SOUTH SEATTLE/SOUTH KING COUNTY – Twenty-one efforts working to increase equity and eliminate opportunity gaps for students in South Seattle and South King County have been selected as finalists in the inaugural Road Map Project Awards Program. This diverse group of finalists, which are partnerships, programs and initiatives located across the region, stood out among a pool of more than 60 nominations for getting excellent results, using data well for improvement purposes and collaborating to get more powerful results for students.

The Road Map Project is a community-wide effort aimed at dramatically improving student achievement from cradle to college and career in South King County and South Seattle. The Road Map Project Awards Program aims to advance equity and eliminate opportunity gaps by recognizing amazing efforts and encouraging the spread of that success across the region. All finalists will be recognized for their great contributions at a March 4 awards ceremony. A panel of 15 judges, comprised of local and national experts, is helping to determine several special recognition awards for overall excellence.

The event will feature the following guest presenters: Jackie Bezos, president and co-founder of the Bezos Family Foundation; State Supreme Court Justice Steve Gonzalez; Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust; Norman B. Rice, president and CEO of The Seattle Foundation; and Ralph Smith, managing director of the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and senior vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

“The Education Trust is excited to be part of this work and support the Road Map Project Awards Program. We need to spread the success seen in the Road Map Project region across the country to ensure all students enjoy equal opportunities. It’s an honor to participate in an award ceremony focused on closing opportunity gaps and increasing equity across the educational continuum. I believe this work will help improve the lives of children and strengthen communities in the Road Map Project region and beyond,” said Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust and guest presenter for the Road Map Project awards ceremony.

  1. Parent-Child Home Program: “Visiting hard-to-reach families at home to help 2-4 year olds get off to a good start” – United Way of King County and Partners
  2.  Seattle Early Education Collaborative: “Working to ensure success in kindergarten” – Early Learning Partners and City of Seattle
  3.  “Building a system to close gaps and support young learners” – Auburn School District and Partners
  4.  Parent Academy for Student Achievement: “Empowering parents to navigate school systems and influence student success” – Kent School District
  5.  “Delivering ambitious STEM professional development” – University of Washington College of Education, Washington STEM and School District Partners
  6.  “Strengthening instruction for English language learners” – Heritage University and School District Partners
  7.  “Supporting promising students of color from 6th grade through college graduation” – Rainier Scholars
  8.  “Supporting students in their homes and communities” – Somali Youth & Family Club and Partners
  9.  Diplomas Now: “Creating a school-community partnership to benefit middle school students” – City Year Seattle, Johns Hopkins University, Communities in Schools of Seattle, Aki Kurose Middle School
  10.  “Providing long-term mentors for vulnerable youth” – Friends of the Children, King County
  11.  “Making bold moves to inspire and support students’ college dreams” – Kent School District, Green River Community College and Partners
  12.  “Building a system of authentic family engagement” – Federal Way Public Schools
  13.  Youth Program Quality Initiative: “Using data to build quality in large and small youth-serving organizations” – School’s Out Washington and Partners
  14.  “Closing the Advanced Placement equity gap” – Auburn School District and Equal Opportunity Schools
  15.  “Creating opportunity by accelerating academics and removing barriers to college” – Federal Way Public Schools
  16.  “Collaborating to personalize support for student success in high school and beyond” – Seattle Education Access and Highline Big Picture School
  17.  “Deploying UW students in high-need high schools as mentors to improve college enrollment” – University of Washington Dream Project
  18.  World Language Credit Program: “Building a system for crediting bilingual high school students” – School District Partners and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
  19.  “Making college admission and graduation possible” – College Access Now and School Partners
  20.  Kent iGrad: “Building a pathway back to education and jobs” – Kent School District, Green River Community College and Partners
  21.  13th Year Promise Scholarship: “Eliminating financial barriers and guiding students to college success” – South Seattle Community College

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