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1 month ago | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe |Ellen Rikhof
Photo: Photo courtesy of skunkworks1983.com From Boeing to Microsoft to Blue Origin, many leading STEM companies have called the Puget Sound area home for decades. It’s no wonder kids who have grown up here — surrounded by innovative companies that push the boundaries of technology — are often drawn to STEM-themed activities, classes and camps.
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2 months ago | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Photo: Dhaarmika Coelho. Photo: Will Austin I was introduced to Dhaarmika Coelho when one of her colleagues pitched the free Kind World Explorers Guidebooks to me in the early days of the pandemic, when families were still adjusting to life in lockdown and tensions were running high.
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2 months ago | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Photo: Lilly DuPuis and Ellen Rikhof. Photo: Will Austin What brought West Seattle High School students Lilly DuPuis and Ellen Rikhof together was a shared mission: to educate, advocate and create lasting change in the fight against sexual violence.
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2 months ago | 
northstateparent.com | Allison Sutcliffe
For many parents, tackling tech is an overwhelming issue and the stakes have only gotten higher since the U.S. surgeon general released his report on the devastating effects of social media on youth mental health last spring. Warning shots have been fired, parents, and we’ve all been thrust into the trenches, whether we like it or not.
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Feb 24, 2025 | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Photo: Jump into the world’s largest bubble bath ball pit. Photo: courtesy Bubble Planet Calling all kids and kids-at-heart! A new immersive experience is making its way to Bellevue this spring, and it’s got “family-friendly” written all over it.
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Jan 22, 2025 | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Photo: Embracing movement is one of the most effective ways to nurture kids’ mental and physical health. Photo: courtesy of Club staff Editor’s note: This article was sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County.
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Nov 1, 2024 | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Photo: Spotted Eagle Rays soar at the Ocean Pavilion. Photo: courtesy Seattle Aquarium Editor’s note: This article was sponsored by the Seattle Aquarium. When Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion opened Aug. 29, visitors flocked to the impressive space, eager to see the results of a project that had been in the making for more than a decade.
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Sep 30, 2024 | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Photo: iStock Limiting and tracking screen time. Keeping up with the latest social media sites you definitely don’t want the kids on. Devising intricate reward structures just to get your kids off their phones at dinnertime. When did parenting become a war against the machines? And will it ever stop?
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Sep 16, 2024 | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Photo: La Borinqueña and writer and artist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez Editor’s note: This article was sponsored by the Gates Foundation Discovery Center. I’m a sucker for a good hero story. Maybe it’s because I taught Campbell’s hero cycle to Bellevue students for so many years, or that I saw “Star Wars” for the first time at an impressionable age.
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Aug 26, 2024 | 
parentmap.com | Allison Sutcliffe
Kids learn a variety of skills while sitting in the classroom. But beyond running for student council, finding opportunities to build leadership skills aren’t always obvious or available. For tweens, teens and younger kids, participating in school-sponsored clubs and groups is one way to practice and gain those skills. Enrolling in a local program is another.
