a campus tour and ended at the University Bookstore where the Fellows chose some UW swag to take home to commemorate the visit.
LOOKING FORWARD
May 31, 2022 - College Application/Essay Writing Workshop
The first of four workshops instructed by Nylah Murphy. Through this series, the Fellows will be introduced to effective college application submissions and compelling essay writing. Nylah will also be providing independent guidance throughout the Fellows’ senior year in high school to ensure they are supported throughout the college application process.
For more information visit our website: https://www.stempaths.org/spin-girls-fellows
Check out our impact in Summer, 2021!
As we start planning for Summer 2022, we wanted to celebrate our success in 2021 summer programming!
SPIN Girls Monthly Newsletter | May 2022
It's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!
"May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which celebrates the histories of Americans hailing from across the Asian continent and from the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. This year's theme, selected by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, is "Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration," which builds on a leadership advancement theme series that began last year." Check the recourses section for more information.
In this month's newsletter, you'll find a recap of our activities in April and what your students can look forward to in May. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. - Jaira
MONTHLY RECAP
Field Day #5:
The Epic Cohort (8th Grade) visited Seattle City Lights, toured the facility and participated in clean energy, climate change, and electrification workshops!
The Luminous Cohort (9th Grade) visited UW Immunology, toured both immunology and microbiology labs, created their own "bacteria drawings" on agar plates, and listened to a panel of female scientists!
The Stellar Cohort (10th Grade) virtually visited Meta, learned about optics, VR and AR systems, and listened to a panel of women in the field!
RESOURCES
The story behind Asian Pacific American Heritage, and why it's celebrated in May.
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success.
CELEBRATE ASIAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH IN SEATTLE For a list of things to do and places to go to honor AA&NH/PI heritage in Seattle this May, check out the recommendations here.
Prevention Ambassadors Application – Due May 5th Neighborhood House, APICAT, SE Seattle PEACE Coalition and Latinx King County Dream Coalition are starting a Prevention Ambassadors Program for young adults age 16-25 and parents who represent diverse ethnic communities in King County. Bilingual youth a parents who want to share information with their community about drug and alcohol misuse, mental health and healthy choices, are strongly encouraged to apply. We will select 15-20 participants to join this 4-month program.
Participants will receive weekly trainings in May-June by Zoom and then 2 trainings/cohort learning meetings per month after that for July and August. Meetings will be on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:45pm.
Payment will be as follows:
$200 for May trainings/presentations
$200 for June trainings/presentations
$100 for July training/presentation
$100 for Aug Training/presentation
$600 total per person
Training topics will include:
Introduction and overview of prevention
Marijuana and youth
Vaping
Mental Health And Suicide Prevention
New Marijuana derived products including Delta 8
To apply, fill out the online application: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6840264/Prevention-Ambassadors-Application
LOOKING FORWARD
In light of the recent lifts of the COVID-19 mandates, please visit our website for an update on our COVID-19 protocols. Masks are encouraged at SPIN events.
Lab Day #5 Saturday May 14th, 2022. Lunch provided.
Where: Tukwila Community Center: 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168.
Epic Cohort (8th Grade): 9:30AM-1:00PM
Luminous Cohort (9th Grade): 9:30AM-1:00PM
Stellar Cohort (10th Grade): 1:00PM-4:30PM
*8th and 9th graders, feel free to arrive at 9:00AM for extra mentor-mentee hangout time.
Thank you for participating in our SPIN Girls 2021-2022 program!
Please join us for the SPIN Girls Capstone Presentation 2022!
Date & Time: Saturday June 4, 2022 10:00AM-2:00PM
Where: Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S Tukwila, WA 98178
The students will have the chance to showcase their biology inspired backpacks, LEGO robot obstacle courses, & climate change solutions projects that they've been working on all year. We will also celebrate our graduating Stellar Cohort of 10th grade students! Each student and mentor that attends will be given a Capstone gift to recognize their hard work and dedication. We will conclude the event with a small award ceremony and lunch will be provided by caterers from Spice Bridge.
SPIN Girls FELLOWS
Students who graduate from SPIN Girls are invited to apply for SPIN Fellows in the Spring of their 10th grade year. 15 Fellows are accepted based on their commitment to SPIN Girls and their interest in pursuing a STEM career.
The goal of SPIN Fellows is to empower SPIN Girls students to feel confident in pursuing STEM college majors & careers. The vision is to grow a strong alumni community, supported by SPIN Girls mentors, staff, and other alumni. SPIN Fellows breaks down the barriers that girls* of color face when exploring and pursuing STEM careers and shapes a more inclusive future.
For more information visit our website: https://www.stempaths.org/spin-girls-fellows
SPIN Girls Monthly Newsletter | April 2022
Happy Spring!
I hope you all are staying safe and feeling hopeful about the future. It's time to get ready for warmer weather and hopefully more sunny days!
In this month's newsletter, you'll find a recap of our activities in March and what your students can look forward to in April. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. - Jaira
MONTHLY RECAP
Field Day #4:
The Epic Cohort (8th Grade) visited Renton Technical College, toured the labs and participated in Automotive Technology, Manufacturing & Fabrication Technologies, & Welding workshops!
The Luminous Cohort (9th Grade) visited Microsoft's 343 Industries. 343 Industries is the video game company that is home to the Halo Universe. Our students toured the famous Halo museum, learned about the different careers in the gaming industry, and of course played Halo Infinite!
The Stellar Cohort (10th Grade) visited Adaptive Biotechnologies and participated in a DNA extraction activity, 3D printed their own DNA helices, and learned what goes into an effective social media post in the biotech industry!
Lab Day #4:
Our 8th grade students created biology inspired backpacks, our 9th grade students programmed their LEGO robots and began designing their obstacle courses, and our 10th graders continued their climate change research projects!
RESOURCES
Starting March 12, masks will no longer be required in many indoor public spaces including K-12 schools and child care facilities. Public Health – Seattle & King County follows the guidance for schools and child care from the Washington Department of Health. School districts and child care facilities may choose to have students, teachers, and visitors wear masks even though the mask mandate is ending. Any individual who chooses to continue wearing a mask in school or childcare should be supported in their decision.
LOOKING FORWARD
In light of the recent lifts of the COVID-19 mandates, please visit our website for an update on our COVID-19 protocols. Masks are encouraged at SPIN events.
Field Day #5 on Saturday April 23rd, 2022. Light snacks provided.
Epic Cohort (8th Grade), 9:30AM-12:30PM: @ Seattle City Light
Luminous Cohort (9th Grade), 9:30AM-12:30PM: @ UW Immunology
Stellar Cohort (10th Grade), 1:30PM-3:00PM: Meta/Facebook (virtual)
Lab Day #5 on Saturday May 14th, 2022. Lunch provided.
Where: Tukwila Community Center: 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168.
Epic Cohort (8th Grade): 9:30AM-1:00PM
Luminous Cohort (9th Grade): 9:30AM-1:00PM
Stellar Cohort (10th Grade): 1:00PM-4:30PM
*8th and 9th graders, feel free to arrive at 9:00AM for extra mentor-mentee hangout time.
SPIN GIRLS FELLOWS
"In March the SPIN Fellows continued their bi-weekly study group sessions to focus on schoolwork, standardized test prep, and general group bonding. "
- Fellows Program Manager
Students who graduate from SPIN Girls are invited to apply for SPIN Girls Fellows in the Spring of their 10th grade year. 15 Fellows are accepted based on their commitment to SPIN Girls and their interest in pursuing a STEM career.
For more information visit our website: https://www.stempaths.org/spin-girls-fellows
SPIN Announces New Leadership Structure!
STEM Paths Innovation Network (SPIN) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Shana Beckwith to the position of Executive Director of Education and Katherine Barr to the position of Executive Director of Operations.
Shana and Kat have been working closely together to shepherd SPIN from a small, grassroots project to a full-fledged nonprofit serving hundreds of students and families every year. SPIN has implemented a shared leadership model in order to honor the strengths of their leadership, ensure that the organization continues to be led by its commitment to the communities they serve, and build a distributed decision-making model amongst all staff.
The Executive Director of Education (EDE) provides leadership and vision in the ongoing planning, implementation, development, direction, review and evaluation of SPIN’s curriculum, instructional services and operations. The EDE ensures that SPIN objectives are aligned to frameworks and to instructional practices that provide optimum outcomes to students and families of color. The EDE leads the organization in partnership with the Executive Director of Operations and the Board.
The Executive Director of Operations (EDO) is responsible for ensuring the successful fulfillment of SPIN’s mission while embodying all of the values that define SPIN’s culture. The EDO leads SPIN’s financial management, communications, human resources, and fundraising activities, and works with the EDE and the Board to determine SPIN’s strategic direction.The EDO leads the organization in partnership with the Executive Director of Education and the Board.