The recent ruling from the US Supreme Court that denies Affirmative action will drastically impact the postsecondary opportunities for youth in our region. When Washington state enacted similar legislation, we saw a sharp decline in Black, brown, Latinx, and immigrant students enrolling in college and postsecondary opportunities.

The impact of this decision will be felt for generations and provides us an opportunity to affirm OUR actions, as a community, in creating a more equitable education experience for all students. From our work, we know that we cannot rely on the system alone to provide equitable education access to our students. However, through authentic collaborations and co-design in partnership with the community, we as leaders in the education system can understand the postsecondary experience of those historically furthest from college opportunities and provide targeted services to remove barriers that the system won’t. These critical connections with institutions, Community providers, families, and students unearth the unmet needs our students face, and challenge us, as educational leaders, to innovate and provide tools necessary to achieve postsecondary success.

Through our partnerships, we have created services to support students across the region.
These include:

• FAFSA and WAFSA advising spaces.
• FAFSA toolkit workshops.
• College transition checklists.
• College course navigation guides
• Social-emotional support providers
• Convening spaces to share best practices and learning opportunities with education and industry leaders.Program guidance and coordination across institutions and community-based organizations for King County Promise.

These are just some of the actions we have taken in response to student needs. As we enter this new college and career landscape, let us continue to lean into our relationships and learn about the opportunities to support our students navigating postsecondary pathways.

In Partnership,
PSCCN Team