By Liz Moore
Our Young Activist Leaders program has graduated its first class! This, as you know, is PJALS’ re-launched youth leadership development program, which introduced me to social justice work when I was a high school student. Because of passionate support from members like you, we re-launched this program last fall to build the skills and support the leadership of wonderful young people.
The graduating class includes (l-r) Taylor Malone who organized SlutWalk (Fighting Victim Blaming) last year (and is organizing it this year too); Molly Fitzgerald, head of EWU Scary Feminists and Eagle Pride (now in a summer fellowship with WA Bus); PJALS intern Alyssa Henderson; Ryan Weech with Food Not Bombs; East Valley school district PRIDE leader Shea Gorman (now interning with Sen. Cantwell); PJALS interns Regina Steele and Amanda Hunt (now working for WA CAN!); SFCC glbt Alliance leader Jessica Jahn (not pictured); and Alyx Franz with Youth Sustainability Council (not pictured). It’s a super-impressive bunch with whom I feel so privileged to have gotten to work, some of the most passionate and accomplished young progressive leaders in Spokane.
Congratulations especially to Regina, Alyssa, and Amanda who graduated from EWU with their Social Work degrees! We wish you the best! Thank you for all you’ve done!
In their own words:
“This program has been incredibly helpful and enjoyable. It helps young activists realize and utilize their own power and promotes their autonomy as leaders and organizers.”
“Not only did this program give me numerous, explicitly useful tools for my activism, it refueled my spirit every month and encouraged me immensely to stay involved and active. I was treated like my work really mattered.”
For all the program info, please visit www.pjals.org/yalp. Spread the word!