Hello friends,

Summer is around the corner and I am so happy to share some exciting news from the Funhouse Commons.

This Friday we will be presenting 10 new scholarships at the Celebration of Success. Every one of our local high school graduates deserves a heartfelt congratulations for their success completing the requirements for their diplomas. We are truly proud of you! 

We also congratulate 3 college graduates who successfully completed their undergraduate degrees through the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation’s Funhouse Commons Scholarship Fund. Hats off to Kataya Rain (University of Washington), Ian Maier (Western Washington University), and Mai Lewis-Shunk (Western Washington University).

In order to celebrate the end of the school year, the Funhouse Commons is throwing a Fun Fest in the Village Green on Friday, June 21st from 12-4 PM. Congratulations to all the students, teachers, administrators, volunteers and caregivers for the past school year. We invite the entire community to come celebrate with us. There will be live music, entertainment, games, activities, free food, and tons of fun! We always welcome new volunteers if you would like to join our team!

Speaking of Summer, we are starting our Summer Camp for 1-5th graders on June 24th. I am pleased to report that we have an amazing team looking forward to many great activities and experiences during this Summer’s Camp.

Also, this Summer we will be kicking off our new music program with Songlab with Pedro LopezDeVictoria. This 5 week songwriting and recording workshop is an amazing opportunity for aspiring artists!

Our board of directors has approved a fiscal sponsorship and will be partnering with a new teen center in the heart of Eastsound, called the Peach Pit! It will be located in the old Portofino's Pizza place above Con’s Pitstop and serve as a safe space for teens to socialize, access resources, and explore personal growth opportunities in a supportive atmosphere. 

Programming at the Peach Pit will include an after-school café, teen-led weekend & evening events, hobby and skills classes, a day program for case management, resource mapping, career readiness, and housing connections for unhoused teens. Additionally, the Peach Pit plans to empower youth by hiring 6-12 teens annually as Program Staff, enabling peer-to-peer mentorship and involvement in shaping the culture and events of the Peach Pit. 

We envision the Peach Pit as a resource hub where teens can access counseling, career guidance, mental health support, and various enrichment opportunities, all facilitated through partnerships with existing community organizations. Maia Vechey and Meagan Gable (co-founders) are particularly excited to work with the Funhouse as their fiscal sponsor. Together, through mission alignment and partnership, we will be able to expand our reach, engage in collaborative problem-solving, and ensure overall sustainability for both programs.

Finally a huge thank you to the Orcas Island Community Foundation and all those who helped fund our grant request to provide ADA accessible doors at the Funhouse. The installation has already begun and we are so grateful that our building access is more inclusive.

It takes a Village and a Funhouse!

Ryan Carpenter

Executive Director

Ryan Carpenter, Meagan Gable & Maia Vechey signing the partnership agreement between the Funhouse & the Peach Pit. Yay, for our new teen center!

The Funhouse ADA accessible doors installation underway!

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Cool Updates...

On May 25th, the Funhouse celebrated the culmination of the four month Art Mentor Program.12 middle and high schoolers were matched with 12 local artists who met once a week to deepen their artistic skill and experience. The Funhouse was bursting with color, laughter and accomplished artists, as we all celebrated the incredible work that everyone put into their time together.

"I'm so appreciative of this program that can tap into a community of kids that I feel are under-served and recognized at school. I got to have one on one time with a student who otherwise doesn't have art in their school day," said one mentor. Another added, "I feel grateful to pass wisdom and appreciation for the arts to someone up and coming in the next generation of artists. It felt like a real gift to be in that role."

The Funhouse is looking forward to another round of the Art Mentor Program this summer.

Photo Credit: Ashanti Makeba

Last month the Funhouse Latino-Mentoring Program took 6 Orcas middle schoolers and 12 Lopez middle and high school students to visit multiple college campuses in Washington.

Brenda Ochoa, has been facilitating Latino leadership work with the Funhouse. She is a first generation undocumented college graduate who has worked with Orcas and Lopez youth since 2021, with specific aims to inspire middle and high school students who are immigrants or children of immigrants to the United States to dream and plan about higher education.

The youth had an awesome time! They visited the University of Washington, in Seattle, and Columbia Basin College in Pasco. Ashley, a program participant, really encourages other students to go on the trip next year, if one is planned. "Push yourself out of your comfort zone and do it. It's worth it." Diego couldn’t get over how big the campuses were. “They were really huge! I had never thought about what college would be like until this trip."

Griselda Cruz, Funhouse staff chaperoned the trip. "We specifically invited middle schoolers on this trip to start conversations with young students about what higher education can be and look like, especially students who may be first generation college students. It helps them begin visioning for their future before they even enter high school. This is especially important for youth whose parents are immigrants to the United States, or are immigrants themselves, because there is much more for them to navigate in order to enter into higher education."