Impact NW Spotlight: Julia and Anna

Meet Julia & Anna, SUN Youth Advocacy Program Participants

SUN Youth Advocacy Program participants creating artwork

SUN Youth Advocacy Program participants creating artwork at our Brentwood-Darlington Community Center.

When twin sisters Julia and Anna entered our SUN Youth Advocacy Program (formerly called Social and Support Services for Educational Success, or SSSES) program last year, they were starting kindergarten and struggling to keep up with their classmates in reading and counting skills. Over the course of the year, Impact NW staff regularly visited Julia and Anna in their home, working with them to improve their reading and math skills.

The program’s primary goal is to intervene with at-risk youth before they fall through the gaps. We do this by stabilizing their supports, social skills, and abilities. Sometimes we provide services to the entire family to ensure our students are successful. Our ‘web’ of safety net services help to keep families together, empowering them with self-confidence and resiliency.

We are proud to share that Julia and Anna are now reading, writing, and performing math at their grade level. One of their favorite activities is reading story books on their own. With the help of Impact NW, the twins will transition into first grade this fall, armed with the knowledge and tools to ensure their future academic success.

Learn More About the SUN Youth Advocacy Program

Who does the SUN Youth Advocacy Program serve and in what capacity?

The SSSES program supports our most at-risk school age youth by providing them access to the support and resources they need to succeed in school. We believe education is key in effectively breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty.”

What is a little-known fact about the SUN Youth Advocacy Program?

Thanks to the generosity of donors we are able to provide participants and their families with a variety of free experiences and basic supplies, everything from school supplies to tickets to the Nutcracker and Portland Youth Symphony performances