TRL Supports Latinx Youth Summit

For the 19^th year, Latinx high school students will be presented with college and career resources at the annual Latinx Youth Summit, scheduled online Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Timberland Regional Library (TRL) has supported the Latinx Youth Summit (LYS) for 18 years by collaborating with Hispanic Roundtable, local colleges, and other community sponsors to organize the event.

“It is an event...that brings together Latinx high school students from across our five-county region by providing post-secondary education opportunities, a sense of community and joy,” said Betsy Storey, Timberland Regional Library public service specialist for the Olympia branch.

This year’s summit will feature dynamic speakers such as the Centralia College student body president, a panel of past LYS participants speaking on life post high school and an interactive presentation from Dance Warriors, said Storey, who has been one of the main representatives for TRL in organizing the event.

“Since most students are present in buildings this year, we are encouraging schools, when possible, to create a communal area in their gyms or extra rooms where LYS participants can gather and share in community while attending the event,” Storey said.

Registration for the summit is open, and students can register online or by texting "Latinx Youth Summit" to (833)480-2215.  After registering they will receive more information about how to attend virtually in partnership with their school.

Organizers, including Storey, are putting together “swag” bags and resource packets to drop off at schools the day of the summit to be handed out to registered students. For the second year in a row, the summit will be hosted by Centralia College and will be held online.

"Since this is our second virtual year in a row, we feel it is important to foster a sense of togetherness even if we cannot gather all the counties together,” Storey said.

LYS provides Latinx high school students from Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties the opportunity to learn about post-secondary education pathways, celebrate their multi-cultural heritage, and positively focus on their future, Storey said.

Hosting duties for the event rotate between five major colleges across TRL’s five-county region, including South Puget Sound Community College, Grays Harbor Community College, Saint Martin's University, The Evergreen State College and Centralia College.

Students will attend two, expert-presented workshops: How to Apply for College and How to Pay for College. All registrants will receive a list of contacts and mentors with expertise in admissions, financial aid, internships, work training and community advocacy.

Students can visit TRL.org to get their virtual library card. Some of the online resources for graduating students offered by TRL include Learning Express Library, Career One Stop and Washington Career Bridge. To find these resources, students can visit TRL.org and click on “Learn,” then “Reference Database” followed by “Jobs, Education, and Practice Tests.”

Students can also find education and career resources by using the catalog search feature with the terms “financial aid,” “college admissions” and “job hunting.” Once they have entered the catalog, they can refine their search by using filters on the left side of the webpage, including filters for language.