As part of our Engage IRL initiative with Launch NW, five SPS staff members will support connecting students with activities. These Engagement Navigators are assigned to schools based on the five high school feeder patterns of our district, which allows families to build a sense of belonging and community as students advance from kindergarten through senior year.
We’re introducing a Navigator every day this week. Watch this space!
Pat Donahue, North Central Feeder Pattern Engagement Navigator
SCHOOLS: North Central, Glover, Yasuhara, Audubon, Finch, Garfield, Holmes, Logan, Stevens, Willard, Bryant/TEC, The Community School
Where were you before you came into your current role?
Before becoming an Engagement Navigator, I had been the Manager of Community Partnerships in the Office of Family & Community Engagement for SPS since 2021. In that position, I also helped expand the district’s volunteer mentoring program.
I was born and raised in Spokane Valley before attending Washington State University where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Child and Family Studies. Prior to joining SPS, I worked for 24 years at Spokane County Juvenile Court, spending 14 of those years supporting staff and volunteers in their advocacy for youth involved in the foster care system as the CASA/Guardian ad Litem Program Coordinator.
Why were you interested in being an Engagement Navigator for Spokane Public Schools?
I was interested in this role because I have spent my career working with children and families, and I understand the importance of establishing appropriate relationships, which can be fostered through involvement in activities, sports and clubs. This is an opportunity to help students engage in positive prosocial activities that may help them in their social emotional learning and have an overall positive effect on their mental health.
What were your extracurricular passions when you were a student, and how did those experiences shape who you are today?
My extracurricular passions began in elementary school when I was able to participate in intramural sports, and later in YMCA and Little League baseball. Through these experiences, I was able to play basketball, baseball and football in middle school, but my true passion became golf, and I played on my high school’s varsity team. I am a lifelong golfer to this day, and I’ve also picked up the new pickleball craze.
Sports have had a positive impact on who I am today with the confidence I was able to gain through participation and teamwork.
What are you most excited about for the 2024-25 school year?
I am most excited to connect with staff, students and families, and to help develop ways for more positive engagement in activities, clubs and sports that interest students. I also look forward to engaging with school administration and staff to see how, as a team, we can support our students and families. I consider engagement and connection to be one of my true strengths, and I’m excited about the opportunity to further develop them as we explore the endless possibilities available to our students.
This year, we’re asking every SPS student to complete their IRL Plan to share what activities excite them. Our goal is for every kid to participate in an activity outside of school every day. Learn more at Engage IRL.