Youth Guidance Seattle

BAM IN SEATTLE

History/Background

BAM is a highly engaging school-based counseling & mentoring program that promotes social-emotional and psychological well-being, strong school engagement, and increased academic attainment for students in grades 6-12. Youth Guidance envisions a bright, healthy future for every student and looks forward to supporting students as they recognize and realize their potential. Our strategy includes plans to add additional school sites in King County in the future.

BAM is delivered by highly skilled and dynamic youth specialists, working full-time in schools to guide students as they learn, practice, and internalize social-emotional skills that correlate to positive long-term life outcomes. Students meet in weekly group counseling and mentoring sessions, called BAM Circles, that facilitate positive relationships and guide students through an exploration of six core values:

“Youth Guidance staff have embedded themselves into the school community and are able to connect with students in a much deeper way than most school staff. The curriculum is research-based, tried and true, and students feel connected to something unique and special.”

— Kisa Hendrickson, MSW, Assistant Superintendent, Student Support Division, Highline Public Schools

Victor, a junior at Highline High School and one of five siblings, joined BAM after encouragement from a friend. Balancing school with significant family responsibilities, Victor shared that BAM gave him a place to talk openly and think differently about his choices. Through lessons on accountability and positive anger management, he learned new ways to express emotions and pause before reacting. “It changes your life,” Victor said. “You can be more vulnerable, and you think differently about your decisions.”
Victor
Highline High School

James, a freshman who began BAM at Sylvester Middle School, initially stood out for his quiet nature. Over time, consistent support from his Youth Specialists helped him grow more confident and vocal in group settings. James shared that accountability has had the greatest impact on him, helping him pause and reflect before making decisions. “It’s cool to have a whole group of people you can talk to about what’s going on,” he said.
James
Highline High School

I’ve seen up close the difference BAM makes in the lives of young men. BAM fosters the social and emotional well-being that creates not only stronger students, but stronger leaders, and that’s how we build a more equitable Seattle.
Chris Steadley
National Board Member and Greater Seattle Advisory Council

BAM PROGRAM IMPACT

50%

less likely to be
arrested for violent crime

25%

more engaged
in school

19%

more likely to graduate
high school on time

$ 30

in societal gains for
every $1 invested in BAM

BECOMING A MAN

Core Values

INTEGRITY

ACCOUNTABILITY

SELF-DETERMINATION

POSITIVE ANGER EXPRESSION

RESPECT FOR WOMANHOOD

VISIONARY GOAL-SETTING

Youth Guidance Greater Seattle is delighted to partner with Highline Public Schools to implement the nationally recognized BAM model locally, ensuring that students most impacted by systemic inequities receive high-quality, evidence-based support.

The district’s long-term goal is to embed BAM in all nine comprehensive middle and high schools to ensure consistent access to transformative youth-development services. BAM currently operates in five Highline schools, Chinook and Sylvester middle schools, Highline, Evergreen, and Tyee high schools.

MEET OUR SITE LEADERSHIP

Kathleen Richardson

Development Director | Seattle

Kathleen Richardson is the Development Director at Youth Guidance Greater Seattle, working in partnership to expand Becoming A Man (BAM) across Highline Public Schools. With two decades in education, public policy, and nonprofit leadership, she is known for scaling programs, building cross‑sector coalitions, and delivering measurable results for students and families.

Previously, Kathleen served as Director of Business Development (executive team) at TPI‑US, driving national growth for an organization that reviews 300+ teacher preparation programs in 24 states. She raised $12.6M in new business, growing annual revenue from $2.5M to $8M in 24 months. She also led statewide improvement efforts with two education agencies: at the Texas Education Agency (TEA), she managed a pilot shifting educator‑prep approval from compliance to continuous improvement; with the Delaware Department of Education, she managed a new program approval and modification process.

A two-time Executive Director, at Pike Market Childcare & Preschool, Kathleen led a 30‑person team and an equity‑centered, sliding‑scale early‑learning model through a period of transition. At Urban Teachers—Baltimore, she transitioned the site from a centrally run staff of 2 to a city‑based team of 30 in six months, expanded school partnerships by 80%, and grew the resident‑teacher cohort by 60% to train 200 teachers and serve 6,000 students.

Kathleen served as Chief of Staff for a leader in the Maryland House of Delegates. In that role, she helped steer the veto‑proof passage of House Bill 1 – the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act, the culmination of a five‑year campaign by 160 organizations that extended earned sick leave to more than 700,000 Marylanders. Earlier roles include designing the national America Achieves Fellowship for Teachers and Principals; serving in the central office at Baltimore City Public Schools; teaching kindergarten in a nationally recognized turnaround school in southeast Baltimore; and working in the Maryland Governor’s Office on Obama Administrations’ $250 million dollar Race to the Top investment—supporting development of the state’s educator evaluation system and PK–20 data system.

Richardson earned a B.A. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), holds a Teacher Certification from Johns Hopkins University, and received an M.P.P. in management, leadership, and finance from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.

Additional Information

FY25 Greater Seattle Impact Report

Social Media

Connect with Us

For partnership or giving opportunities at BAM Seattle please contact:
seattleinfo@youth-guidance.org

SEATTLE ADVISORY COUNCIL

Youth Guidance’s advisory councils are composed of individuals who are committed to helping students and program participants in their communities. Each council member has a strong desire be actively involved in solving the issues these youth face. Each devotes time, talent and expertise to the current and future work of our local programs.

BAM IN SEATTLE

Victor

James

Chris Steadley

BAM PROGRAM IMPACT

BECOMING A MAN