As we go through this new transition together, RAYS UP...Read More
We are proudly supported by:
"Every family living in health and hope within a supportive community."
RAYS Up
RAYS Up promotes student success in school and in the community by providing one-on-one coaching, group support and skill building opportunities for middle and high school youth, with a high quality programming standard.
What we’re about
RAYS Up is a leading youth development program helping middle and high school students in the Renton and Tukwila school districts grow the skills they need to be successful in life. Through weekly one-on-one sessions with their Youth Life Coach, skill-building groups and out-of-school enrichment activities, RAYS Up students build self-awareness, confidence, and motivation to pursue their goals. Some students dream of being the first in their families to go to college, while others yearn to join the workforce after graduating high school. RAYS Up is there to support them in becoming happy, healthy young adults with a promising future ahead of them.
How we do it
RAYS Up Youth Life Coaches (YLCs) help young people in our schools to set individual goals like showing up to school on time, turning in homework and hanging out with positive groups of friends. The YLCs help connect our clients to services designed to help them succeed in school, like tutors. We meet with our RAYS Up clients once a week at school for 30-45 minutes.
Our students participate in groups to talk about self-image, decision making, substance abuse, anxiety, anger management and communication. Youth Life Coaches work to create a group discussions that focus on topics that all young people struggle with such as bullying, racial and ethnic identity, cultural formation, gender specific topics and team building.
Our Youth Executive Council (YEC) provides RAYS Up participants with an opportunity to plan events for the program and offer feedback to program staff. We believe in empowering our young people to have a voice in our community. If they have a sense of ownership, they will grow to be leaders in our community. The YEC plans RAYS Up community service and enrichment activities.
RAYS Up provides youth with community service and recreational opportunities to help them develop leadership skills and build positive ties to their local communities and neighborhoods. Unique activities, like trapeze class, emphasize trust and team building.