Summary

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove on Tuesday awarded Burien resident Kathy Hand with the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service.

Story

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove on Tuesday awarded Burien resident Kathy Hand with the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes individuals whose work has answered the question asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “What are you doing for others?”

For more than 30 years, Kathy Hand has been empowering youth with the civic skills to keep democracy healthy as Executive Director of Civic Education Washington State. The nonprofit administers critically acclaimed curriculum, teacher training, and community-based programs including the “We the People” and “Project Citizen” programs, which bring middle and high school students to Olympia from all over Washington to compete in public policy program showcases.

“Kathy has made a positive different in the lives of thousands of kids throughout King County and throughout the state,” Upthegrove said. “Our democracy is stronger because of her.”

Hand is a former member of the Highline School District Board of Directors and lives in Burien with her husband, Ken.

This marks the fifth year that councilmembers have each selected someone from their district whose work embodies the spirit of King’s question.