The Puget Sound College & Career Network at PSESD was selected as the King County Promise System Supporting Organization. King County Promise is a bold, public-private partnership to increase equity in college access and success for historically underserved students in King County. The goals of King County Promise and the role of the System Supporting Organization closely align to PSESD’s End: Success for Each Child and Eliminate the Opportunity Gap by Leading with Racial Equity.

WSOS supports students with flexible financial aid and student support services such as mentorship, professional development and networking. WSOS helps students achieve success from their first day on campus to the launch of their professional careers in Washington state.

Over summer 2020, PSCCN partnered with districts and colleges across the region to work in partnership to reduce barriers for incoming college students, leverage expertise and support of K-12, CBOs, and college partners, while acknowledging the known and potential impacts of COVID-19 on students and communities of color. This is a summary of what was learned that can be applied right away. 

Within the Puget Sound College & Career Network (PSCCN) at the Puget Sound Educational Service District, we believe that all young people have unfathomable brilliance that we should cultivate and uplift. It is with their creativity, passion, and vision that we will address the systemic injustices and inequalities facing us today. Local students want an education beyond high school; in fact a recent survey revealed that 95% of students surveyed want postsecondary education.

We are excited to share brand new College Knowledge: Student Lessons and Family Workshops, developed collaboratively by the College and Career Leadership Institute, Community Center for Education Results, UW GEAR UP Achievers, and UW Dream Project.

We here at PSCCN wish our district and college partners the best, as we all work kick off this new academic year as best we can. We know under normal circumstances this is a stressful time of year for everyone, much more so now while navigating a shift to remote learning, and also juggling the social, political, and personal challenges that this year has brought us. We hope that we are able to embody the same resolve you have displayed over the past several months in order to better support you over this upcoming year. 

PSCCN is deeply grateful to the members of the Refinement Phase, a group of 70+ staff, students and representatives from across King County's educational and community support system who have been engaged in the Refinement Phase of King County Promise since November 2019.