Greentrike, SoP, and THA summer partnership
From the Greentrike blog | By Emmalina Krist | June 27, 2024
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This summer, Greentrike, in partnership with the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Seeds of Peace, will facilitate expanded learning opportunities (ELO) programming centered around social and emotional learning (SEL). Seeds of Peace holds spaces for youth to speak on relevant issues and supports, and connects young people across Tacoma.
As Tina Tran, Outreach Coordinator of Seeds of Peace, recalls, the program began to take root when Seeds of Peace founder Fahren Johnson sat down for a conversation with Byron Williams of the Tacoma Housing Authority, during which they asked the question, “instead of communities going to a program over the summer, why not just bring the program directly to the sites?”
The summer ELO program was born out of the Tacoma Housing Authority’s (THA) 2Gen Family Engagement Program, a program that creates opportunities for families of elementary, middle, and high school students to learn about social emotional learning together. As a result, THA engaged Greentrike to create an engaging summer ELO program for THA youth with community providers offering creative arts, STEAM, and sports experiences in addition to Seeds of Peace supporting daily operations.
These pop-up registration events take place at THA sites where programming will take place, such as Bay Terrace, Salishan, and Dixon Village. This is especially helpful because, as Gary McCurty of the Tacoma Housing Authority points out, for many youth and their families, transportation can be a barrier preventing them from attending youth programming around the city or accessing resources.
This summer, the providers that will be appearing in ELO programs at THA locations are: