Saturday, October 5 | 9 AM - 1 PM

Sehome High School - 2700 Bill McDonald Pkwy, Bellingham, WA 98225

Northwest Youth Services is pleased to invite the community to the 2nd Annual Healing Centered Engagement Gathering on Saturday, October 5, from 9 AM to 1 PM. The event will take place at Sehome High School in Bellingham, offering a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of art and belonging within the framework of Healing Centered Engagement.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Rough Agenda:

Start 9:00 am

Programming 9:30 – 11:45 am

Lunch noon – 1:00 pm

End 1:00 pm

Learn | Create | Connect

Learn: Gain insights from a group of speakers and facilitators.

Create: Participate in workshops that encourage creative expression and practical application of ideas.

Connect: Build meaningful relationships with community members and leaders.

WHAT IS THIS EVENT?

Emphasizing the principles of learning, creating, and connecting, this year’s Healing Centered Engagement Gathering will delve into the intersection of art and belonging within the framework of Healing Centered Engagement. The event provides a space for attendees to deepen their understanding through engaging discussions, creative workshops, and meaningful interactions.

Participants will learn from guest speakers, engage in hands-on workshops, and partake in facilitated conversations led by young people and community members. These activities are designed to create personal and communal growth, encouraging attendees to explore new ideas and build connections that support well-being.

Meet Our Amazing Facilitators

Ayanna Phillips (she/her)

Hello, my name is Ayanna Phillips! My pronouns are she/her. I am originally from Kansas City, Kansas, but have been living in Washington for the past three years. I completed my bachelor's degree at Kansas State University and went on to earn my master's degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) from Colorado State University. I currently serve as the Program Manager for LGBTQ+ Western and The Centers for Student Access, Community, and Intercultural Engagement at Western Washington University. I love getting to spend my time supporting queer people around the Bellingham Community. Being a fat-bodied, BIPOC, lesbian woman – I often find myself at odds with expectations, both internal and external. In those challenges, I have found a passion for uplifting conversations and experiences that are often shoved to the margins, and I look forward to continuing that practice in my career and work!

Tim Harlan-Marks (they/them)

Tim is a group facilitator, conflict mediator, experiential educator, and total nerd for the human experience. Tim says of their work, "there's something in me that can't give up on "us." The big "us" which includes all of us. I know we have the capacity to rise above our patterns of othering, separation, and oppression. And furthermore we must if we're going to make it beyond this era of so many overlapping crises. This is what my work is about. Facilitating the conditions to say what needs to be said, listen to what needs to be heard, find one another across our differences and chart a new path together." Tim brings over 15 years of experience facilitating groups through challenging dynamics, designing and leading trainings for social change, and organizing in the community for equity, belonging and environmental justice.

JoeHahn (mononym, he/they)

JoeHahn centers their work around intersectionality, Afrofuturism, and queer theory frameworks. He serves as the LGBTQ+ Director at Western Washington University and holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Western Oregon University and an MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University. His presentation draws inspiration from the Afrofuturistic works of Octavia Butler and Janelle Monáe. Over the past two years, JoeHahn has collaborated frequently with Northwest Youth Services and is excited to return to the Healing Centered Gathering this year. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking with their partner, Caleb, and their dog, Atticus, or spending time at home playing video games, reading, writing, and cuddling their cat, Pixel.