Lake Washington Schools Foundation

Kids Coming Together is a program that provides opportunities for local youth to make new friends and connect with their community through events led by high school students.

Kids Coming Together helps kids in grades three through eight to develop lasting relationships through community service. Because it may be difficult for parents to get their kids to come to an event designed for them to “make friends,” Kids Coming Together focuses on relationship-building through community service projects. Projects are intentionally scaled for small groups to increase opportunities for connection, and might include helping a neighbor in need, trail repair, visiting a senior living facility, or caring for animals at local animal rescue facilities.

These events serve the community and facilitate a welcoming environment in which children can engage with their peers and potentially gain a support system.

Balance in Mind works with community partners to raise awareness about emotional and mental health challenges facing our youth, to empower parents, and to build communities where our kids grow up healthy, resilient and equipped for life.

The LINKS Lunch Buddy program provides one-on-one mentoring for youth in the Lake Washington School District. Volunteers are adults from all sorts of backgrounds, educational levels, and stages of life who can spare an hour a week to spend with a child. Activities vary, but one thing remains constant: the adult is there to support a child’s social-emotional development.

Training and ongoing support are provided to the mentors to ensure that they interact with the mentee in a way that improves students’ confidence and helps them acquire the skills needed for lifelong success, in school and beyond.

Free and interactive help with the college applications process via workshops and webinars.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is a formal, nationally recognized training program that introduces adults to the distinct risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help youth who are in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge.

This training provides participants with the critical and life-saving skills to recognize when a student is experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis and to know what actions to take to get the student connected to the resources they need.