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Kamna Shastri

Community Outreach Producer

About

Kamna is a community outreach coordinator. She connects with organizations and individuals with the goal of building relationships and deepening trust between KUOW and all the communities who share space in our region.

She has spent six years reporting and writing about communities of color and immigrant communities for various publications throughout the Greater Seattle Area. Previously at KUOW she has been a reporting fellow and mentor for RadioActive. She also completed a mid-career reporting fellowship with NPR's Code Switch.

You can reach Kamna on her work cell at 206-591-8197

Location: Seattle

Languages Spoken: English, Tamil, Hindi, basic Spanish

Pronouns: she/her

Stories

  • caption: Signs on a fence that contain positive messages to inspire hope.

    Acute mental health resource guide – starting points

    The mental health care system in Washington state can be convoluted and confusing. KUOW and The Seattle Times looked into the problem in the six-part podcast "Lost Patients." Getting help for mental health issues, and for mental illness like psychosis is not always straightforward, so we compiled a starting list of resources for anyone looking to care for themselves or their loved ones.

  • caption: Alganesh Tewelde proudly holds up a copy of International Examiner as she goes out to deliver papers to the neighborhood businesses.

    These neighbors are the heartbeat of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District

    Everyone in Seattle's Chinatown-International District has a story that contributes to the neighborhood’s rich historical and multicultural significance. While it isn’t possible to catalog every individual story that makes up this place, we curated a series of profiles that showcase the layers of life that exist in this place.

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    From restaurant table to garden compost in the CID

    Nine windows at the Wing Luke Museum will need to be replaced after being smashed last week during what’s being called a racist attack. The museum says the man used a sledgehammer. Police made an arrest. The CID has been through a lot over the past few years, but through it all remains a vibrant network of neighbors. Our friends at Soundside took a look at the CID as a community and stopped at the Danny Woo Community Garden to talk about gardening and sustainability with some CID residents.

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    Exploring the meaning of community in Seattle's Chinatown-International District

    The Soundside team has spent months in the Chinatown-International District, working with journalists from International Examiner to get to know the community better. Our hope is that you’ll come away with a deeper picture of what makes this neighborhood such a vital part of the city — and what the hopes and challenges are for the people here.

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    Seattle teachers on the picket lines

    School was supposed to start yesterday. Instead of coming to classrooms full of students, Seattle public school teachers donned red shirts and took to the picket lines to strike. Teachers are striking for competitive pay, adequate classroom support, and a better teacher to student ratio for Special Education classrooms. In fact, Seattle's Special Education program has been a core issue at the bargaining table. We went to a few schools to talk with teachers and educators about why they are striking and the issues that are important to them.

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    Why is Seattle losing trees?

    Seattle has lost 255 acres of trees since 2016 according to a newly released canopy cover assessment by the city.

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    Are the kids all right?

    It's almost September, which means it’s time for another school year. But after almost three years of learning during a pandemic, student’s mental health has taken a toll. Youth mental health counselor Aysha Rafiq tells us what she’s seen in schools around the region, and what students need to find safety and connection in the classroom again.