Training and Enrichment Programs

The organizations have programs this summer for you to learn something new (like a new Trade) or enrich your life with meaningful experiences.

At the fair, the following symbol will appear at each table where training and enrichment programs are being offered:

Arts Corps

Arts Corps revolutionizes arts education by igniting the creative power of young people through culturally engaging learning experiences.  Youth experience the transformative power of creativity and gain a deepened belief in their own capacity to learn, take risks, persist and achieve.

Opportunity 1: Teen Art Jam – monthly open art studio for teens at Arts Corps HQ at King Street Station. Teenagers 14 to 19 years old are welcomed into the Arts Corps office every second Friday of the month, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.. Students are welcomed to bring their own projects and ideas or can participate in an activity led by Teaching Artists. The activity will change from month to month. Art supplies and dinner are provided. 

Geeking Out Kids of Color (GOKiC)

Geeking Out Kids of Color builds and sustains youth programs that are rooted in community and consciousness. Our project-based tech curricula are informed by anti-racism, anti-sexism, multiculturalism, social-emotional learning, and decolonization frameworks. Their programs are geared towards empowering youth with the voice, digital literacy, and problem-solving skills to envision and construct new realities.

Opportunity: Collective Youth – 6 week summer program for High School Students taking place 3 days of the week at Beacon Hill Library focused on Social and Racial Justice topics & Technology/Coding Curriculums. Students receive a $300 stipend for program completion. 

Powerful Voices

Powerful Voices is all about creating space. They are a fully femme, womxn, non-binary staff of color that aims to build a place where young girls and gender expansive youth of color can feel brave enough to share their truths with us and then the world. Participants in these programs receive a $1600 stipend.

Opportunity 1: Artivism – Artivism is our teen arts internships where BIPOC girls & gender expansive youth explore the intersection of arts and activism. You will explore three art disciplines in two-week increments, and create unique pieces to display at a youth expo at the end of November.

Opportunity 2: PV Radio – A podcast led by girls & gender expansive youth of color where young people create, produce, and edit podcast content relevant to them and their communities

Opportunity 3: Activistas – A program where high school age BIPOC girls & gender expansive engage in activism with adult allies through curating social-justice based projects for a culminating event.

Seattle Parks and Recreation

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) supports healthy people, a thriving environment and vibrant community by providing safe and accessible spaces for residents and visitors to work, recreate, rejuvenate and enhance quality of life. SPR also manages many facilities, including 25 community centers, eight indoor swimming pools, two outdoor (summer) swimming pools, two environmental education centers, two small craft centers, four golf courses, an outdoor stadium, and much more.

Opportunity 1: Pre-Employment Program – a job readiness training program for young people ages 13-18. This training program occurs during Fall, Winter, and Spring. This is a series of pre-work based skills to support and inform young people how to write resumes, manage time, practice communication skills and more.

Opportunity 2: Lifeguard Training Team – A free summer program for teens age 15-18, although primarily targeted at 15 year olds who are not eligible for employment with SPR due to age. This program is like a summer day camp + lifeguard training course all in one, and also includes a few opportunities for extra volunteer or service learning components.

Seattle Public Schools Career Connected Learning

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Career Connected Learning prepares students for career and college readiness after high school. Through Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes and internship opportunities, students explore a wide array of careers with the opportunity to deep dive into career pathways of particular interest to them.

Opportunity 1: Skills Center Summer Courses – Summer Skills Center classes are introductory versions of what they typically offer during the school year. These courses can launch a student’s CTE pathway while also helping them complete requirements for graduation. This is also an opportunity for students to take CTE classes not offered at their own school during the school year (like Engineering, Music Production, and Video Game Design)

Seattle University Pre-College Programs

Don’t miss pre-college experiences at Seattle University. Programs are one week, with an on-campus residential experience.

Opportunity 1: Albers Summer Business Institute, Social Entrepreneurship – explore entrepreneurship, data visualization, economics and more.

Opportunity 2: AI for Equity, Artificial Intelligence and Criminal Justice – learn about the intersection of technology and criminal justice issues, such as facial recognition, bias and equity.

Opportunity 3: Urban Sustainability, Environmental Studies and Sustainability – critically consider the environmental impacts of human behaviors and ways to approach urban sustainability in Seattle.

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) empowers African Americans, as well as other diverse underserved communities, to thrive by securing educational and economic opportunities. The team works relentlessly alongside local partners and community supporters to ensure the needs of the families served are being met and the economic challenges they face overcome.

Opportunity: Summer University – Summer University is a free six-week program from July through August for rising 9th – 12th graders in the Metropolitan Seattle area.  The program is designed to keep high school students engaged and learning during the summer months to prevent summer learning loss. Programming is led by ULMS Education Department staff and certificated teachers.

UW Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering

UW’s Allen School takes pride in their educational and research excellence and commitment to cultivating a welcoming and inclusive community for all. They prepare students to be the innovators and leaders of tomorrow while blazing new trails for our field in artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, mobile sensing, sustainable computing, data science and so much more.

Opportunity: Changemakers in Computing (CIC) – a free summer program aiming to increase the participation of underrepresented, economically disadvantaged, and/or future first-generation college students in computer science and engineering. The program is open to all rising juniors and seniors at Washington State high schools. Students will be organized into Mentee groups led by Mentors who are current UW undergraduate students. Mentees will develop coding skills through culturally relevant project-based learning, learning about different areas of computing, explore the changemaking impact one can have through technology, receive support in pursuing continued learning, and building community with other changemakers – other Mentees, as well as Mentors. Apply beginning March 4.

The Vera Project

The Vera Project is an all-ages space dedicated to fostering personal and community transformation through collaborative, youth-driven engagement in music and art. A music venue, screen print shop, recording studio, art gallery, and safe space for radical self-expression, VERA is a home to Seattle’s creative community.

Opportunity: Live Production Lab – participants receive extensive technical training, sustained mentorship, and paid work opportunities in live sound production, house management, venue operations, festival support, booking, marketing, safety, and more. People of all ages accepted into the program, which prioritizes BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ young adults, will receive over 40 hours of instruction, 40 hours of mentorship, 32 hours of on-the-job supervision, and guaranteed job placement at The Vera Project and/or their many partnered venues and community spaces.

YMCA of Greater Seattle

The YMCA of Greater Seattle nurtures the potential of every child and teen by supporting their unique youth development journey through holistic programming. From cradle to career, the Y provides all youth with the tools and resources they need to succeed in life.

Opportunity: YMCA Bold & Gold – a program that provides opportunities for teens to try something new, challenge themselves, and build a strong community of peers through outdoor adventure trips. Participants can sign-up for one- to two-week trips that explore National Parks by backpacking, rock climbing, or hiking. Financial assistance is available.

You Grow Girl

You Grow Girl! is a behavioral health non-profit providing programming and services designed to meet the developmental and psychological needs of Black, African American, African Diaspora and Afro-ethnic youth and their families. They welcome all youth of color and those from vulnerable populations.

Opportunity 1: Career Exploration & Readiness Training Program – for aspiring behavioral health professionals, ages 16-25, with an internship opportunity upon graduation of the training. Apply Now!

Youth in Focus

Youth in Focus is a catalyst for the next generation of creative thinkers, fostering social and emotional learning and 21st century skills through photography and digital media offerings. They provide a range of programs for teens ages 13-19, where students explore creativity, practice risk-taking, and gain life-long tools to succeed in their futures. Programs are offered to youth for free-of-charge or pay-what-you-can. They loan students all needed equipment, supply snacks each day, and provide free bus passes.

Opportunity: Summer Camp Programs – fun-filled, weeklong activities centered on photography for youth entering 6th-12th grades, which include field trips and other summer seasonal activities. Programs are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.