Couve Scoop: May 2026

PDDBM To Host 2026 Black History Month Fashion Show & Cultural Experience 

Please Don’t Die Black Men (PDDBM) will host its 2026 Black History Month Fashion Show & Cultural Experience on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Generations Church, 14313 NE 20th Ave A104 in Vancouver. The full-day cultural event will showcase student designers in grades 5-9. 

The event celebrates youth creativity, cultural pride and hands-on learning through fashion, Black history exhibits and community engagement. Student designers have conceptualized, designed and produced original garments that reflect identity, innovation and Black history. 

“We are not just hosting a fashion show,” said Ruby N. Lewis, chairwoman and president of PDDBM. “We are creating a space where young designers see their ideas honored, their culture respected and their leadership strengthened. Community support, especially through models and student participation, makes that possible.” 

 The event also includes a student-only raffle opportunity. Raffle prizes like gift cards, fashion design art kit and more are available exclusively to registered Clark County students who present a valid student ID at entry. Family members and general attendees are not eligible. 

The event schedule features Black history exhibits & Ujamaa (cooperative economics) from 10am-11:45am, the fashion show from noon-2pm and Black history exhibits and  dinner and Ujamaa from 2:30-4pm. From 4pm-5pm there will be networking, vendor time and closing. Featured exhibits include a West African Hair & Cultural History Exhibit exploring traditional hair practices and identity and a feature highlighting African American fashion designers from 1860–present. 

General admission tickets are available at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-black-history-month-fashion-show 

Sponsorship opportunities are available for individuals and businesses seeking to support student designers and youth leadership. 

Please Don’t Die Black Men (PDDBM) is a Vancouver-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through creative education, leadership development, entrepreneurship and cultural enrichment. Programs include fashion design, filmmaking, journalism and hands-on creative instruction serving primarily Black and underserved youth throughout Clark County.  

Vancouver Audubon Society Youth Photo Contest Now Open for Submissions 

Vancouver Audubon Society (VAS) and HD Aluminum Prints are teaming up to sponsor the 2026 Youth Nature Photo Contest. Youth ages 8-18 are invited to submit up to five photos of nature, and not just photos of birds.  

The VAS adopted the photo contest one year ago from the Gorge Refuge Stewards who wanted to see the contest continue. Originally, only photos in Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Washougal were judged, but this year the contest is expanding.  

Winning photos will now be selected from four categories: Smartphone, People in Nature, Wildlife and Plants and Steigerwald Lake NWR to keep the tradition going. However, only photos taken between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026 are eligible and must be taken within the boundaries of Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties.   

Cash prizes will be given to first, second and third place photos in each category as well as a People’s Choice award. Social media is encouraged to bring in more votes! Winners will also receive a 12 x 18 inch professional print of their photo and a free family membership to Vancouver Audubon Society. 

Ken Pitts, VAS board member, says spring is the best time to enjoy the outdoors and take photos. Even if it’s just in your backyard or local park, remember to bring your camera with you. Many entries are submitted from smartphones, so don’t worry if you don’t have a special camera.  

Pitts also hopes that with new judging categories, more kids and teens will be inspired to submit their photos, saying, “Vancouver Audubon wants to see nature through your lens, so capture frames of your favorite local landscapes, native plants and wildlife and submit your best shots for a chance to win by May 31st. I hope to see you at the June 24th awards ceremony!”  

For more details and to see last year’s winning photos check out https://vancouveraudubon.org/2026-youth-photo-contest/ 

Meet 2026’s Miss Clark County and Miss Greater Vancouver’s Teen  

Miss Clark County 2026 May Dearing and Miss Greater Vancouver’s Teen 2026 Shelby Baldwin are local young women making a big impact and are eager to continue to support local initiatives. 
 
Shelby Baldwin is an 18-year-old senior at Camas High School, simultaneously earning her associate’s degree in Elementary Education from Clark College this spring. Passionate about empowering young readers, she founded Read2Succeed, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting literacy and inspiring a lifelong love of learning.  
 
“Over the past two and a half years, I have personally impacted more than 1,000 students through mentoring, book distribution, and direct literacy support for K–5 learners,” said Baldwin. “Through Read2Succeed, I have served four counties across Washington, distributing thousands of books and helping children not only strengthen their reading skills, but also develop a genuine love for reading. My mission has always been to ensure that every child feels confident and capable in the classroom. “ 
 
“As I look toward the future, my goal is to expand Read2Succeed by collaborating with Clark County’s very own ReadNW,” she said. “Through this partnership, I hope to provide one-on-one literacy support to students across all districts in Clark County. My vision is simple yet powerful: to make every child feel seen, heard and celebrated for their reading achievements.” 
 

May Dearing is a 27-year-old Master of Social Work student at Portland State University and the founder of H.E.L.P. (Healing, Empowerment, Liberation, Protection) — a community initiative dedicated to fighting human trafficking through survivor advocacy and education. As an advocate for disabled women and ally to survivors, May traveled to the Netherlands to study how four countries combat human trafficking.  
 
“I’ve worked with YWCA and Messiah Lutheran Church making self care/comfort boxes for women in the YWCA sexual violence shelter, and I’ve worked with NWCAVE in March both at their yearly Java for Justice Fundraiser and I’m taking a training to be a court advocate,” she said. 
 
“I’m also meeting with public officials in the Washington government to ask them what they are doing to fight the issue of human trafficking,” she said.  

Both women are eager to get more involved in the community. Learn more about them on Instagram: @missclarkcountywa and @missgreatervancouversteen. 

Read the May 2026 issue