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SEATTLE—July
10, 2008—Seattle Housing Authority and the City of Seattle are
partnering to provide summer job opportunities for ten young people
at Yesler Terrace. The youths will learn about architecture, urban
planning and community development while helping to create a video documentary chronicling the histories of people
who have lived at Yesler Terrace.
 The
program, called "Yesler 2014," is being created and coordinated by Edward B. Hill,
left, a University
of Washington graduate student and Yesler Terrace redevelopment
intern.
According to Hill, "The program is
a way to expose the youth of Yesler Terrace and surrounding
neighborhoods to the urban planning and design fields, and a way to
integrate different elements -- employment, civic engagement, sense
of place, knowledge of the redevelopment process and career
development -- to provide a sense of community stability that can
carry through the upcoming redevelopment."
 The
youth will work six hours a day, four days a week,
participating in a combination of training activities and planning
work that puts what they learn in the classroom to use. They will
conduct community surveys, develop their own proposals, and learn
what is involved in being an architect or urban planner. Their
"classroom" will include Yesler Terrace itself, and they will visit
local architectural firms, design firms and city planning agencies.
Photo by Inye Wokoma
Hill has a 15-year history of
working with middle school and high school students in Seattle. He
hopes that the program will inspire some participants to pursue
careers in planning, design or architecture. "Very few minorities
participate in this career path," said Hill, "even though
they are being sought after by employers."
"I am also hoping that these young
people will better understand what's happening with the Yesler
Terrace redevelopment," he said. "Then they will be able to answer
questions for their neighbors and help others to get meaningfully
involved."
The program began July 1 and will
last for eight weeks. "We'll be doing a documentary about the
history of Yesler Terrace," Hill said. "Elders who have been there a
long time are welcome to tell their stories. People who have moved
out of Yesler Terrace and become prominent figures in the community
will also be interviewed." The idea behind the documentary is to
gain an understanding of the community's history. The completed
documentary will be submitted to the City of Seattle's Department of
Neighborhoods and the Northwest African-American Museum for their
archives.
Program participants welcome
inquiries from long-time residents who are willing to be
interviewed. Those who have lived in Yesler Terrace for at least 20
years or were raised there and have moved away can
e-mail Hill or contact
him by phone at 206-615-3485 to discuss setting up an interview.
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