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Regional Challenge Grants

Innovations in College & Career Pathways

Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has awarded competitive Regional Challenge Grants (RCG) to partners across the state. In an effort to address the enrollment crisis, the Washington Legislature passed Senate Bill 5789, which funded RCG. The program was given an initial $6 million for 2022-23, and $16 million was added for 2023 through 2025.

Regional Challenge Grants seek to improve postsecondary attainment by investing in communities. Partnerships focus on increasing enrollment and credential completion for students, inclusive of certificates and degrees.

To close equity gaps in Washington State, strategies focus on:

  • Students of color.
  • Students from low-income backgrounds.
  • English language learners.
  • Students with disabilities.
  • Foster and homeless youth.

Each partner works toward these goals by doing one or more of the following:

  • Increasing direct enrollment: the number of high school students who go straight on to more education.
  • Increasing adult enrollment: the number of adults who go back to get more education or job training.
  • Increasing completion: the number of students who complete a degree or credential.

By investing in regional communities in the state, RCG seeks to increase attainment and close equity gaps and reflect these strategies to statewide policy solutions.

2024 Request for Letters of Interest

We will seek applications to expand the RCG cohort with a new request for Letters of Interest (LOI) in January 2024. To improve accessibility, we intend to open our process to new applicants each year in January and make final decisions for recommendations in advance of the June Council meeting. We encourage applications from all perspectives and regions in the state and will provide additional details in the fall. For general inquiries or questions regarding the upcoming request for letters of interest, please email RegionalChallengeGrant@wsac.wa.gov.

Regional Challenge Grant Cohort

Eight total grantees, four in each grant tier, comprise the inaugural RCG cohort. Each partnership represents unique, innovative strategies informed by their region to increase postsecondary attainment and close systemic equity gaps. The broad range of strategies, partnerships, focus student populations, and regions represented are key to achieving the systems-change goal. Grantees represent $4.85 million in awards for work up to 1.5 years in length in eight distinct regions of the state.

Implementation Grantees - Totaling $4.35 million in awards over a 1.5-year grant period

Implementation grantees represent established partnerships that are testing, expanding, or scaling their strategies and increasing postsecondary attainment for focus populations.

Foundation for Tacoma Students

Foundation for Tacoma Students (FFTS)

Tier 2: Implementation Grant Awardee
Pierce County
$1.2 million maximum award over 1.5-year grant period
In partnership with more than 30 CBOs, Economic/Workforce Councils, K-12 School Districts, and Higher Education Institutions

Foundation for Tacoma Students is expanding two programs to six school districts: What’s Next Senior Supports leverages Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to respond to senior student needs with navigational and case management support; and Campaign Free Aid builds community capacity for FAFSA/WAFSA support with events, completion tracking, and coordination. 

City of Seattle DEEL

City of Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) Postsecondary Success Network

Tier 2: Implementation Grant Awardee
King County
$1.25 million maximum award over 1.5-year grant period
In partnership with the Seattle Colleges, Seattle Public Schools, and CBOs and Economic Development Groups  

City of Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning is connecting mentors from CBOs to BIPOC students in high school and in Seattle Promise, and providing professional development to high school staff on culturally-relevant college and career readiness supports. 

Launch NW

Launch NW

Tier 2: Implementation Grant Awardee
Spokane County
$850,000 maximum award over 1.5-year grant period
In partnership with 15 total regional partners including CBOs, K-12 School Districts, and Higher Education Institutions  

Launch NW and the Innovia Foundation are partnering with CBOs and local universities to match BIPOC students with near-peer, peer, or adult mentors, and families with family mentors to support college and career planning. Mentorship centers also provide career exploration and coaching for students in six schools within the Spokane Region.

Chehalis School District

Chehalis School District's Student Achievement Initiative

Tier 2: Implementation Grant Awardee
Lewis County
$1.05 million maximum award over 1.5-year grant period
In partnership with Chehalis Foundation, Centralia College, The BERC Group

Chehalis School District is building the Cornerstone Program to connect family engagement at the beginning of the K-12 pathway for up to 250 families with intentional communications campaigns, family engagement, and coordination.   

Partnership Formation Grantees - Totaling $500,000 over a 1-year grant period

Partnership Formation grantees are in the earlier stages of retaining partners, recruiting new partners across sectors, and building deep relationships in their network. We recognize that early-stage partnership development may focus more on strategy and understanding the local context while other partnerships may be prepared to explore programmatic activities.

The STEM Foundation

The STEM Foundation

Tier 1: Partnership Formation Grant Awardee
Benton County
$125,000 maximum award over 1-year grant period
In partnership with Career Connect Southeast, Kiona-Benton School District, Columbia Basin College, WSU Tri Cities, The Rural Alliance, Educational Service District 123/Tri Tech Skills Center, WorkSource/TC Futures     

The STEM Foundation is formalizing their partnership to create a two-generation approach in Benton City to increase direct enrollment from high school and support parents returning to education.

Yakima Valley Partners for Education

Yakima Valley Partners for Education

Tier 1: Partnership Formation Grant Awardee
Yakima County
$125,000 maximum award over 1-year grant period
20+ cross-sector partners committed to serving the community across cradle to career and focused on food security, digital connectivity, parent and family engagement, and health     

Yakima Valley Partners for Education is educating parents on higher education in Spanish to increase access for students in the valley across six school districts.

Methow Valley School District

Methow Valley School District

Tier 1: Partnership Formation Grant Awardee
Okanogan County
$125K maximum award over 1-year grant period
In partnership with Methow Valley Education Foundation, TwispWorks, Room One, Family Health Centers, and Western Washington University Sustainability Pathways

Methow Valley School District is building capacity to increase business partnerships in nine area school districts that are regionally isolated from opportunities.  

United Way of the Blue Mountains

United Way of the Blue Mountains

Tier 1: Partnership Formation Grant Awardee
Walla Walla County
$125K maximum award over 1-year grant period
In partnership with Elevate and Walla Walla Community College

United Way of the Blue Mountains is conducting a qualitative research study to understand the growing direct enrollment gap in the greater Walla Walla region.