Nurturing and Building Intergenerational Leaders of Change

Supporting transformative education and social action in our school communities.

We partner with our local public school communities to create a collective vision for equitable education that is culturally responsive, trauma-informed and restorative.

We design and facilitate programming to nurture restorative practices, student voice and leadership, and cultural empowerment for Black and brown scholars in southeast Seattle.

School-based Restorative Practices

We help schools nurture and sustain school-wide restorative justice practices to improve outcomes for youth, staff, and families through staff and student trainings, student/staff community building circles and curriculum, restorative circles and mediations and more.

Freedom Schools Summer Program

WA-BLOC’s Freedom Schools Program is a five-week, high impact summer learning program provided free of cost to K-8th grade students in Southeast Seattle. Freedom Schools centers joy, culturally reflective curriculum and instruction, social action, and positive identify formation. WA-BLOC has been facilitating this summer program since 2016 with over 750 students and families served.

BLOC Organizing

We support student-led action and social justice leadership development for Black and brown youth. Through our summer Freedom Schools program and school year campaigns, young people become activated as powerful agents of change identifying issues impacting them, demanding change, and designing solutions.

“Partnering with WA-BLOC to implement restorative practices and systems at Emerson Elementary has been some of the most transformational and impactful work I’ve been a part of.”

— Erin Rasmussen, Former School Principal