Washington College Access Network creates successful student persistence campaign

Spring of 2021 was not the time for typical end-of-school-year celebrations.

This year, with financial support from the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), College Success Foundation created the Washington College Access Network (WCAN) Student Persistence Campaign. This campaign allowed schools and College Bound Scholarship champions to adapt their college-going campaigns to meet their unique goals. 

Our goal was to financially support school staff, administrators, and College Bound Officers to plan events that support students’ higher education dreams. We created a mini-grant application form so schools could request $250 for in-person events and $150 for virtual events. Then we awarded $5,000 to 29 schools or districts which supported more than 4,100 students.

“This has been a challenging year. We wanted to give schools the flexibility and resources to support students in the way they felt most impactful,” says Juliette Schindler, CSF Director of Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships. “We want students to persist, and rather than repeating the mantra of ‘go to college!’ we’ve supported tailored events that make it more appealing to participate and build enthusiasm.”

Supporting School Celebrations

Schools used the funds for drive-through celebrations, College Signing Days, yard signs, shirts and other gear, and gift bags. WCAN’s College Bound Regional Officers were available to schools for advice and guidance on the planning process and event day.

College Signing Days are celebrations for seniors who have received an acceptance letter from a university. One celebration supported by Sue Johnson, a College Bound Regional Officer in North Central Washington, celebrated 114 seniors from Cashmere High School.

“We had a great College Signing Day thanks to a grant from WCAN. The seniors in attendance were all very appreciative,” said Marcia Fall, counselor at Cashmere High School. “Sue and the folks at WCAN have our gratitude!” 

Kurt Reeser, College Bound Regional Officer supporting the Southwest Washington region, supported Kelso High School’s postsecondary signing celebration. 

“We had 67 seniors attend and all had a blast,” says Nicole Johnson, Post-Secondary Career Coordinator at Kelso High School. “Without WCAN, we wouldn’t have been able to provide a fun, socially-distanced celebration for them. Thank you so much for the support!”

College Bound Regional Officer Anna Fulford worked with Kingston Middle School on a raffle to encourage attendance at a virtual career event. Students filled out a career survey and learned what income they will need to live their desired lifestyle. Once they were finished with all the surveys, students were encouraged to look up professions and their educational requirements.

“Students were amazed by what their annual income needs to be and how much schooling they need to get their dream job,” says Stephanie Robinson, counselor at Kingston Middle School. “The event helped us go from having 15 percent of our students meet the 8th grade High School and Beyond requirement to having more than 75 percent of our students meet the requirement.” 

“It can be hard to get students to show up to virtual events, so it was really great to see the turnout we were able to achieve with the incentives,” Anna says.

Creating a Network of Support

WCAN professionals collaborate with state agencies, schools and districts, and community organizations to create a support network for low-income students who enroll in Washington state’s College Bound Scholarship.

We believe that all students can pursue a postsecondary credential. We also believe that it will take bold collective action to increase postsecondary enrollment for all.

No one entity alone can support the over 300,000 students that have pledged to be College Bound. Yet together, we can provide students with the necessary information and support needed to pursue a postsecondary pathway.

We collaborate with students and professionals to create:

• Clear, accessible, culturally competent materials for students preparing for a postsecondary pathway;
• Trainings and workshops for student advocates, engaging local communities in career and postsecondary content through collaborative discussions and sharing of promising practices;
• Student engagement initiatives, creating a bigger platform for student voices through College Bound pledging, financial aid completion, and college signing events.

WCAN is grateful for this partnership with WSAC and their funding of this persistence campaign.