Description
The Youth Wellness Campus (YWC) is a public-private partnership in the early stages of development. The Campus stands at the northern boundary of Bremerton on the now abandoned school district’s East High campus. When the YWC is complete, it will represent a $23+ million dollar investment in our community and it will be home to leading organizations and programs serving children and youth.
$7.5 million dollars towards the YWC development has been secured through a $3.5 million dollar capital campaign lead by the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound and Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children. Their co-located facility is under construction and will be completed later this summer. The final phase of the project will be construction of the new Bremerton School District’s child nutrition services kitchen. This will be completed in 2016 and represents a $4 million dollar investment in the project.
Partners of the YWC include the City of Bremerton, Bremerton School District, Kitsap County Health District, Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound and Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children. As the project advances, there will be partnerships with sports and fitness organizations, health care agencies, arts and music programs and, collaborative efforts with local chefs and farmers. To help offset some operational costs of the campus, a small year-round marketplace featuring local food and craft products will be developed.
The cutting-edge green architectural design of the site includes a number of working gardens some of which will produce food for the Bremerton School District’s nutrition program. The seven acre campus is the vision of world-renowned architect Steven Holl who grew up in Kitsap County. And, the crown-jewel of the campus is a 10,000 square foot building that will house services for youth, chosen by youth, and if possible, managed by youth.
The campus has captured the hearts and minds of community leaders throughout the region. Contributions from the City, and key stakeholders were matched with a pre-development grant from the C. Keith Birkenfeld Trust managed through The Seattle Foundation. YWC has been identified as a "project of promise" by Birkenfeld Trustees and second more substantial investment in the project is anticipated in June of 2013.
Currently, we are seeking corporate, community and individual funding to support ongoing operations. Additional sources of funding to support our capital needs will come through foundation, local, state and federal grants and appropriations. Completion of the YWC is projected for 2016.
For more information about the YWC please contact Patricia M. Hennessy, Executive Director at 206.200.8321, youth-wellness@comcast.net or visit our website - www.bywc.org.
