Designing Our Own Learning (DOOL)
Since 2019, BELONG Partners staff have been gathering each August with diverse students and educators from Evergreen High School in the Highline School District and Dimmitt Middle School in the Renton School District. This group joins together online and in-person to build authentic community, develop youth leadership, and advocate for equitable practices within schools.
BP Facilitator Alan Wong describes DOOL this way, “…one part of it is being together and building this community…and seeing how it can be different from school, as we interact as students and adults on the same level. And the other part of it is taking what we are learning at DOOL and creating projects that we can share with other people.”
Celebrating Five Years of More Equitable, Inclusive, and Student-Driven Experiences in Schools
A one-minute video overview of DOOL
DOOL Youth Inspire Educators to Share Power and Create Equitable Learning Environments
What is DOOL? Video introduction
Our 3rd Annual DOOL intensive summer program, August 2021.
Our 2nd Annual DOOL intensive summer program, August 2020.
DOOL has been funded by the College Spark Foundation.
College Spark featured DOOL on their July 2024 blog – Student-Centered Social Emotional Learning
Read Alan Wong’s article on the College Spark Grantee Highlights blog – Collaboration is Key: Sound Discipline on Student Engagement
Orcas in the C’s
Lakeridge Elementary in the Renton School District, together with Sound Discipline and TeamRead, have implemented a program called ‘Orcas in the Cs’ which brings together first grade educators, students, and their families to build social emotional and self-regulation skills. The program integrates 5th grade reading buddies to provide mentoring and practice literacy skills.
Orcas in the C’s is funded through the Local Improvement Network of the Roadmap Project.
Read more about Orcas in the C’s!
Mindful Mentors
The Mindful Mentors project is a collaboration between Thrive Centered, Sound Discipline, and Tukwila Elementary and Foster High Schools in the Tukwila School District. This project brings together teens and third graders to connect as mentors and mentees, and engage together in learning about social emotional learning, mindfulness, and movement.
Read more about the Mindful Mentors project and check out the self-regulation strategy videos created by the students!
Mindful Mentors is funded through the Roadmap Project.