Seattle is an increasingly multicultural and multilingual city. More than 150 languages or dialects are spoken by students and their families in Seattle Public Schools. This incredible linguistic diversity presents a logistical challenge for the City government to communicate with all of its residents about everything from notifications on upcoming… [ Keep reading ]
Winning a government contract can be a game-changer for local small businesses. But confusing and inefficient processes can keep new firms, as well as small and BIPOC-owned firms, from being successful as City contractors. These inefficiencies also take up valuable staff time and resources. This is why Seattle participated in… [ Keep reading ]
Many of the City of Seattle’s parks, playgrounds, pools, comfort stations and community centers were built before Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Ever since, local governments around the country have been chipping away at a backlog of renovations to add ramps, widen doorways and install elevators… [ Keep reading ]
Cast and crew of Tagalog sa King Street, 2019. Left to right: Ai Lalo, Leah Mitts, Lorna Velasco, Arlo Magpoc, Nina de Torres Ignacio, Pia Rivera, Andrea Castillo, and Manny Golez. Photo courtesy Velasco Arts. If you squint at the bottom of a playbill or art exhibit description at a… [ Keep reading ]
If you scrolled on your smartphone while riding a bus through West Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood in 2019, chances are a digital ad popped up to ask for feedback about the impending RapidRide H Line. What’s more, if your phone is set to Chinese, Spanish or Vietnamese rather than English, the… [ Keep reading ]
Aishwarya Nair and a fellow gardener identify plants at the Jackson Park P-Patch. Read more about Aishwarya. Walking though Seattle streets, you are bound to pass a Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch community garden, a lush plot of land dedicated to vegetables, herbs, and flowers. P-Patches are so iconic in Seattle… [ Keep reading ]
In nearly every profession, there is a chicken and egg problem: experience helps applicants get a job, but without the first job, how does one acquire experience? Public art is no different in that regard. Public art, and the art world overall, are predominately White in terms of administration, policy,… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle has a long legislative track record supporting equity in contracting and creating intentional efforts to ensure that women and minority-owned business enterprises (WMBEs) receive their fair share of public contracts. A City Council ordinance established this goal in 2004, and multiple mayors have reaffirmed it since… [ Keep reading ]
About Seattle Promise: Seattle Promise is a voter-approved Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy-funded college success program provided in partnership by the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), Seattle Colleges, and Seattle Public Schools. The program offers Seattle public school graduates two years (or 90 credits) of free… [ Keep reading ]
At the Reverse Vendor Trade Show in November, business owners came to network with public agencies and learn about upcoming project opportunities. Photo credit: Flyright Productions The City of Seattle spends a significant portion of its overall budget—about $900 million annually—on purchasing goods and services. While Black, Indigenous and People… [ Keep reading ]
