Pre-K - 12 Pathway

Volunteering in Local Schools

The Youth Initiative connects volunteers and service learners to opportunities in local schools. Our goal is to help neighborhood youth be successful in school and prepared for college and career. Academic assistance is our primary focus, however we also support theocial emotional growth and development of youth through mentoring and enrichment activities.

Each quarter we place over 150 Seattle U students in our K-12 Partner Schools: Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Washington Middle, and Garfield High School. All new volunteers and service learners are required to attend an orientation and to complete the K-12 Service Application prior to serving in a SUYI K-12 Partner School. Find more information and the link to the application on ConnectSU.

Seattle U received recognition at the May, 2017 Seattle Public School School Board Meeting.

K-12 SUYI Programs

The Seattle University Youth Initiative K-12 Program connects resources to our partner schools to form a pipeline of academic support for youth attending Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Washington Middle School, and Garfield High School.

Our goal is to ensure that youth graduate from high school and are prepared to succeed in college and in life. In partnership with teachers and community organizations; we provide tutoring and academic support; reinforce academic behaviors and learning strategies; promote student engagement and motivation; and provide college awareness and readiness opportunities. The types of activities offered and the level of resources available, vary from site to site; however, providing youth with positive adult relationships in a safe structured setting, is fundamental to all SUYI K-12 engagement.

• Learn about our partner schools and programs

Middle College High School

In 2012, Seattle Public Schools opened a Middle College High School on the Seattle University campus to provide a high quality “small school” learning environment for 50 high school students including SUYI neighborhood youth. The College of Education houses the school and several University academic programs provide direct support to the high school students.

Other SUYI Partners

Many community partners contribute to the SUYI pipeline of academic support for neighborhood youth.

• City of Seattle Upward Bound. For over 30 years, the City of Seattle Upward Bound Program has called Seattle University its home for the summer. Upward Bound enrolls SUYI neighborhood youth and other high school students in its ninth to twelfth grade college prep program.
• College Success Foundation. The College Success Foundation offers academic support and mentoring to neighborhood seventh to twelfth graders through school-based programs at Washington Middle School and Garfield High School. These programs are supported in part through a HUD Choice Neighborhood grant.
• Youth Tutoring Program. The Catholic Community Services Youth Tutoring Program provides individualized after school tutoring for neighborhood students living in the Yesler Terrace public housing community.
• Other partners. Many other campus and community partners provide academic support activities for neighborhood youth.