With approximately fifty David Douglas employees enrolled in the GYO program and working throughout our district, it is challenging to find a time and place to meet, connect, and learn collectively. Thanks to technology, though, we were able to do just that one sunny Wednesday afternoon in mid-September at the David Douglas Grow Your Own program 2024-25 virtual kick-off.
As dozens of people logged onto the Zoom platform, dropping their name, work location, and favorite fall beverage in the chat, it became abundantly clear that the GYO program has grown exponentially. Many participants may not know that they have co-workers who are also working on advancing their career in education through the GYO program. It was therefore important for Ms. Taye to start the meeting with connection and community-building.
To that end, each GYO participant had an opportunity to personalize an introduction slide, comment on someone else’s slide, then introduce themselves and chat in a small breakout group. You can check out our 2024-25 GYO participant introduction slides here! After community-building and program updates, GYO participants had an opportunity to connect with eight different colleges representing Associates, Bachelors, and Masters programs in teaching, school counseling, and school social work. You can check out GYO College Partner slides and contact information here.
After such a vibrant and well-attended GYO virtual kick-off, we are excited for all of the progress that our incredible GYO participants will make along their pathway this 2024-25 academic year!
If you are or you know a David Douglas student, family, or community member who is interested in pursuing a career in education, please contact Andreina Velasco (andreina_velasco@ddsd40.org), Grow Your Own Pathway Navigator.
