Newsletter Blogs

Image credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield Connected Lane County's Navigate youth, Fredrick, helps measure and map multiple trees in Springfield's urban forests. He's been working with the Willamalane Park and Recreation District to help catalog and document multiple trees in various parks scattered around Springfield. He has helped count almost 300 trees including "the beast." Check out Lookout Eugene-Springfield's full article to learn more about how Fredrick is

When Willamalane sought a meaningful way to honor the legacy of Dorris Ranch, it turned to a trusted community partner: Connected Lane County’s Agency. The result? A unique collaboration that not only preserved history but also invested in the future of Springfield’s youth. Q: What made you want to work with the Agency? Eric Adams, Planning, Parks & Facilities Director at Willamalane: “Among Willamalane’s values are a commitment to fostering belonging and innovation through t

When the Eugene Family YMCA moved to its new location, it faced a challenge: what to do with the materials left behind? Instead of sending them to the landfill, the Y embraced sustainability by salvaging thousands of pounds of materials—including old vinyl. Rather than letting those nondegradable banners go to waste, they found a creative way to give them new life while investing in the next generation of workers by partnering with Connected Lane County’s Agency. The Agency l

Ryan found Connected Lane County during a rough time in his life. He was unhoused, couch surfing, and facing various barriers to education and employment. Hosea Youth Services shared Connected Lane County as a resource, and Ryan was able to receive support through our Direct Cash Transfers as Prevention Pilot before joining our other programs. Navigate provided Ryan with access to new resources and activities like Wonder Week, a week-long job and career readiness experience.

Gianna's journey from San Luis Obispo, California, to Eugene, Oregon, has been full of discovery and growth. Now a North Eugene High School student, Gianna found her passion in her wood and metal shop classes. Her curiosity about working with her hands and creating tangible products led her to participate in Connected Lane County's Elevate Industry Tours. Last year, Gianna joined the manufacturing tour, where she had the chance to visit Western Shelter’s Springfield facility.

Kira, a Cottage Grove High School graduate, found Connected Lane County during her senior year and has been involved in both Navigate and Elevate programming! Kira has participated in various events, including Wonder Wednesday, Job Fairs, Elevate Job Shadows, Wonder Week, and work experiences. “I've always had great fun at these events. I got to meet new people and learn about things I haven't known before that may help in the future,” said Kira. According to Kira’s Resourc

Julio is a rising senior at Springfield High School who has been involved with Connected Lane County for over two years. He started with Invention Club, an after-school program, in the spring of 2022, and that experience led him to participate in the summer cohort of Invention Lab. After completion of Invention Lab, Julio was invited to join the Agency, an after-school paid work program where youth complete small manufacturing projects for local businesses. Justin, our Assoc

Jaiden (she/her) has been an engaged Connected Lane County community member since joining the Navigate Program in July of 2022. Jaiden has faced challenges and barriers to employment and has demonstrated significant professional and personal growth throughout her time with us. To learn more about her story, read her interview below! What Connected Lane County events or experiences have you participated in? “I've had the pleasure of participating in multiple events and exper

Meet Leo, our April Youth Highlight! Leo (they/them) has been a Connected Lane County participant since the summer of 2023 when they were a Summer Intern! Leo was placed at Volunteers in Medicine and learned more about what a career in health care would look like. This internship gave them insight into the mental health field and allowed them to rule it out as a future career choice. Understanding that this path would require dealing with others' hardships helped Leo know t

Mars’ pronouns: Any Meet our STEM Superstar, Mars! While enrolled in the Migrant Education Oregon program at Hamlin Middle School, Mars learned about Connected Lane County’s BIPOC STEM program, Invention Club. Mars participated in 2021, and using limited materials, her team created a catapult to launch an item into a target. Mars’ group won first place that year at MESA Day! After Invention Club, Mars learned about Invention Lab and was excited to have something to do to earn

On Thursday, December 14, we had some special visitors! Governor Tina Kotek and First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson toured Spark at Booth-Kelly as part of Governor Kotek’s One Oregon Listening Tour! Koteck met with program youth, staff, and local leaders to learn about barriers youth in our community face. Our director, Heidi Larwick, shared a recap of our year and what’s to come, and the youth talked about their experiences and plans for their future. “Over the last year, Connect

codeORcreate is an annual three-day youth technology competition. Connected Lane County hosted 48 youth from 13 schools and 7 school districts. The youth had three days to create a tech-based solution to community problems and were paired with tech mentors. At the end of the weekend, youth got to present their projects to a panel of judges during a showcase. The photo above shows the "Best in Show" team whose project was titled "Plant Hypothesis." The youth were three sophom

Navigate Support Carmen entered the Navigate program at 17 years old, unemployed, and dropped out of school. The combination of a difficult home life and a severe car accident that totaled her only source of transportation left her struggling with mental health issues and unable to re-engage with education. With support from the program, she enrolled in a GED program and completed her GED last year. She also began receiving support for her mental health, which helped her bet

We are thrilled to announce our inaugural placement on the Oregon Business 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon list for 2023. This recognition ranks Connected Lane County among the small nonprofits category. The small nonprofit category is reserved for nonprofits with 20 employees and under at the time of the survey. Scores are created by considering wages, benefits, management, and more. The 100 Best list is based on employee feedback and analysis of staff benefits pro

Noel’s Journey to Connected Lane County In his sophomore year at Siuslaw High School (2020), his enthusiastic computer science teacher, Mr. Mielke, approached Noel and recruited him to participate in our then-virtual youth hackathon called codeORcreate. The world was navigating the first year of COVID-19, and all extracurriculars had paused indefinitely. Noel, a computer science fanatic, had lots of time on his hands with few creative outlets, so he agreed to participate. No

Parker's Journey at Spark on 7th Meet Parker, a talented young entrepreneur! His journey from high school to the inception of his clothing line, Honyx LLC, is nothing short of inspiring. Parker's introduction to the world of manufacturing technology came during his senior year at Willamette High School. It was then that he discovered the exciting realms of digital design, 3D printing, and vinyl cutting. Once he dipped his toes into these creative waters, there was no turning

In July, the Navigate program's second Wonder Week unfolded seamlessly, inspiring and empowering young adults. This immersive event at Spark on 7th focused on job readiness and career exploration. Each day, Navigate youth gathered for dedicated learning, growth, and new opportunities.

Our Invention Lab is more than a summer program – it's a transformative experience that empowers high school youth to stretch the boundaries of technology and creativity.

In the heart of Lane County, a wave of youthful energy and ambition swept through this summer, as 62 aspiring minds embarked on a transformative journey through the 2023 Elevate Summer Internships. Last week, we had the privilege of celebrating the remarkable achievements of these interns at our Summer Internship Celebration. This event served as a testament to the dedication and hard work of our 62 interns, all juniors and seniors, representing 15 school districts and 23 sch

BookFest was started six years ago by Connected Lane County and United Way with the aim of keeping kids inspired to read and preventing what’s called the “summer slide.” Read more on KLCC.org.