Ignite Pongo Training

Attend this training with Pongo Poetry Project to cultivate your skills in trauma-informed poetry mentorship with youth.

Training led by Ashley Skartvedt, MFA, and Judy Sobeloff, LMSW & MFA

ABOUT THIS TRAINING:

By attending this training you will learn & practice the Pongo Method to facilitate powerful personal poetry that inspires healing & growth in your community! In this immersive training, you will hone your skills as a Poetry Mentor, learn how to remove barriers to self-expression, & encourage honesty from survivors of difficult life experiences. During the day's activities, you will write your own poetry & experience the relief & joy that comes with the Pongo Method.

TECHNIQUES YOU WILL LEARN:

• Learn how writing poetry engages trauma, supports racial justice, and inspires healing & growth
• Discover how to facilitate a group poem
• Observe & practice using Pongo's one-on-one Fill-in-the-Blank writing activity

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS:

In partnership with Northwest Creative and Expressive Arts Institute (NWCEAI), participants are able to earn 5 continuing education credits for this training. If you are interested, after purchasing your ticket through Eventbrite, you must register for the CEs separately by emailing NWCEAI at info@seattlearttherapy.org. You’ll be required to complete a $25.00 payment, attend the training live in its entirety, and fill out an evaluation form afterwards. If you have any questions regarding CEs for this training, please visit https://seattlearttherapy.org/earning-ces/. Registration is due by end-of-day Thursday, June 25, 2026.

ADD-ONS:

Pongo Training Participant Materials Packet ($10-shipping included). ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL 5PM (PST) FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2026.

Participants not ordering the packet will either have to

a) print out the packet at their own cost or

b) have the electronic version of the packet digitally accessible while doing the training.

We highly recommend having this packet in print-form as we will be referencing it throughout the training. Relying on the electronic version during the training is not recommended for those with only one computer screen and/or those who are unfamiliar with navigating multiple windows while attending online Zoom trainings.

Writing With At-Risk Youth: The Pongo Teen Writing Method : Available via Amazon

Written by Pongo's Founder, Richard Gold , MA, Writing With At-Risk Youth (2014) is the time-tested, essential field-guide to starting your own Pongo-inspired poetry project.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

A limited number of partial scholarships are available to those who present a significant need. To request a scholarship for this training, please fill out the application via this link. Scholarship applications are due by end-of-day Friday, June 19, 2026.

YOUR TRAINERS:

Ashley Skartvedt

I’m Ashley Skartvedt, Pongo's Co-Executive Director of Programs. I’ve been affiliated with Pongo since 2013 and have served as a volunteer, mentor, trainer, and project lead. I've spent the majority of my career as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Yoga Instructor helping people heal from trauma by leading therapeutic groups for youth and adults in psychiatric hospitals and teaching folks how to increase their awareness of the present moment and connect their mind, body, and spirit.

As a lifelong learner, I enjoy creating a reciprocal, non-hierarchical learning environment in order to share knowledge and experiences, so we can all have a richer impact on the individuals and communities we serve. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics from the University of Washington, Bothell, and enjoy writing poetry, sharing my creative work, and uplifting the voices of others, especially those who are affected by institutional and systemic oppression. It's important to me in all aspects of my professional and personal life to acknowledge my own position of privilege as a white-passing woman and to honor my Native American heritage as a citizen of the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska.

Judy Sobeloff

Judy Sobeloff is a writer and LMSW who has led creative writing and expressive arts activities for people of all ages and in a variety of settings, including schools, libraries, correctional facilities, colleges, sidewalks, arts festivals, and community centers. A longtime teaching artist for the Idaho Commission on the Arts and Idaho Parents Unlimited, she is a faculty member and mentor for the Northwest Creative and Expressive Arts Institute and a certified facilitator in the Soul Pages method of visual journaling. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington and an MSW from the University of Michigan. An enthusiastic graduate of both the yearlong Seattle-based Teaching Artists Training Lab and NWCEAI’s professional certificate program in expressive arts therapy, Judy strives to offer culturally responsive arts projects that foster inclusion and social and emotional well-being. In addition to having worked with youth in residential treatment programs, Outward Bound courses, K-12 public schools, and bereavement support groups, she has led poetry projects in juvenile detention, at an alternative high school, in special education classes, and for a grieving parents’ support group. Some of her superpowers are creating emotional safety and disarming with humor.

RECORDING CONSENT:

By registering for and attending Ignite Pongo, all participants agree to the following statement:

I understand that Pongo will record this event for educational purposes, and that images of me and recordings of my voice may appear in the completed recording. By registering I consent to the depiction and use of my image and words in the completed recording and the future use of the recording by Pongo for educational purposes only. I understand that depictions of me will not be used commercially, by Pongo or others, and will not be given to, sold to, or shared with any person or entity other than Pongo or used for any purpose other than Pongo’s educational purposes. I release Pongo from all liability in connection with the educational use of the recording and images identified above.