Elevate Washington
Case Study
Elevate Washington
Youth Program Data System & Public Search Tool
Timeframe: 2017 — 2022
Project Overview
Elevate Washington represents a multiyear investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish an evergreen data service for the youth development field in Washington state. This proprietary CRM platform was created for the sole purpose of maintaining data on Washington’s expanded learning and youth-serving programs and then sharing that information back with providers, policymakers, and funders.
Elevate Washington is a service of School’s Out Washington (SOWA), the state’s leading resource for expanded learning professionals.
My Role
As the lead strategist and program manager, I advanced the project from the initial stages of discovery and scoping through various phases of design, development, and launch.
I provided visioning, scoping, planning, project management, creative direction, experience strategy, writing and messaging, and marketing strategy. I also cultivated partnerships with adjacent youth-focused organizations and initiatives to share data and insights.
More recently, my focus shifted to the activation phase of the project to develop an organic search marketing strategy to drive SEO.
System Components
A free, state-wide youth program search tool
The public website and directory of programs addresses a critical gap in information access for Washington families. From camps and after-school classes to services and support, this free directory features programs that help build lifelong skills, improve academic performance, provide safe spaces outside the school day, and inspire young people (ages 5 to 24) to discover their passions.
A member-driven data system that offers:
Easy account creation, profile setup, and user management
Flexible, user-friendly data entry profiles
Member-generated data reports to share with stakeholders and funders
The option to extend profiles to capture custom data sets to support new initiatives
The ability to offer continuous data sharing between Elevate Washington and other established data systems
The option to license the technology to organizations outside of Washington state
How Elevate Washington benefits the youth development sector
Data & Communications Infrastructure
Elevate Washington is a data platform designed specifically for youth development programming.
It establishes a sustainable, scalable framework for collecting program details from providers around the state and then making that information accessible to families, policymakers, and funders.
A Strong Data Practice Fueling Advocacy & Innovation
Maintaining a robust data reporting system is just part of the equation. Elevate Washington is the vehicle for building a shared research and evaluation practice to consistently identify gaps and trends and understand them within the context of broader research and qualitative inputs.
The Elevate Washington member system captures operations and student-level data to better understand capacity, program design, and demographic access.
Community Connections
Authentic connections with providers, youth, families, schools, and organizations ensure that the community is giving and receiving viable information about their programming opportunities.
The public-facing directory and website serve as a platform for engagement, storytelling, and feedback.
Context: Why build it?
In Washington state, access to out-of-school time programming is inadequate and inequitable.
Comprehensive data is key to influencing policy and transforming the ecosystem of services and supports that young people need to be safe, healthy, and moving toward a thriving future.
For many families, youth development programs are a lifeline. And for many young people, access to these opportunities is life-changing. But not everyone has access—especially within communities of color and for those experiencing poverty. So how do we fix this disparity?
A more agile system—one that prioritizes equity, drives resources to the most disenfranchised populations, and pushes leaders to ask critical questions and work together—depends on consistent access to high-quality data. However, getting that data, maintaining it, and using it effectively are persistent challenges. Across the youth development sector, multiple systems, projects, and approaches are not fully aligned—and, in many cases operating in silos.
For many providers, data collection tools and management practices vary significantly at the organization and program levels. Within districts and schools, educators lack visibility into programs serving kids in their communities and in their own buildings. At the same time, most providers need access to geographic and comparative data to help them understand the programming landscape and improve service delivery.
Quality insights—and a means to effectively communicate with partners and community—lead to a shared vision and strategic alignment within the youth development ecosystem.
Nearly 50% of parents report there is no available afterschool program in their community.
Washington After 3PM by Afterschool Alliance, 2020
Participation in afterschool activities for Black youth dropped from 24% in 2014 to 18% in 2020.
America After 3PM for Black Families and Communities by Afterschool Alliance, January 2021
133,508 kids were alone and unsupervised between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. in 2020.
Washington After 3PM by Afterschool Alliance, 2020
Views
Elevate Washington Search Tool & Map
Elevate Washington Top Tier Service Categories
Elevate Washington Search Tool & Map
Program Profile - Special Populations
Program Profile - Accessibility Features
Organization Profile - Youth Served
Member System - Admin View