Alan Wong, MSW

Facilitator

Alan Wong (he/him) is a lifelong Seattleite who has dedicated his life to helping youth, educators, and communities to grow. Alan began his career in education, working as a reading tutor at Sanislo Elementary, in the very same South Seattle neighborhood where he grew up. Over the last twenty years, he has worked as a lead facilitator and trainer (and previously Program Director and Program Manager) with innovative youth development organizations Power of Hope and Partners for Youth Empowerment – as well as with his own training company, Alan Wong: Facilitation and Training. He has led professional development training for educators throughout the Northwest and United States and in countries across Asia and Latin America. Alan also has experience working as a mental health counselor in Seattle-area schools.

As a facilitator for BELONG Partners, Alan helps educators and administrators implement trauma-informed strategies and reduce discipline issues, while building connection, equity, and social-emotional skills within classrooms. While working on small-scale solutions, Alan also helps educational leaders work towards broader systems change and address unjust institutional structures in ways that are both honest and generative.

Growing up as part of a multi-racial family in South Seattle, Alan has been committed to working toward equity and bringing diverse cultures and communities together since his early days. His Chinese name, 平 “Peng,” means “peace” and “balance” – qualities he strives to embody himself and share with the communities he serves. In his spare time, Alan enjoys writing poetry, making music, practicing meditation, playing basketball, and cooking creative cuisine.

Read about Alan’s Chinese heritage here!

What drew you to BELONG Partners?
My ultimate goal is to help build healthy, connected communities – where every individual is treated with dignity and respect, and has the opportunity to realize their full potential. BELONG Partners provides a perfect opportunity for me to work towards that goal.

Why are you passionate about working at BELONG Partners?
Working with BELONG Partners, I’ve witnessed firsthand the powerful change that happens when educators, students, and administrators work collaboratively to build community, shift school culture and create an environment that works for everyone. I’ve been privileged to stand side by side with teachers as they gain the confidence, skill, and courage necessary to support their students in new ways. Ultimately, I believe that BELONG Partners is sowing the seeds of equity and empathy in communities and creating small scale models of what our schools and society can be.

What’s something people are surprised to learn about you?
That I used to be an MC in a Hip Hop group.