2024-26 Cohort
Pathwaves is proud of our incredible second Fellowship Cohort and Placement Sites. Fellows developed and practiced policy analysis skills, built relationships in the Yakima Valley region to deepen their understanding of challenges and opportunities facing rural communities, utilized storytelling as an advocacy tool, and much more. Together, our community is building collective power to make a transformational impact on the early childhood policy landscape in Washington state.
Fellows
Asha Farah
Placed at Voices of Tomorrow
Barbara Belk
Placed at Families of Color Seattle
Dania Nuno Carrillo
Placed at Washington STEM
Elisha Sneddy
Placed at Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services
Gemma O’Neil
Placed at Washington Family Engagement
Jasmine Walters
Placed at Best Starts for Kids
Kawthar
Placed at OneAmerica
Raishawn Swensen
Placed at Washington Association for the Education of Young Children
Placement Sites
Best Starts for Kids King County
Best Starts for Kids is a King County voter-approved initiative to support every baby born or child raised in King County to reach adulthood happy, healthy, safe, and thriving. Through comprehensive support from prenatal development to adulthood, Best Starts for Kids catalyzes strong starts in early childhood and sustains those gains as kids progress to adulthood, launching King County’s kids on a path to lifelong health and well-being.
Fellow positions:
Families of Color Seattle
Families of Color Seattle (FOCS, pronounced “folks”) is a community-based non-profit that connects parents to build a loving community of families of color. Founded in 2013, FOCS is led by mothers of color. We envision a world in which children of color are born into a loving community that is racially and economically just.
Fellow positions:
Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services
Hummingbird IFS is the first and only Indigenous agency in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties to exclusively serve Indigenous babies and families from zero to three. We serve pregnant and parenting Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander people. We are a grassroots, community based organization that believes the best thing for Native children is to support their moms.
Fellow positions:
OneAmerica
OneAmerica builds leadership and organizes grassroots leaders and our allies in key areas in Washington state to push for policy change, mobilize civic engagement in our communities and advocate for systems that welcome and include immigrants at every level. Immigrant and refugee community members like us lead our movement for immigrant power and collective change, because we are best equipped to create solutions that build lasting power for our communities.
Fellow positions:
Coming Soon!
Open Doors for Multicultural Families
Open Doors for Multicultural Families’ mission is to support and partner with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families, regardless of cultural or linguistic background. Through a cultural brokerage model, Open Doors connects these individuals with services, provides specialized programming, and advocates for systems change. Their vision is a world where all culturally and linguistically diverse individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families thrive in an inclusive society of their design.
Fellow positions:
ReadyNation Washington
ReadyNation is a national, bipartisan nonprofit that unites five organizations comprised of law enforcement leaders, retired admirals, and business executives that promote solutions ensuring that our next generation of Americans will be successful, productive members of society.
Fellow positions:
Voices of Tomorrow
VOT’s mission is to preserve immigrant & refugee children’s identity through culturally responsive child-focused programs. Our agency works closely with community partners to eliminate racial inequities in the Early Learning System which deeply affect Immigrant and Refugee children’s growth, development, and academic performances. Early childhood is the most critical phase of human development. The focus of VOT is to create early learning programs that preserves the child’s culture and language, while advancing African indigenous parenting practices and community-driven narratives. Substantial research shows that early adversity, including loss of a language, is associated with diminished health across the life course and across generations.
Fellow positions:
Washington Family Engagement
WAFE is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to building the capacity of diverse families to become prepared contributors to systemic change and of education, government, and non-profit institutions to recognize equitable family engagement as necessary for children’s well-being and success. The leadership and advocacy trainings have graduated over 600 Washington adult and youth leaders who are now part of the Washington Leadership Network (WALEN), WAFE’s policy advocacy arm. This vast group of leaders of all ages are working to effect change in their own lives and in the lives of other children and families.
Fellow positions:
WA STEM
Washington STEM is a statewide, education nonprofit leveraging STEM for social change, removing barriers to credential attainment, and creating pathways to long-term economic security for systemically underserved students. Founded on the principles of equity, partnership, and sustainability, we seek smart, scalable solutions that lead to removing barriers and creating equitable access for historically excluded students—students who will become the leaders, critical thinkers, and creators that will tackle the biggest challenges facing our state, nation, and the world.
Fellow positions:
WAEYC
WAEYC is:
Dedicated to providing quality professional development opportunities that are affordable. An advocate for equitable compensation for staff in our profession. Committed to providing and supporting education that is inclusive, culturally relevant and promotes anti-bias. A voice for high quality care, education and support for all young children and their families by participating in legislative action and public awareness. An active participant and leader, coordinating efforts with other professionals and community groups.
Fellow positions:
Highlights
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Growing Power, Growing Impact: Jasmine Walters
Read more: Growing Power, Growing Impact: Jasmine WaltersPathwaves Fellows enter the program with skills and experiences that create unique opportunities for their work at their placement sites.…
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Growth through evaluation
Read more: Growth through evaluationPathwaves’ commitment to learning through evaluation is in alignment with two of the values upon which we were founded: (1)…
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Developing skills to build collective power
Read more: Developing skills to build collective powerThe Pathwaves Fellowship Curriculum provides Fellows with opportunities to develop tools and skills to navigate and influence the early childhood…
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Fellow Leadership In Action
Read more: Fellow Leadership In ActionPathwaves Fellow Dania Nuno Carrillo (she/they) first attended a Washington State Early Learning Coordination Plan (ELCP) meeting as a proxy for her…
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Pathwaves Fellows in Action: Yakima Field Trip
Read more: Pathwaves Fellows in Action: Yakima Field TripIn July, Pathwaves Fellows took a field trip to Yakima to learn firsthand about the issues and opportunities facing children…
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Pathwaves Fellows in Action: WAEYC Day of Action
Read more: Pathwaves Fellows in Action: WAEYC Day of ActionOn August 21, 2025, Pathwaves Fellow Raishawn Swensen (she/her) hosted the first ever Washington Association for the Education of Young…
