By Caroline Carr
During summer 2020, a group of mothers in Seattle, unsure of how schools would reopen for their children in the fall, created the Aya Educational Cooperative, a space where their children can play and learn alongside other Black children across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
Director Tiffany J. Burnett, Ph. D., said the organization aims to “create spaces where children can be the majority and normalize being around other Black children.” The goal is to help Black children enjoy one another without worrying about the other things that come along with being the only Black student in a class, she said.
The word Aya comes from the Twi word for “fern” and symbolizes resourcefulness, endurance, and defiance against oppression.
The Aya Educational Cooperative was created in response to the isolation of COVID-19 as well as the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement last summer. Following school closures, microschools began gaining popularity around Seattle, primarily in affluent neighborhoods. Many mothers, including Aya co-founder CeCe Stephens, noticed this disparity and decided to be proactive. These mothers met via Seattle Black Moms Network, a parenting Facebook group for Black mothers in the region.
The Black moms network launched in 2015 and has been connecting hundreds of Black mothers in the greater Seattle area ever since. The group is open to any Black women in mothering roles and currently has almost 900 members. Stephens, who also serves as a director and administrator of that Facebook network, describes the group as a “landing for new Black moms in the Seattle area, looking for support, connection, and knowledge of the area.”
The page averages around three to five posts per day, with members providing recommendations for pediatricians, school districts, hair stylists, or dentists, along with general parenting advice and community happenings. Seattle Black Moms Network and Aya Educational Cooperative are sister groups, with a heavy overlap between the two.
Aya offers a variety of classes and outdoor enrichment opportunities that celebrate Black culture and the diversity of the Black experiences throughout the African diaspora. When it comes to picture books, for example, they emphasize “making sure it was an opportunity for our children to learn more about their culture and see themselves reflected,” Burnett said.
Last fall, a unit on Black explorers included a nature walk and outdoor exploration followed by a picture making activity. Another unit highlighted environmental justice and preserving the Earth, so the students read and learned about various Black scientists.
Aya primarily serves preschool and elementary-aged children, though social and learning opportunities for kids of all ages occur, as do events for their parents. At “Mom’s Chat” mothers share what is on their mind, and during “Black Family Weekend,” families gathered for cultural programming, performances by local musicians, games for kids, and a painting party for adults featuring pre-drawn canvases by local artist Stephanie Morales.
In all of their community events, Aya Educational Cooperative prioritizes the use of local Black-owned businesses, Burnett says. They use the Seattle Green Book, created by Amanda Williams, to purchase everything from catering to business cards.
Inspired by her work with former nonprofit eMode Learning Foundation, Williams launched the directory in December of 2020 in order to have one site where local Black-owned businesses could be consolidated and visible to customers.
On top of founding and maintaining her business, Williams is also a member of the Seattle Black Moms Network and Aya Educational Cooperative. “The most valuable thing is just being with the parents and the kids in a way that is positive,” she said.
“When we can see our kids being joyful and running around outside, digging in the dirt and in the sand, on the beach, that is like the antidote of seeing Black suffering and how it’s shown in the media.”
Aya is run by parents and volunteers, but has recently begun partnering with other regional learning centers. Most recently, they collaborated with Seattle Capoeira Center, expanding their programming to include the Afro-Brazilian martial art.
They took a break from formal classes over the summer, but continued to have informal exploration events, such as beach days and art days.
This year Aya is focusing on community partnerships and hopes to be a source of community for residents in the north end of King County. “We wanted to make sure that we had things that were accessible to families throughout the region,” Burnett said.
For Aya, this looks like hosting events all over the region, often rotating meeting spots to accommodate students from different geographic areas. This flexibility is meant to encourage regular participation in group events so young students are able to make meaningful connections with their peers. Some of Aya’s recent fall events included a trip to a pumpkin patch, a walk through the arboretum to admire fall leaves, and a Halloween costume contest.
