Powerful Voices

POWERFUL VOICES CREATES BRAVE SPACES WITH GIRLS* OF COLOR TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR OWN POWER AS LEADERS, IGNITING THEIR ABILITIES TO CONFIDENTLY EXPRESS THEMSELVES, BUILD COMMUNITY, AND ACT AGAINST INJUSTICES AFFECTING THEIR LIVES. *THOSE WHO IDENTIFY OR SOCIALIZE AS A GIRL

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: POWERFUL VOICES WORKS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ON ISSUES THAT IMPACT GIRLS* OF COLOR TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND MAKE THE WORLD A MORE JUST PLACE FOR EVERYONE. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS INCLUDE HOSTING OUR ANNUAL REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNITY CARE DAY WHERE WE PROVIDE SELF-CARE ITEMS AND SERVICES TO YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES, PRODUCING THE ANNUAL GIRLVOLUTION CONFERENCE LED BY ACTIVISTAS YOUTH, PROVIDING TRAINING ON POWERFUL VOICES CURRICULUM AND PRACTICES, SERVING ON COALITIONS, AND PARTNERING TO PROVIDE OUTREACH TO GIRLS OF COLOR DETAINED IN KING COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION. DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WE TEMPORARILY PUT THE GIRLVOLUTION CONFERENCE AND OUR WORK WITH INCARCERATED YOUTH ON HOLD. IN THE INTERIM, WE HOSTED OUR REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNITY CARE DAY SERVING 9 YOUTH IN 2021 AND OVER A DOZEN FAMILIES. ADDITIONALLY, POWERFUL VOICES DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER CREATED A SERIES OF COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND INEQUITIES IN NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING AND PHILANTHROPY AND RAISE AWARENESS AMONG FUNDERS, PHILANTHROPISTS, AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. IN MARCH, WE LAUNCHED THIS NEW COMMUNITY PROGRAM TO EXPLORE THE INTERSECTIONS OF FUNDRAISING, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND THE NONPROFIT INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX (NPIC). WE SEEK TO CREATE AND STRENGTHEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE TOPICS AND LEARN HOW WE CAN CO-CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE RELATIONSHIP TO PHILANTHROPY IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. POWERFUL VOICES WAS EXCITED TO HOLD THIS SPACE SO WE CAN WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO CREATE A FRAMEWORK OF FUNDRAISING THAT CENTERS BLACK AND BROWN GIRLS* AND GENDER NONCONFORMING YOUTH AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN EARLY JUNE 2021, WE HOSTED A BIPOC FUNDRAISERS ROUNDTABLE EVENT. WE WERE JOINED BY A PANEL OF BIPOC FUNDRAISERS, PHILANTHROPISTS, AND CHANGEMAKERS WHO DISCUSSED THE COMPLEXITIES OF NONPROFITS AND BIPOC RELATIONSHIPS, WEALTH HOARDING, AND OTHER CRITICAL TOPICS. THIS DISCUSSION IS AVAILABLE FOR WATCHING ON HERE: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WATCH/LIVE/?V=519417809094493&REF=WATCH_PERMALINK.

CULTURAL ENRICHMENT: THE CULTURAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM IS BOTH "SCHOOL-BASEDX AND SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR 12-14 YEAR OLD GIRLS* OF COLOR. THE SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAM IS A SPACE FOR GIRLS OF COLOR TO LEARN ABOUT THEMSELVES, INCREASE PRIDE IN THEIR IDENTITY AND FURTHERMORE LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD AROUND THEM. THE CURRICULUM IS DELIVERED THROUGH GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS OF UP TO NO MORE THAN 15 PARTICIPANTS PER COHORT. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE SCHOOL-BASED PART OF THE PROGRAM REMAINED TEMPORARILY PUT ON HOLD FOR PART OF 2021 AND RETURNED AS A HYBRID (VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON) PROGRAM AT ASA MERCER INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL IN LATE 2021. WE HOSTED OUR FIRST 16-WEEK BLACK MUSLIMAH COLLECTIVE COHORT OF YOUNG BLACK WOMEN AND FEMMES AGES 14-18. IN MAY 2021, THESE YOUNG FOLKS HOSTED A BLACK HEALING PANEL, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BMC YOUTH PARTICIPANTS TO LEARN FROM BLACK MENTORS ABOUT BLACK HEALING AS A FORM OF EMPOWERMENT, AND LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF THERAPY, HOLISTIC APPROACHES, AND OTHER FORMS OF HEALING. THIS YOUTH-LED PANEL DISCUSSION CAN BE VIEWED HERE! HTTPS://LINKTR.EE/POWERFULVOICES. WE ALSO PROVIDED POWERFUL PACKETS FOR YOUTH WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED HERE: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/FILE/D/1I1PY9YVUOIPX5XKL3RGVUQLWSQZZODJR/VIEW. DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021, WE CREATED AND HOSTED A NEW AND EXCITING 9-WEEK LONG SUMMER PROGRAM CALLED BLACK GIRLS* CREATE FOR BLACK AND AFRICAN IDENTIFYING GIRLS*. THIS PROGRAM WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAP INTO THEIR CREATIVE SIDE AND LEARN THE BASICS OF PAINTING AND EMBROIDERY WHILE REFLECTING ON TOPICS SUCH AS RACISM, SEXISM, (UN)HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW THESE SHOW UP IN THE DAILY LIVES OF BLACK GIRLS.* THE PROGRAM WAS LED THROUGH POSITIVE ADULT SUPPORT, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS. THE CULTURAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM SERVED 29 GIRLS OF COLOR IN 2021 THROUGH TRAUMA-INFORMED, STRENGTHS-BASED HEALING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT, COHORT PROGRAMS, AND SELF- AND COMMUNITY-CARE RESOURCES. *THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AND ARE SOCIALIZED AS A GIRL.

EMPLOYMENT: THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OFFERS BOTH AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR 14-18 YEAR OLD GIRLS* OF COLOR. OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM IS A JOB READINESS PROGRAM WHERE GIRLS OF COLOR LEARN ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEM WHILE BUILDING JOB READINESS SKILLS. ACTIVISTAS WAS OUR SPRING EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM THAT EMPLOYED GIRLS OF COLOR TO DEVELOP AND PRESENT WORKSHOPS AT THE ANNUAL GIRLVOLUTION CONFERENCE. DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WE TEMPORARILY PUT ACTIVISTAS ON HOLD. IN THE INTERIM, WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST SIX-MONTH COHORT OF PV RADIO, OUR YOUTH-OF-COLOR-LED MEDIA PLATFORM, THROUGH WHICH YOUTH WHO ARE CO-CREATING PODCASTS WITH STAFF AND MENTORS. FOR EACH EPISODE, YOUTH ROTATE ROLES SO THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO PRODUCE, EDIT, AND CO-HOST! WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH KUOWS RADIOACTIVE TEAM AND KVRUS TEAM OF PODCAST AND RADIO PROFESSIONALS. YOUTH CREATED AND HOSTED THEIR FIRST PODCAST IN FEBRUARY 2021 AND THE REMAINING EPISODES WERE COMPLETED BY SUMMER 2021. YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEM HERE: HTTPS://SOUNDCLOUD.COM/POWERFULVOICESRADIO/SETS/THE-GREY-AREA-SEASON-1. THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SERVED 4 YOUTH IN 2021. *THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AND SOCIALIZE AS A GIRL.