Doubling down on equity and social justice
Crossposted from Inside Transportation King County’s ambitious program to extend fairness and opportunity to all is rolling out to departments and agencies. First came the six-year strategic plan, adopted last year as a blueprint for putting equity and social justice (ESJ) at the heart of every county activity. Now each department is creating its own specific plan for meeting the goals the county has set. These fall into six areas (see box at left). This far-reaching program aims to transform the way we do business—both internally (hiring, promotions, training) and externally (customer… Read More
9 Ounces – A social justice play that carries weight
This article is featured courtesy of Donna Miscolta, Project/Program Manager, King County Solid Waste Division Luna, Alice, and Saraphina are friends. They live in the same building. They’re of different generations – Luna is a kid, Alice an adult, and Saraphina a 90-year-old widow. But these three black females are bound together by something burdensome – a fear of not being safe in the world. They’re fictional characters in a one-woman play by local writer, performer, and educator Anastacia Tolbert. In 9 Ounces, the characters come alive, expressing in realistic actions and… Read More
King County commemorates May Day and International Workers’ Day
King County employees had the opportunity to attend an April 26 May Day celebration focused on protecting immigrants and refugees that featured a panel of guest speakers and a spoken word artist. More than a seasonal holiday celebrating the arrival of warm weather in the Northern Hemisphere, May 1 has also shared its stage as International Workers’ Day since the 1880s. “It’s interesting that in much of the rest of the world, May Day is Labor Day. But, increasingly, there is more activity and things that are happening around May Day here,… Read More
Free military career Expo, August 9
King County is hosting the fourth annual “Working with Our Troops Career Expo” at the Washington State Convention Center on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Expo is free to both employers and job seekers and attracts 300-400 Veterans, transitioning Service Members and their spouses. There is space for approximately 130 employers. The deadline for employer registration is August 4, or until all spaces are filled. Here is the registration form. Each participating King County agency receives a: 10×10 booth space with an eight foot draped table, two chairs,… Read More
New videos showcase diversity of careers, people at King County
King County is releasing a series of new videos that showcase the diversity of career opportunities at the County and the people who work here. One of those employees is Deborah DeQuier-Bowden, Dental Supervisor for Columbia Public Health Dental Clinic. “I get out of bed, come in here, because I know that I’m going to make a change, or I’m going to make some kind of good effort in somebody’s life today,” Deborah says in the video. “It makes me happy to help people. That’s one of the reasons I got into… Read More
Metro’s Anita Whitfield: Paving the way for equity in public transit
Crossposted from Metro Matters As Metro’s EEO/Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Anita Whitfield has been breaking down barriers and instilling a shared sense of responsibility for promoting equity and social justice. Whitfield has worked to create a culture where employees feel safe to have difficult discussions about historical and current inequities. She’s led training for many employees (which she calls “shared learning opportunities”), and played an instrumental role in shaping a vision for making Metro and King County government more equitable for all employees and residents. Whitfield recently was honored by the Puget… Read More
Meet a “do-it-all” nurse, with a special passion for social justice
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Last week for National Public Health Week (April 3-7), the Public Health Insider featured unsung public health heroes who make our communities safer and healthier. Each day, they highlighted a public health worker through their own words, sharing their work and why they’re committed to serving our community. Tina Maestas, who serves as a Public Health Nurse based in Renton, is one of seven Public Health Nurses whose office is located inside a “CSO” – a state office where people can apply for assistance with cash, food, child support,… Read More
Employees redefine respect and cultural understanding, use KC eLearning as added resource
There’s strength in diversity. Different perspectives bring new insights, benefits and relationships. They can also bring challenges. A team of translators at King County Elections experienced this, and decided to overcome it, with great success. “They come from four different countries and each one speaks a different language,” said Elections Supervisor Jacque Larrainzar. “Each of them has a different culture and way of looking at the world.” The interpreters have backgrounds from Mexico, Korea, Vietnam and China. At a recent staff meeting, these differences became more apparent when Jacque asked her team… Read More
Prosecutor and District Court launch ESJ teams
Agencies across King County are stepping up to help implement the Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Strategic Plan. Most recently, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and District Court launched ESJ committees to further the goal of using ESJ values to guide King County’s operations, programs and service delivery. In February, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO) formally launched its inaugural Equity and Social Justice Team. With representatives from all divisions, the team focuses on: Providing training opportunities and equity-related events Documenting and measuring the equity and social justice work already being done in the… Read More
Public Defense, Kent School District establish Criminal Justice high school course
A new, one-day civics course on the criminal justice system was introduced to high school seniors throughout the city of Kent last semester. The course was launched by the County’s Department of Public Defense Misdemeanor Practice Director Twyla Carter and the Kent School District. All five Kent high schools participated, including Kent-Meridian – Washington’s most diverse high school. “The first Civics Day events at all the high schools in the Kent School District was a huge success,” said Michael Papritz, Kentridge High School Social Studies teacher, co-curricular leader, and school district project… Read More
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