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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Seattle teens get new voice online...and city hall is listening
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
10/9/2008 10:43:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Keyes (206) 386-9759
Chris Tugwell, Metrocenter YMCA (206) 839-8911
D'Anne Mount (206) 233-8736
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Seattle teens get new voice online...and city hall is listening
PugetSoundOff.org puts youth in touch with decision-makers
SEATTLE - Area teens have a new local gathering spot where they can share their art and digital media, find teen events, and speak out on issues they care about. PugetSoundOff.org, an online web portal, blends cultural expression with leadership development, digital media education and civic engagement. It was created by youth and offers photo posting, videos, groups, blogs, polls, and other interactive tools.
"Puget Sound Off is a great opportunity for elected officials and others to learn what youth care about, ask for feedback, and debate ideas without anyone having to catch the bus or drive to a meeting," said Mayor Greg Nickels. "This is going to be a model for public engagement."
A Youth Council team at the Metrocenter YMCA serves as editors, bloggers, design and idea makers. The project will expand to include regional hubs of youth teams. Horn of Africa Services, Neighborhood House, Youth Media Institute and the Dale Turner YMCA have already signed up to serve as hubs.
The site will kick off with a Sound Off for Action competition for best blog, video and song meant to inspire others to take action. Entries need to be submitted on the Pugetsoundoff.org site by October 17th. The competition is co-sponsored by the Seattle Times Newspapers in Education Program. Awards will be presented at a forum at UW Kane Hall on October 30th.
Puget Sound Off sponsors include the City of Seattle Department of Information Technology, the YMCA of Greater Seattle-Metrocenter Branch, and the Center for Communication and Civic Engagement at the University of Washington (UW-CCCE). Additional support has been contributed by the MacArthur Foundation and One Economy.
For more information see www.pugetsoundoff.org or contact Chris Tugwell, Metrocenter YMCA, at 206-839-8911 (ctugwell@seattleymca) or Vicky Yuki, Seattle Department of Information Technology, at 206-233-7877 (vicky.yuki@seattle.gov).
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