Seattle IT features the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County (BGCKC) YouthForce program, a 2023 winner of a City of Seattle Technology Matching Fund (TMF) grant. YouthForce offers a unique approach to college and workforce readiness: It provides relevant training, guidance, and encouragement to prepare teens for success in their first jobs or first days of college and creates a clear pathway to their chosen career goals.
BGCKC YouthForce conducted 1,996 hours of programming, educating 580 youth/young adults from underserved communities in South Seattle on how to use technology for college and career planning and preparation. Instruction primarily took place at the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club located at 4520 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, where YouthForce offices are located, however, opportunities also occurred at other BGCKC Clubs and partner offices across Seattle.
With staff guidance, the youth created a unique plan for reaching individual career preparedness goals and then used the devices and resources made possible by the City of Seattle TMF grant to execute it. The program helped the youth develop the digital literacy skills they needed to function successfully now–how to create documents, save files, navigate the internet, access online resources, develop spreadsheets, identify misinformation, set security protocols, and so much more. In the process, youth attained certifications, gained insight into possible career paths, and applied for jobs, apprenticeships, and/or internships.
According to the 2024 City of Seattle Technology Access and Adoption Summary Report, people living in poverty are 5.5 times more likely not to have internet access at home, and black households are three times more likely.
BIPOC households or those living at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level are also two, three or even four times more likely to have fewer than one device per member. Overall, 5% of all Seattle residents are sharing devices across household members, whereas 19% of Black households are sharing and 20% of households living in poverty are sharing. Additionally, 37% of low-income houses and 27% of Black households do not have devices with an adequate screen size to complete necessary tasks.
The City of Seattle 2023 TMF grant served 580 youth from these households. It ensured that youth developed the digital literacy skills they needed to function successfully now–how to create documents, save files, navigate the internet, access online resources, develop spreadsheets, identify misinformation, set security protocols, and so much more–while also giving them an opportunity to explore what skills may be needed in the future as they start down a chosen career path.
Youth had a chance to earn certifications, conduct virtual job site tours, meet with mentors, create their own technological material, and discover how they could use their talents to shape their futures. They gained experience and expertise that will make them more competitive in the job market and more successful on the job. In turn, they will go on to further advance digital equity by bringing greater diversity to the tech industry as successful professionals, serving as mentors and role models for the next generation.
One of the program’s success stories involves a youth who took full advantage of the available opportunities. He completed six certification courses online through Grow with Google; he learned how to create Virtual Reality (VR) content, became a YouthForce intern, and assumed responsibility for running VR training sessions for his peers, including setting up a satellite program at select Federal Way schools. Through this experience and his work with Program Director Tobias Hauser, he was also inspired to apply to the University of Washington after originally deciding not to go on to college. He was accepted and is about to matriculate as a computer science major. This project changed the direction of his life by nurturing his abilities, interests, and enthusiasm for all that technology can make possible.
To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County YouthForce program, visit https://positiveplace.org/youthforce-teen-jobs/.
Technology Matching Fund Grants are part of the City’s Digital Equity Program. TMF was established in 1997 to support the community’s efforts to close the digital divide and encourage a technology-healthy city. Over $5 million has been awarded since 1998. The fund continues the legacy of Bill Wright, a Central District community leader who embodied the program goals of creating digital equity and opportunities for all, and of using technology tools to engage residents, improve communications, and strengthen communities.
The City of Seattle’s Information Technology Department (Seattle IT) oversees the City’s Digital Equity Program. To learn more about digital equity programs like the Technology Matching Fund Grant program and past winners, reduced-cost cable and internet opportunities, and other programs, visit www.seattle.gov/tech. Seattle IT is a trusted partner that provides secure, reliable, and compliant technologies, enabling the City to deliver equitable and responsive services to the public.