💬RVC FELLOWSHIP INFO SESSIONS💬
We’ll be hosting several info sessions to answer all of your questions about our Community Impact Fellowship! You’ll meet with our program staff and hear directly from alumni.
Upcoming session dates:
📆 Thursday, February 3rd: 11-12pm
📆 Thursday, February 10th: 6-7pm
📆 Thursday, February 24th: 6-7pm*
✨BONUS✨: The February 24th session will be followed by an optional co-working time from 7-8pm to start/finish applications.
⭐RVC REDESIGNED: OUR NEW ORGANIZATIONAL CHART⭐
When we tell people that we have moved to a four Co-Executive Director model, often the first reaction is a mind-boggled stare: “You have four people doing the Executive Director job? How does that even work?!” The truth is that this “shiny” aspect of our organizational structure is an outcome of implementing much deeper organizational and leadership practices. In short:
RVC is a liberatory, leaderful, self-managing organization where power is distributed in natural hierarchies….
Continue reading on our Changemakers Blog for all of the details and check out our new org chart!
💭ASK ME ANYTHING💭
Christian Moore (he/him) – Fellowship Program Coordinator
“You can be anything without limitations, you can go anywhere without borders”
– Christian
🌱 Christian Moore (He/Him), is RVC’s newest Fellowship Program Coordinator and new addition to the RVC fam! We are excited for this year’s Community Impact Fellowship program and can’t wait to meet the new Fellows once they’re selected. Christian’s gratitude for the impact that fellowships have had in his own life flows into his passion for hoping to create opportunities for other leaders of color. Welcome to the team, Christian!
🌱 What drew you to RVC?
I had moved to Seattle from Pittsburg over the pandemic and had been working remotely at the time. For me, it’s really important to live in the community that I serve. It’s important to me that I devote time, energy, and passion to the work going on in the region, so when I saw that RVC had a Fellowship position open, I wanted to apply. I really love that RVC is a BIPOC-led, pro-Black organization; I didn’t want to be the only person of color in the room.
Also, I have a passion for fellowships. I am an alum of three different fellowships. They have had a huge impact on my worldview and have changed the trajectory of my life. I thought this would be a good opportunity to create opportunities for others–help cultivate the next generation of leaders of color. It’s hard to say no to a position like this.
A little behind-the-scenes story: Back when I was applying to different positions in Seattle, after my first interview with RVC, I actually withdrew my applications to the other organizations I was interviewing with because I was so passionate about this role. I am a really confident persona and I knew that this was the job I wanted so I decided to devote my energy towards this position, and I’m really glad to be here now!
(How freakin’ awesome is that?!)
🌱 What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of this position is that I get to help recruit and develop leaders of color! The nonprofit sector has been great to me and I get excited knowing that I get to help others break into this sector, find roles where they can thrive, AND also give back to their communities. It’s a great feeling!
🌱 What does being “rooted in community” mean to you?
I think being “rooted in community” means understanding that the world is bigger than yourself, but you still play a big role in it: building relationships with others, caring for them, figuring out what people are passionate about, learning about their struggles, and showing up to show love…
I also think it means creating spaces where people feel like their whole authentic selves and feel safe. Being rooted means not only thinking about what you can gain from the community but what you can also give to it.
🌱 What is your vision for the future?
Waking up every day feeling like I’m offering the world and myself the best version of myself and doing what I can to help others feel the same way.
🌱 What is your favorite lunch?
This might sound basic but I really love a good burger and fries. All the lettuce, cheese, bacon. I love all of it. But put a pickle on my burger and I’m sorry, you’re gonna have to make it again.
🌱 What is the theme song of your life? And why?
If I Ruled the World by Nas ft. Ms Lauryn Hill
I started out with humble beginnings and had to go through a lot to get to where I am today, so I am always thinking about how I can make the world a better place now and for those who come after me, and I think this song really speaks to that.
🌱 Who inspires you?
A person who inspires me is a Pastor that I had back in New Jersey named Darwin Ransom. He invested in me when I was lost in my life–when I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to be. He taught me a lot about character, community, caring for community and others, and how to live a values-centered life. He’s achieved a lot in life but he never let his titles get in the way of being there for his family or community. He’s just someone I’ve always tried to model myself after; someone who is thriving in all areas of life.
He also taught me to not judge a book by its cover and to see the potential in everyone. That really helped me understand what happens when you take the time to pause and invest your energy in someone and what that can do for their life.
🌱 What is your favorite local business to support?
Uwajimaya! They have a lot of really delicious foods and I love trying foods from other cultures. Being in Seattle I wanted to take the opportunity to experience Japanese and other Asian cultures.
The Missing Piece in West Seattle is also a cool Seattle find. It’s a gaming cafe where you can get together with friends and family, play board games, and create memories. A huge plus is that their coffee is pretty good too!
🌱 Any closing remarks?
“You can be anything without limitations, you can go anywhere without borders” – Christian
You can contact me at [email protected]
🤝 PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS 🤝
🤝 The Good Foot Arts Collective 🤝
💖 Is there something new that your team has been working on that you’d like folks in the community to know about?
The Youth Collective Mentorship program launches on February 9th! We’re very excited about this new program. It’s an afterschool program with three pathways: CLAY advocacy, NO Excuses campaign, and Visual/Performance art. Scholars from Rainier Beach and Franklin High School work together and are a part of leadership circles, one-on-one advocacy and skill building in the arts, develop job readiness skills, and participate in community and event organizing. You can learn more about the Youth Collective Mentorship program and the three pathways here.
💖 Is there something new and exciting (in general) that you’d like for us to highlight?
We are close to identifying a space to lease.
💖 Any big announcements? Transitions? Comms or Blogs you’d like us to repost?
We would like to highlight the onboarding of two new staff members and a new intern!
Chris Kaku – Graphic Designer and Teaching Artist
Khansa Ali – Youth Mentor
Esther Townsend – Intern & Youth Leader
💖 Things you’d like the general public to be aware of?
The Good Foot aims to be mission driven and not fund driven. Their programs are so strong and it’d be great to not have to rely on grants. If you believe in the work that The Good Foot Arts Collective is doing, donations can be made here.
💖 Is there a call to action you’d like us to push?
We’re always on the lookout for BIPOC leaders in South Seattle with different expertise and backgrounds (especially artists!) to join our leadership circles. Through the leadership circles, scholars can boost their job readiness skills, learn about different businesses, and hear about different pathways that the community leaders have taken. If you’re interested in being a part of our leadership circles reach out to us by emailing [email protected].
🤝 WA-BLOC 🤝
💖 Is there something new that your team has been working on that you’d like folks in the community to know about?
This year, with the opportunity to engage elementary students in person again, we are piloting The ZONE in collaboration with Emerson Elementary. The ZONE is a student circle keeper cohort designed to empower students to take ownership of the Restorative Justice work happening at Emerson and disrupt harmful power dynamics. In small groups, students are learning to community build, identify where and why harm is occurring in their school, and become peacekeepers trained in circle practice.
Separately, we’ve made an internal commitment to intentionally build in professional learning community spaces for our team as an ongoing touchpoint and lean into our team’s diversity of thought. Most recently, we explored the First Harm and how we can challenge settler articulations of Restorative Justice more explicitly in our own org practice.
💖 Is there something new and exciting (in general) that you’d like for us to highlight?
We’re participating in RVC’s Fellowship Program! We’re hiring for a Development and Communications Coordinator and are looking for a fellow! This opportunity is particularly exciting for us because it will allow us to invest more fully in the growth and training of a young person stepping into an administrative role. Apply for the Fellowship here!
💖 Any big announcements? Transitions? Comms or Blogs you’d like us to repost?
We’re finally planning for in-person Freedom Schools at Emerson Elementary…and are also preparing to pivot if needed. It feels good to imagine in-person programming after being virtual for the past two years. Right now, we’re hiring for an Assistant Site Coordinator. The job posting is on our website and the priority review date is February 11th!
💖 Things you’d like the general public to be aware of?
Soon we’ll be hiring for a number of Servant Leader Educators for Freedom Schools and are looking for college-aged folx of color who want to work in transformative K-5 education and who are familiar with the history of the Rainier Beach neighborhood.
💖 Is there a call to action you’d like us to push?
Amplify Seattle Public School student demands for COVID safety by signing the petition! Follow up by writing to the Seattle Public School School Board and Superintendent using this template.
Sign up to become a monthly donor and help us fund Freedom Schools and Circle Keeper Academy to transform the summer and invest in intergenerational leadership development!
💫 OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR NETWORK 💫
RVC is hiring for Capacity Building Lead and Communications & Graphic Design Manager
Puget Sound Sage is hiring for Finance Operations Director
Washington State Opportunity Scholarship is hiring for Awards Coordinator and Executive Assistant
OneAmerica is hiring for Managing Director and Immigrant Integration Director
Heartland Fund / Rural Democracy Initiative is hiring for Deputy Director and Grants & Operations Manager
Social Justice Fund NW is hiring for Donor Organizing Manager and Development and Financial Administrative Coordinator
Common Power is hiring for Finance Coordinator
Have a job posting or opportunity that you’d like us to feature in our next newsletter? Please email the details to [email protected]
✏️ BLOG HIGHLIGHTS & COMMUNITY RESOURCES ✏️
Did you miss the December Newsletter? Check it out.
Sabbaticals for BIPOC Leaders: Capacity Building, Healing, Renewal – This paper is a tool to inspire individual, organizational, and policy decisions that center rest and holistic wellness. “Rest is not work’s adversary, rest is work’s partner.” – Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, author of Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less.
Support our Black-led Partner Organizations
Exciting News: RVC’s New Co-Executive Director Structure, written by Ananda Valenzuela, RVC Co-Executive Director
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