This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country.
By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle’s Summer University is back at Garfield High School this year, offering a free, six-week program from July 7 through August 15 for rising 9th to 12th graders. Designed to keep students engaged and learning through the summer months, the program combines college and career exploration with hands-on fun to prevent summer learning loss and build confidence.
“It is intended to engage high school students with college and career exploration opportunities combined with summer fun,” said Ashley Byrd, ULMS Director of Education. “We help them get to know more about who they want to be after high school in fun ways. Every Friday, we do field trips as a way to get away from the more serious stuff and give them an outlet and have fun doing things that they may not have done.”
This year’s summer courses include Intro to Entrepreneurship, Health & Beauty, STEM, Connections, and Culinary. Byrd explained that their STEM track is in partnership with the University of Washington AVELA program, where students will learn about virtual reality, coding, and how data connects to everyday life. In Health & Beauty, professionals will teach basic makeup application, nail design, hair braiding, and hair extensions.
“We are bringing in professionals who specialize in hair, makeup, and nails, and they will learn a basic intro course in makeup, nail design, hair braiding, and hair extensions,” said Byrd.
Students enrolled in Youth & Government will spend the first three weeks learning about the bill-making process, then shift to mock trial practice for the final three weeks. Within small groups, they’ll learn the roles of prosecutor and defense attorney and build critical thinking skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
While each course offers unique opportunities, Byrd believes the Intro to Entrepreneurship track is especially impactful. Students in this class gain essential business skills, including idea generation, market research, budgeting, and marketing strategies. They work on real-world projects, develop business plans, and receive mentorship to help turn their interests into tangible goals.
“I handpicked all of the courses, but I will say I feel entrepreneurship is so impactful because a lot of people are going away from the idea of going to college, and there are so many outlets for people to pursue their own hobbies and turn that into financial gain,” Byrd said. “And we just want to empower this community to know what it means to be their own boss.”
In addition to the educational and career opportunities that Summer University provides, each participant will receive additional program benefits, like stipends and exposure.
“Every participant who completes the program will receive a $600 stipend. But another great thing I think is just the exposure they will have. A lot of people do not have the opportunity to explore their career before they jump into it. Everybody has these ideas of who or what they want to be, but they don’t actually have the opportunity to do things that people in that profession do,” Byrd said. “So being able to have that exposure and connect with professionals that are already doing it, I believe, is really beneficial.”
She also believes the stipend provides relief and opportunity for students from underserved communities.
“Understanding that the communities that we’re serving are underserved communities that often struggle with financial things and giving them this stipend leading up into the start of school year is a way for them to be able to use that, hopefully towards school clubs, school supplies or other adventures that they want to do throughout the summer,” she said.
Byrd said that the program has grown compared to last year, attributing the increase in enrollment to the unique selection of courses being offered.
“This year is the fullest it has ever been. Last year, we pushed for 80 spots, so we do only have 80 spots, but we have over 120 people enrolled, so some people may be waitlisted,” Byrd said. “I think that the offering of all these unique tracks is what is really attracting people to the program more this year.”
For Byrd, what makes Summer University special is its ability to give young people a space to learn and explore in a way that is structured, safe, and empowering.
“Everything we do is very hands-on, it is structured, fun, and very exploratory, and that is something that I think is important about this program,” she said. “Also, having the stipend attached to it gives those who don’t have the opportunity to go get a job because they are not of age an outlet to be able to have fun and make money at the same time.”
