Grantee Stories
December 2022
In late October, TeamChild partnered with Kent-based youth mentoring organization, Glover Empower Mentoring (GEM), and The Washington Bus, a statewide youth-led civic engagement organization, to host and facilitate a youth-driven community panel on the election of the King County Prosecuting Attorney and the impacts of the office on King County youth. Young people in south King County organized to ensure their voices were not only represented in the democratic process, but centered in the conversation about the direct impact of prosecution on them and their communities. As our youth panelist, Seiha, put it: “I feel like the importance of this event, and why it’s important for the youth to know who is running for the position of King County Prosecuting Attorney, is God forbid they do get in that position where they are being prosecuted — just having the knowledge about who is influencing where they go or what happens with them — it makes a difference.”
Special thanks to Youth Event Coordinators, Seiha Bunkasem, Cameron Srisupa, and Khaleeah Glover; and Panelists James Curtis, Andrea Altheimer, and Seiha for sharing their perspectives.