Launching Family & Tutoring Programming in Delridge
Same Values, New Beginnings: DNDA Launches Family and Tutoring (Virtual) Programming in Delridge Communities
We are proud to announce that DNDA is partnering with King County’s Best Starts for Kids initiative to develop intergenerational, needs-based programming in the High Point neighborhood and DNDA affordable housing properties. DNDA’s new Delridge Family Connections Program allows youth and families to design and implement intergenerational programs together with DNDA staff. In fact, a DNDA virtual tutoring program for youth (ages +8), began shortly after being requested by nearly all participating families.
Our virtual tutoring program aims to improve students’ success in school, particularly in math and literacy, by offering them access to virtual learning spaces where they will receive homework help. Still in its infancy, the program is growing. Thanks to stable support from our Best Starts for Kids grant and the consistent involvement of caretakers, we are eager to connect underserved students to academic resources and learning experiences in a time when COVID-19 continues to exacerbate the needs of vulnerable communities.
COVID-19 continues to radically change how we live our lives, with students being no exception. What remains constant, though, is our continued commitment to ensure underserved students’ access to resources and services in times of need. Students need experiences that further enrich their learning in community settings, and pathways to build social connections with their peers and nurture a sense of self and place in society. Consequently, the role of our volunteer tutors encompasses a display of civic involvement, investment in the educational outcomes of underserved students, and a way to re-instill a sense of normalcy in unsettling times. As one of our tutors comments, “I have felt that its effect [COVID-19] on public education has been overlooked, as remote learning has only exacerbated existing inequities by limiting access to educational tools and childcare. Helping out as a tutor for High Point’s youth has allowed me to play a role in increasing students’ access to educational support systems. Given the circumstances, this tutoring has gone about as well as we could have hoped and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
As an organization dedicated to building and sustaining dynamic growth in our communities, we are proud to continue working alongside our neighbors to develop solutions to community challenges. We look forward to keeping you all updated about the exciting new details of our Delridge Family Connections Program in the months to come!