News
DKJF STEM Scholars Award / Karrington Taylor Ogans
![]() Please join us in congratulating Miss Karrington Taylor Ogans for being selected as our 2014 DKJF STEM Scholars Award recipient! Karrington is pursing an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Gonzaga University, with a minor in Business Administration. Congratulations Karrington! |
"Reach for the Stars!" 2014 was a resounding success!
Gala Dinner & Dessert Auction |
April 25, 2014 - "Reach for the Stars! Gala Dinner & Auction
SAVE THE DATE! 4/25/2014 - "Reach for the Stars!" Gala
"Reach for the Stars!" 2014 will be hosted by Seattle's own Pat Cashman, star of KING TV's "The 206". This event will be held on Friday, April 25, 2014 at the beautiful Sorrento Hotel in downtown Seattle. Get ready for a fun filled evening - Silent Auction & Wine Reception, Dinner and Live Auction! If you would like to volunteer or have items to donate, please call Danna at 425-276-5210, or email us at info@SYIseattle.org. |
New Board Member Welcome! Tony Hopson Sr.
Hopson founded Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) in 1981 as a one-week summer camp committed to improving collegiate and employment opportunities for high school students. The initial camp served 80 students. In 1988, under the auspices of the Albina Ministerial Alliance (AMA), and through a grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust, SEI became a year-around program. During a capital campaign that began in 1989, SEI raised over $10 million to build the 62,000 sq. ft. Center for Self Enhancement which opened its doors in 1997. The Center offers a variety of activities and services for youth and families in inner-Portland and is a hub of the community. Self Enhancement employs 120 people, most of whom live in Northeast Portland. Since then, SEI has expanded to serve more than 2,000 students and 5,000 families per year in various programs and has been recognized with awards such as the Oregon Award for Public Service and being named a “Point of Light” by President George H.W. Bush. The program has been recognized nationally as a model program for youth development. In 2006, SEI was recognized by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation from New York as one of the premier youth development programs in the nation, and with their support, continued replicating the SEI program in Miami, Florida in partnership with former NBA player Alonzo Mourning. In 2012, the America’s Promise Alliance, a non-profit organization founded by General Colin Powell and his wife Alma, highlighted SEI as one of the nation’s most promising programs positively impacting student graduation rates. Hopson has also been recognized for his activism and community leadership by receiving the State of Oregon’s “Gold Schmidty Award,” the Urban League of Portland’s “Equal Opportunity Award,” the Albina Ministerial Alliance’s “Bridge Builder Award,” Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s “Emerald Award,” the Black United Fund’s “Legacy Award,” the “Aubrey R. Watzek Award” from Lewis & Clark College, the “Community Award” from the Portland Observer Newspaper, the “Living Legend Award” from Willamette University, the “First Citizen Award” from the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors, the “Oregon Ethics in Business Award” from the Samaritan Counseling Center, and the “Distinguished Service Award” from the University of Oregon. Hopson is a very active volunteer and leader in the Portland community. He is a Trustee on the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Foundation Board, is Co-Chair of the Portland African American Leadership Forum, and sits on the Portland Trail Blazers Executive Advisory Board. Welcome aboard Tony! |
Spring 2013 Newsletter
See our latest newsletter for recent youth outcomes, program overviews and other important information about the work we do. |
GuideStar Seal
We have earned our official GuideStar seal, demonstrating our commitment to transparency. Click here to review our GuideStar profile. |
GiveBIG 2013! Be a hero!
We are participating in The Seattle Foundation's third annual GiveBIG on May 15th! Plan on supporting Successful Youth Inc. as a part of our community's biggest day of giving of the year! Start now by "Liking" us on Facebook ! We will post our latest updates on Facebook, Twitter and on our events page! |
3/5/2013: DKJF in the News!
DKJF is featured in the Communities in Schools blog for Women's History Month. CIS highlights our efforts to educate and build confidence in female students during our Health & Wellness clinics. Article courtesy of Briana Kerensky. Image courtesy of Don Borin. ![]() Danna Johnston (right) and Communities In Schools of Seattle Alum Gloria Boateng. Photo courtesy Don Borin. March is Women’s History Month, a time when we pay tribute to the women who have left an indelible mark on our society. At Communities In Schools, we work to make sure that every young woman we serve is confident, aware of her self-worth and ready to change the world for the better. In Washington state, The Danna K. Johnston Foundation has been working with Communities In Schools of Seattle at Rainer Beach High School for the past three years. This local nonprofit provides young people with mentors, tutors and other resources they need to lead healthy, productive lives. In 2011, it came to The Danna K. Johnston Foundation’s attention that there were high instances of both teen pregnancy and bullying among girls at Rainer Beach High School. They needed to find a way to alleviate the situation, and collaborated with Communities In Schools of Seattle on a solution. “Communities In Schools is the liaison between the community and the school,” said Danna Johnston, founder of The Danna K. Johnston Foundation. “They helped facilitate a conversation between our organization and Rainer Beach’s nursing team, to figure out how to best help the young women at the school.” Together, The Danna K. Johnston Foundation and Communities In Schools of Seattle launched a series of “lunch and learn” monthly workshops, where young women are provided with a nutritious meal while the school’s nursing staff leads a discussion about women’s health and how to deal with daily stressors like peer pressure and bullying. The workshops are a safe place for students to ask questions and speak their minds. “The students look forward to coming in and talking with other female students at the school in a way that they haven’t before,” Johnston said. “At the lunch and learn workshops, they can discuss their feelings, rather than hold bad feelings inside.” |