“𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧! 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙨!”

That’s a wrap on the 2025 Youth Academy! So many enthusiastic comments and positive feedback. We all had a blast.

Over four action-packed days, middle school students explored public safety careers through hands-on activities, made new friends, learned valuable skills, and built confidence. Thank you to our core partners for supporting this amazing event: the King County Sheriff’s Office, Newcastle Police Department, DEA, and Washington State Patrol.

The FBI, Renton Regional Fire Authority, Zone 3 Fire Cadets, Seattle Police Latent Print Unit, Valley SWAT, American Medical Response, Mercer Island Police, and Port of Seattle Fire Department all contributed additional presentations or activities.

Students met officers, special agents, firefighters, and medics, and even explored a helicopter up close. Program highlights included K9 demo, vehicle tours, crime scene investigation, combat challenge, and recreational time with officers.

We wrapped up the week with a graduation ceremony, where students shared reflections and celebrated their personal growth.

Thank you to all our partner agencies, community supporters, and generous local businesses for their invaluable support and collaboration. Special thanks to Chick-fil-A Renton Center, Torero’s Renton, Top Pot Doughnuts, and Walmart for keeping our students energized throughout the week, and Renton Parks and Recreation for providing space and pool access.

We’re incredibly proud of every student who participated and look forward to welcoming our next class!