Check out this WIN BRG-produced video that raises awareness about Washington State as an employer of choice for immigrant communities, showcases the diversity of the state workforce, and promotes the State as a welcoming environment where immigrants can feel valued and appreciated.
WIN Membership Survey
You Belong - So let's make it feel like home!
WIN is all about our members. We would love for you to provide input on what you want to see from WIN this year. Click the link below or use the QR code (via your phone) to access a membership survey.
Thank you! We are looking forward to amplifying your story!
WIN NEEDS YOU!
Seeking Volunteers
WIN Membership Outreach
WIN is seeking a chair and co-leads for our WIN Membership Outreach subcommittee. These positions will oversee and manage WIN BRG outreach through various agencies and communities. This team is responsible for coordinating outreach events and oversees all immigrant and ally membership outreach and retention.
WIN Social Media Guru
WIN is seeking volunteers for our WIN Social Media Guru. This position will be in charge of posting updates and information on WIN’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts. If you are interested in volunteering for this position, please email:
There are many opportunities to get involved in helping grow the Washington Immigrant Network. Please consider sharing your talents with the community. Thank you!
The Everyone Outdoor program aims to reduce barriers to outdoor access by providing applicants with the opportunity to receive a free annual Discover Pass.
This program is available to Washington-based community and volunteer groups, youth and outdoor recreational programs, nonprofit, veteran and other organizations facing barriers to outdoor access.
This is a collaborative effort by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Note: Applying groups must be in Washington and serve Washington state residents. Additionally, Discover Pass requests must be used to provide direct access to the outdoors by the applicant group or organization and cannot be used for fundraising or other indirect purposes.
Additional information about this program and access to the application (available in multiple languages) is available at this link.
Research says a good mentor inspires, motivates, stretches, connects, and helps develop your Emotional Intelligence. They also open your mind to your potential and opportunities. A good mentor can also provide a safe space to learn, experiment, and ask questions. The Washington Immigrant Network Business Resource Group Mentoring Program's goal is to retain and support immigrant state employees in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive and advance their careers, as well as recruit new employees from the immigrant community. The program establishes and facilitates direct, trusting relationships between volunteer mentors and their assigned mentees.
How can I connect with a mentor? For current or prospective state employees, visit Meet our Mentors. We have mentors from several state agencies from various ethnic backgrounds with varied expertise and experiences, including multilingual. After reviewing the mentor's profiles, submit your mentoring request here.
WIN's Mentoring Program Now Accepting New Mentees & Mentors
Become a WIN Mentee
Are you new to state service?
Are you seeking guidance on how to manage your career goals?
Do you need someone to talk to and share ideas with?
If yes, then WIN's Mentoring Program maybe a good resource for you. We have mentors from several state agencies from various ethnic backgrounds with varied expertise and experiences, including multilingual. You can view WIN's list of eligible mentors to see if there is someone whose career experience and background would be a good match. After reviewing the mentor's profiles, you can submit your mentoring request here. Questions about the Mentor Program?
Please reach out to Christina Pourarien, Chair & Mentoring Program Administrator at Washington Immigrant Network, at win@ofm.wa.gov.
Become a WIN Mentor
The WIN Mentoring Program supports immigrant state employees in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive and advance their careers, as well as recruit new employees from the immigrant community at large. Learn more about becoming a mentor at: WIN's Mentoring Program.
We want to hear from you!
Please provide us input on what you would like to see at upcoming WIN mentoring events by completing the survey available at the link or QR code below:
Preparation for Ramadan 2024 - Message from the Washington State Office of Equity
Hello All,
As we enter March, it's important to acknowledge that Ramadan 2024 is on the horizon, with commencement on March 11th and concluding either on April 9th or April 10th. Ramadan, a sacred month for over two billion Muslims worldwide, entails fasting from dawn to dusk for 29 to 30 days as one of the five obligatory acts of worship in Islam. Ramadan is a time for spiritual cleansing, personal growth, community building, and acts of charity.
During Ramadan, Muslims wake up around 3AM to 4AM before dawn to eat, and after sundown, they engage in additional acts of prayer late into the night. It's essential to understand that due to the lunar calendar's nature, the start and end dates of Ramadan fluctuate annually, contingent upon the sighting of the crescent moon. Ramadan is followed by the Muslim holiday Eid-al-Fitr which celebrates the end of Ramadan.
Muslim Washingtonians may fast for an average of 13 to 15 hours per day through Ramadan this year. Particularly during the initial week of Ramadan, individuals may experience sleep deprivation, caffeine deprivation, migraines, low energy levels, and emotional fluctuations as they adapt to the fasting routine.
We have many Muslim employees across Washington’s government enterprise. Here are 5 ways you can help make Ramadan easier for Muslim employees and colleagues:
Flexible Scheduling: Inquire if Muslim employees require flexibility in their schedules to allow for an earlier or later start time, or a longer lunch. A Muslim’s preference will depend on their personal lifestyle.
Consideration for Meeting Times: Ask Muslim employees about their preference for meeting times and duration of meetings throughout the week to ensure inclusivity and respect for their religious commitments.
Virtual Meeting Etiquette: Ensure Muslim employees feel comfortable with opting to keep their camera off during virtual meetings.
Workload Management: Ask Muslim employees about the heaviness of their workload and make accommodations to shift their workload if possible.
Eid-al-Fitr Observance: Allow Muslim employees to either take Eid-al-Fitr off, take a half day, or flex time off so that they may attend the obligatory prayer in the morning and spend time with family, friends, and community.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. As we extend our greetings to our Muslim colleagues during Ramadan, let us all wish each other a meaningful and fulfilling Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak! (Translated to Happy Ramadan)
Your cooperation and understanding are greatly appreciated.
Equity and Justice for All,
Kalimah S. Ujaama (she/her)
Pro-Equity Consultant | Washington State Office of Equity
Please spread the word of the Washington State Library's Community Co-Creation Toolkit project that is building inclusive digital futures through community-led assessments.
Co-Creation Toolkit Possible Activities for further study and community building include: Case Studies, Focus groups, Surveys, Photovoice, Storymapping, Dance-based approaches, Community Conversations, Storytelling
What Are (Some) Types of Stories We Are Curious About So Far?
Do you have access to faster broadband internet?
Do you have any internet devices? If so, do they suit your needs?
How does the internet (or skills) affect your ability to meet your goals?
Who do you trust to help you with technology and skills?
Do you feel safe and confident navigating the digital world?
What aren’t we already asking but is important to your experience and quality of life?
We are looking to tell a holistic story of how the digital world impacts quality of life and what solutions are developed in community to support one another where inequities exist.
Key Dates:
March 2024: Engagement activities with partners
April 2024: Refining the toolkit
May 2024: Finalize the first iteration and start testing the toolkit
WIN would like to invite you to share with us the holidays and observance you celebrate in your culture. We want to showcase these significant celebrations on or website and social media. If you are interested in sharing your cultural celebrations with WIN, please email us at WIN@ofm.wa.gov
Hosts: Gina O’Neill, Gwen Willis, & Raquel Rice, Professional & Career Development Co-Chairs
Are you interested in improving your public speaking skills for in-person or virtual meetings?
WIN is hosting an event to help you develop public speaking skills for meetings or other events.
This is a supportive and inclusive environment where we will comfortably engage in speaking and evaluation activities.
Please have a two-minute speech prepared that you would like to receive feedback on. It can be any topic. Be prepared to receive constructive feedback.
American Bar Association – Women Leaders Making History Through a Cultural Lens for Generations
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM PST
The Zoom webinar is "free," so anyone who would like to attend only needs to register (link below).
Program description:
The speakers are trailblazers: Mary Smith, the first Native-American woman to serve as the President of the American Bar Association; Justice G. Helen Whitener, the first Black LGBT judge in the state of Washington and the first Black woman on the Washington Supreme Court (and an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago); and Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the first person of color to serve as Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court. The professional journeys of these women leaders were influenced by the cultural values and wisdom of key influencers who helped them succeed and break the glass ceilings they encountered.
The panel will discuss and share insights on ways new and experienced lawyers and judges can utilize and share their own cultural values, influences, and lessons learned to promote diversity in the judiciary and the legal profession for future generations of leaders.
This event is free and open to all state employees and BRG members. Register at the link below:
General Membership is open to all current Washington State employees, including full-time, part-time, hourly, and salaried employees who are committed to supporting and advancing the mission of WIN.
Each year, WIN celebrates the diversity and contributions from our immigrant communities and family. We extend an invitation for all state employees to join us in-person or virtually.
The WIN Business Resource Group's Immigrant Heritage Month celebration will be held on June 4. 2024, at the L&I Headquarters building in Tumwater, Washington. Save the date and stay tuned for more details!
Washington DEI Empowerment Conference
The 2024 DEI Empowerment Conference will be held virtually over Zoom Wednesday June 5, Thursday June 6, Tuesday June 11 and Wednesday June 12.
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The goal of the conference is to help state government build more just systems, and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging with our state workforce. Sessions will highlight the lived experience of historically marginalized groups and ideas for creating inclusive Washington communities and workplaces.
Four sessions will be presented each day. Daily sessions will include a keynote (two hours) and three additional sessions (90 minutes each.)
The conference dates have been thoughtfully chosen not to overlap with important state Business Resource Group annual events. We encourage team members to attend virtual and in-person events being planned by WIN, BUILD, and RAIN during the month of June. We are excited to partner with our BRG community!
Attend the live sessions virtually or at designated watch events
Attendance is limited to state government workers and invited community members. While DEI practitioners and agency leadership will find the conference relevant to their work, all state employed workers have the power to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in their workplaces. We encourage you to block time on your calendar to attend the live sessions. While we strive to provide accessible solutions like recorded sessions for later playback, some sessions may only be available live.
We will also have in-person watch events in Olympia and Spokane that will welcome state employees to gather in-person to watch our virtual sessions. More details will be available closer to the time.
Check with your agency leaders about workforce planning for the scheduled conference dates and how you can work together so you have time to attend.
Call to action for leaders
In our leadership roles we can support equity work by removing barriers to DEI learning and activities. Here are 5 ways you can help:
Look for ways you can adjust team schedules and workloads to allow each team member to attend at least one session of the conference.
Cancel or reschedule conflicting meetings.
Use your current communication tools to have agency heads encourage employees to attend.
Plan agency-specific reflection sessions for team members to discuss their key take-aways and “aha” moments from the conference sessions.
Have leaders register for several event sessions and share leaders’ schedule with teams to model attendance and to show leadership’s commitment to equity and learning.
Open call for presentation proposals / speaker applications
Do you have lived experience as a member of a historically marginalized group, or other expertise in equity work and want to share your knowledge and experience with state employees at the DEI Empowerment Conference? See our website on how to submit your speaker proposal.
The Washington State Office of Equity is excited to announce that the 2024 PEAR (Pro-Equity Anti-Racism) S.T.A.R. (Show, Transform, Act, Reflect) Award nominations are open!
The Office of Equity understands the value of uplifting the remarkable work happening within agencies and our communities. We want to know who is showing up and making a difference. Please nominate those who serve as great examples of how we can all be instrumental in creating a sense of belonging for all. We are accepting nominations for one state agency and one community organization for each of the 15 Determinants of Equity. Thank you in advance for your efforts to ensure the unrecognized are now celebrated in this area.
The winners will be recognized at the first-ever PEAR S.T.A.R. Awards ceremony during the 2024 We the People Convening!
Statewide business resource groups (BRGs) bring together groups of employees and their allies who have a common interest or characteristic. All BRGs have a charter, mission, goals and bylaws and contribute to an overall statewide business strategy. BRG members bring their unique knowledge and perspectives, making them an asset to state business needs, such as recruitment and retention. (OFM.wa.gov/BRGs)
Support the professional development of immigrant state employees. Recommend strategies to advance recruitment, retention, career progression and leadership development. Educate state agencies on the experience, skills and knowledge of immigrants and the value of a diverse workforce.
WHAT WE DO:
Provide a support structure, educational resources and leadership assistance for immigrant state employees. Encourage immigrants to consider the state as an employer of choice through inter-agency and external outreach activities. Serve as a resource for the Office of Financial Management, State Human Resources division and state agencies in creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.
