Here's an exciting opportunity to learn about plans for a new Environmental Education and Research facility in King county.

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) announces that high school students Ms. Zaira Bardos and Ms. Lexi J. Rodriguez-Padilla will join Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell in representing Washington in the nation’s capital during the 57th annual USSYP Washington Week, to be held March 2 — 9, 2019. Zaira Bardos of Orting and Lexi Rodriguez-Padilla of Sedro Woolley were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation who will also each receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.

Consider a grant to fund something new outdoors! Working with your staff, you may brainstorm an innovative approach using the outdoors to enhance your curriculum. Here is an opportunity to help fund that next great idea...

I had a surprising encounter recently while facilitating leadership training for approximately fifty early career principals and assistant principals. During a break, one of the attendees - let’s call him “Jeff” - approached me to engage in a conversation. To be honest, Jeff did all the talking. I listened, a bit uncertain how to respond in the moment.

Welcome to our first episode of AWSP News for 2019, where we discuss the upcoming legislative session, our next episode of AWSP TV with resources for tobacco use and vaping, the important role our PAC plays in supporting principals, the Building Hope Together workshop with WEA and Kids at Hope, our Principal Leadership Academy happening soon in ESD 123, our partnership with PEMCO and VEBA, the Future School Leaders Day workshop we’re putting on, a possible 24-credit graduation requirement summit, and an opening for students on AWSL’s Executive Committee and the State Board of Education.

At AWSP, we believe wholeheartedly in the importance of teachers, but also feel just as strongly in calling attention to one of the most under-recognized and overworked group of educators in the system, school principals. Effective principals are foundational and essential components of a successful educational system. Simply stated, principals matter.

While we welcome the thousands of students and staff who visit our facilities, it is the dream of all of us involved in Outdoor Environmental and Science Education to have a component in each school year. Here is an exemplary approach:

Dudley Edmondson, an African American wildlife photographer, believes it is critical for people of color to get involved in nature conservation. He sought out 20 other African Americans with deep connections to nature and asked them about their personal experiences, how they came to value nature and why African Americans seem under-represented in our parks and conservation efforts.

A thoughtful piece about accessing outdoors for all. James Edward Mills writes, "Gear catalogs, advertising campaigns, films, and articles in magazines like Outside typically presented the outdoors as a place for white people, most of them men. At the turn of the millennium, I decided to do something about this, pivoting from sales to journalism...."

Welcome to another episode of AWSP News, where we discuss our 2019 plans, upcoming workshops from Kids at Hope, our workshops in early January at ESD 123, the National Association of Elementary School Principals annual conference in Spokane this summer, key business partners like Capturing Kids Hearts and the Gates Foundation, the Governor's proposed budget, a possible innovation summit around the 24 credit graduation requirement, using student leaders to create a strong culture and foundation, and preview our partnership with world-renowned speaker Kevin Carroll.

AWSP is closed for the holidays. We hope you're able to rest, recharge, and recuperate too. If you need to reach us, we'll be periodically checking email at our webmaster account. We'll reopen on January 3rd. In the meantime, happy holidays.

Last week, Governor Inslee presented his budget for the next legislative session. We’re happy to see lots of support for education in the budget. Unfortunately, even though revenues are up, we don’t have enough to pay for the projected costs of current programs. We need additional revenue to pay for new programs we know our education system needs – like special education funding, additional nurses and counselors, and additional mental health supports. The Governor proposes an increase in several different taxes to pay for issues like education, mental health, and clean energy. Taxes and/or tax reform will be a hot topic in 2019.

Welcome to another episode of AWSP News, where we discuss sharing your daily realities, recognizing a deserving principal for Principal of the Year, the important role our PAC plays in supporting principals, the 2019–20 principal intern grant application, Kaiser Permanente’s $3,500 “Thriving Schools” grant, the benefits of a blood drive through Bloodworks Northwest, a national award for our own Marty Fortin, ASB and Booster Club video workshops by Marty and Greg Barker, and some cool ways to take your staff into break.

Welcome to another episode of AWSP News, where we list all the things we're thankful for, including Rainier View Elementary principal Anitra Pinchback-Jones and her Milken Award, our partnership with OSPI and Title II funds to support you better, new Fast Five videos and a new video highlighting Lopez Island's Farm Education program, Pacific Education Institute's vision for STEM and Field STEM and New York Times bestselling author Richard Louv's keynote, former Governor Christine Gregoire's visit to our studio and her support and leadership with our Chief Education Officer network that pairs principals and executives from Washington Roundtable and Challenge Seattle, the great professional learning networks across the state, the support we're getting from stakeholders and members on the principal pay gap, the questions we've received on Twitter with our #AskAWSP hashtag, our great support team we have at AWSP to answer your calls, and our awesome emeritus members and their willingness to step back and serve.

It is abundantly clear implementing PBIS with fidelity throughout all facets of the system (district office, schools, classrooms, transportation, food service etc.) results in unprecedented changes in the culture, systems and learning of any school-community. PBIS is a tool designed to create equity-centered proactive systems for monitoring and responding to the needs of students and, importantly, the needs of adults...and this is where the conversation tends to get tricky.

That’s the tag line from the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV). We know principals and assistant principals across the state are dealing with mental health and safety issues every day, and healthy relationships, whether for your staff or your students, can definitely fall into either of those categories.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss our recent AWSP TV episode with former Governor Christine Gregoire about leadership and the role of the principal, how our Political Action Committee supports the candidates who support you and your students, our upcoming professional learning opportunities and Title II funding, a workshop to help you improve your public speaking, American Education Week, some great resources on the ASCD website, Ballard High School principal Keven Wynkoop’s Principal of the Year Award from the Washington Library Association, a student leadership question from Ryan Block for our #AskAWSP segment, the US Senate Youth Scholarship and how to get your students eligible, and a great podcast for some health and nutrition tips.

In this episode of AWSP News, we discuss our principal pay survey, our board structure and upcoming meeting, our advocacy committee and PAC, our upcoming advocacy platform, our Clear Risk Solutions and Seattle Pacific University sponsorships, more great feedback from Principals Month, AWSL's Starting in the Middle publication and how it can help your middle school leadership programs, and preview our new studio and first talk show with Dr. Caprice Hollins and Jack Arend.

Become a Principal Partner for Legislators to connect more regularly with a legislator you already have a relationship with or with whom you are interested in developing a better relationship. It’s easy!

When talking to family, friends and students, and interact with coworkers, we know that lots of people around us are dealing with mental health issues. So what can we do? When does a situation become an illness or a crisis? How can we help until professionals can take over? The City of Auburn developed a one hour mental health training so that anyone can be a first responder to mental health needs.