Guiding Lights Network

“The gospel choir was very inspiring, I loved the clowns and marines.”

“who does this go to?”

“Thank you all for your generosity and your sense of responsibility. I grew up feeling I had no mentor or need of mentorship, and in just the past year have realized how important mentorship is and could have been in my personal and professional life. Thank you for contributing to my experience.”

More Voices

The Weekend

“Closing the Opportunity Gap”

Inclusion matters. We are all connected, and we're all better off if we're all better off. Yet today in Seattle and across America, there are broad inequities of opportunity that keep too many people from fulfilling their potential. The achievement gap in our schools is only the end result of a long series of opportunity gaps -- in access to education and basic health, social and financial capital, safe neighborhoods. A fair shot is far from a reality -- and this is not someone else's problem; it belongs to all of us.

For years this has been the mantra of The Guiding Lights Weekend -- a unique experiential conference on the art of mentorship and community-building. And this year, we are excited to be focusing all the creative, passionate energy of our world-class luminaries and workshop leaders on the theme of Closing the Opportunity Gap. Our goal this year is twofold: to raise awareness about these gaps, and to cook up new ways to address them.

The Guiding Lights Weekend

The Guiding Lights Weekend is a place to sharpen awareness, imagine possibilities, fill your toolbox with skills, and build new collaborations. Our workshops are dynamic and interactive. You’ll experience successful methods, ideas, and practices, and see solutions to current social issues made tangible and visible. With experiential learning, you’ll gain a deep understanding of how our workshop leaders create change — and how you can too.

Link to Conference Schedule: Friday and Saturday

Link to: Luminaries & Workshop Descriptions

What to expect

The Guiding Lights Weekend is enthusiastic, exciting and fun. Dress casually, wear comfortable shoes, bring your refillable water bottle and your open mind.

Who comes to The Weekend

Over 350 motivated and purposeful learners of diverse backgrounds, ages, ethnicities and experiences. Teachers, students, nurses, doctors, artists, lawyers, politicians, community activists, social workers, designers, actors, philanthropists, bankers, HR professionals, djs, business executives, mentors, mentees, dancers, non-profit leaders, parents, children, principals, aunts, uncles, grandparents and... you.

Why you will come

You want to connect. You want to find partners with whom you can make a difference in our community. You’re looking for ways to become a more mindful mentor, a more compassionate advocate, a more transformative leader. You value diversity. You’re looking for inspiration. You’ve got a lot to share.

Co-presented by The Guiding Lights Network, The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice and Seattle Center.