Nov. 21, 2019

Contact:   

Barb Childs
206-934-4087
barbara.childs@seattlecolleges.edu

Seattle Promise Expands to All Seattle Public High School Students; Apply Now

SEATTLE – Graduates of Seattle public high schools now have access to two years (or up to 90 credits) of tuition-free college at Seattle Colleges thanks to the newly expanded Seattle Promise program.

This year’s class of 399 Seattle Promise students, a 43 percent increase from last year, is projected to grow exponentially as the program expands from six Seattle public high schools to all 17 schools.

In November 2017, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an Executive Order to create the Seattle Promise College Tuition Program, which builds off Seattle Colleges’ successful 13^th Year Promise Scholarship. In November 2018, Seattle voters overwhelmingly passed the Mayor’s Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy, which expanded Seattle Promise to include graduates from all Seattle public high schools.

“We want all students to know and believe college is a possibility,” said Seattle Colleges’ chancellor Shouan Pan. “Through wraparound services, Seattle Promise gives all students, especially first generation and underserved youth, a real and equitable pathway for college education and success in the world of work.”

“On my first full day in office, we created the Seattle Promise College Tuition Program to provide our students two free years at any of our Seattle Colleges,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “Access to post-secondary education is so critical to ensuring we close the opportunity gap in our region, put more young people on a path to good-paying jobs, and create a more affordable future for our children. I’m grateful to Chancellor Pan and Superintendent Juneau for their commitment to making the Seattle Promise a reality."

Seattle Promise provides tuition, funding for school-related expenses for those with need, and individual guidance and advising from high school through a student’s first two years of college regardless of GPA, income or country of birth.

“This combination is what sets the program apart,” said Melody McMillian, Seattle Promise program director. “Students are met where they have need, supported by peers who are also going through the program, and guided individually by an advisor all along the way. The design is deliberately holistic and is improving student success.”

Seattle Promise is a partnership with the City of Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning and Seattle Public Schools. The program, primarily funded by the city of Seattle’s Family, Education Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy with additional private support through the Seattle Colleges Foundation, is focused on providing college access, success, and completion with a mission to build a local thriving college-going culture that creates a workforce ready for our region’s careers.

Applications for the Seattle Promise class of fall 2020 are now open until Feb. 15, 2020. Seattle Public School students are encouraged to start the application process in the fall of their senior year.

“I want all of our graduates to see themselves in meaningful and fulfilling careers, earning living-wages in a city they love,” said Seattle Public Schools superintendent Denise Juneau. “Seattle Promise is one of the programs that is going to help us get them there.”

Visit the Seattle Promise website at seattlecolleges.edu/promise to learn more.

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Seattle Colleges is Washington state’s largest college district, with more than 46,000 students enrolled each year. It is composed of Seattle Central College, North Seattle College, South Seattle College, and six specialty centers. Seattle Colleges offers more than 135 workforce education and training programs that lead to bachelor’s degrees in high-growth industries, associate degrees in various disciplines, certificates in professional-technical programs, and transfer degrees to universities throughout the United States.

In 2018, Seattle Colleges partnered with the city of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools to launch Seattle Promise with the aim of increasing the number of public high school graduates earning certificates, credentials, and degrees.

SEATTLE— After 40 years with Seattle Colleges, Chancellor Jill Wakefield has announced her retirement, effective June 2016. She was appointed as chancellor in 2009, becoming the district’s first female in that position. When she retires, she will be the longest-serving chancellor in the district’s history.

Dr. Wakefield started with the district as a program assistant in the veterans office at South Seattle Community College, then served as public information officer, director of development, vice president for institutional advancement, and vice president for instruction, as well as president from 2003 to 2008.

SEATTLE—Louise Chernin, president and CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), has been appointed to the Seattle College District Board of Trustees by Gov. Jay Inslee, effective Aug. 1, 2015. She is replacing Courtney Gregoire, whose term has expired.

“The GSBA is the largest LGBT Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. and a well-known advocate for business and civil rights,” says Seattle Colleges Chancellor Jill Wakefield. “One of the things that makes Chernin and her organization special is their scholarship work. Since 1990, the GSBA has given more than $2 million to 450 LGBTQ students in Washington—many of the recipients being Seattle Colleges students. Her combination of leadership, business savvy, community outreach, and commitment to education makes her an ideal member of our board.”

SEATTLE — The Seattle College District announced today that Vigor Industrial has been named its 2014 Constance W. Rice Partner of the Year. Vigor was chosen for its partnership with South Seattle College to provide space for the Harbor Island Training Center, which serves maritime and industrial fabrication companies across the region and trains the next generation of welders.

SEATTLE — Today, Seattle Colleges and Chancellor Jill Wakefield will join President Obama, the First Lady, and Vice President Biden along with hundreds of college presidents and higher education leaders to announce new actions to help more students prepare for and graduate from college.

SEATTLE — Teresita Batayola has been appointed to the Seattle College District Board of Trustees by Governor Jay Inslee, effective Oct. 20, 2014.

Batayola, CEO of International Community Health Services (ICHS) in Seattle, is one of five members of the Board of Trustees appointed to five-year terms by the governor. “We are pleased to welcome Teresita to our board,” says Chancellor Jill Wakefield. “She understands the health care industry, has valuable insight on our local community, and is very articulate about the challenges we face in this global economy.”

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has announced that the Seattle College District is the recipient of its 2014 Charles Kennedy Equity Award. The national award recognizes institutions that demonstrate evidence of leadership in setting policies, championing an environment of inclusivity, and ensuring results for the success, enhancement and expansion of opportunities for women and underrepresented and underserved communities.

Recently, four South Seattle College students were selected to attend the prestigious Grace Hopper Conference. The conference, named after the pioneering computer scientist Grace Hopper, is touted as the “world’s largest gathering of women technologists.” This year’s conference is headlined by industry heavy-hitters including Microsoft’s new CEO, Satya Nadella.
 

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has announced that the Seattle College District is the recipient of the 2014 Pacific Region Equity Award. “This is a distinct honor,” says Seattle Colleges Chancellor Jill Wakefield. “We are committed to diversity and equity in educational opportunity for the communities and students we serve. We appreciate the opportunity to share our story and the role we are privileged to play in changing lives.”

At its meeting March 13, 2014, the Seattle Community Colleges District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the name of the District to Seattle Colleges and to change the names of the colleges to North Seattle College, Seattle Central College, and South Seattle College.

Four candidates have been named as finalists in the search for a new president at North Seattle Community College.  The finalists are Warren J. Brown, Ed.D.; Daryl Campbell, J.D.; Richard Penny, Ph.D., M.B.A.; and Rachel H. Solemsaas, Ed.D.

SEATTLE - The Seattle Community Colleges are among 12 community colleges across the country selected to participate in the Walmart Brighter Futures 2.0 Project, which is supported by a $3.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to the League for Innovation in the Community College (League).

In Seattle, the grant will assist up to 1,500 students preparing for Healthcare and Manufacturing jobs through activities such as program curriculum updates and enhanced job search support.

North Seattle Community College President Mark Mitsui has been selected to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges in the U.S. Department of Education.   Mitsui will take the post on Aug. 12, 2013. He will work in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, which focuses on career, technical, adult and correctional education across the country, with a special emphasis on programs involving community colleges. His role supports the President’s, the Secretary’s and the Department’s agenda on community college access and completion.

North Seattle Community College received approval today from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (WSBCTC) to offer a new Bachelor of Applied Science degree in International Business that will provide area residents with an affordable path to family-wage jobs in Seattle’s international trade arena.

“Seattle's strengths as a center for international trade match the strengths of the students of North Seattle Community College and the Seattle Community College district,” said Mark Mitsui, president of North Seattle Community College.

It’s FREE as Part of Seattle Central’s Creative Arts Series.  Sherman Alexie, noted local poet, author, and filmmaker will discuss his literary works, his personal observations and the importance of National Poetry Month on April 24, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Egyptian Theatre, 805 East Pine Street. The event is free and open to the public.

Talk story sessions featuring community leaders, faculty and students.  South's new Asian American Native American Pacific Islander student success center will hold an open house January 8, 2013, featuring panelists from the community, including Sharon Tomiko Santos, Kendee Yamaguchi, Shirley Hune, and Albert Shen...

Funds support high school to college transition services

The foundation for Seattle Community Colleges today announced it received a $15,000 grant from the BAnk of America Charitable Foundation.  This gift will benefit up to 100 incoming College Bound Scholarship seniors across the multi-college district through the Readiness Academy.

Governor Chris Gregoire has appointed two members to the Board of Trustees for the Seattle Community Colleges:  Businesswoman Carmen Gayton and Attorney Courtney Gregoire.

Registration is required. Please call (206) 934-5448. All events: Dinner 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. / Program 6:30 to 8 p.m. Fall

Thursday, October 25th – 5:45 to 8 p.m. - $35 (Reserve by Oct. 18) Seattle Sonics: What REALLY happened, and making sure it doesn’t happen again Hear from those who were intimately involved in the events that led to the Sonics leaving Seattle for Oklahoma City. Learn about the complexity of building a new basketball facility, a requirement for Seattle to get an NBA basketball team. BOB WALSH with guest speakers: WALLY WALKER former president, owner and player - the Seattle Sonics STEVE RUDMAN Co-founder

Seattle Community Colleges has received a $3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase the number of students who complete college-level coursework and earn a certificate or degree.

The three-year Pathway to Completion grant addresses a key barrier for students who enroll at the community colleges.

The Seattle Community Colleges are extending the public comment period on proposed changes to rules in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) affecting the use of district facilities and grounds for limited public forums. The proposed changes to chapters 132F-136 and

King County Executive Dow Constantine will release the final King County Aerospace Study... Six specific action points have been cited as crucial to creating sustainability and fostering the long-term economic vitality, growth and global competitiveness of the local aerospace industry...  South has a long and rich history of producing Aviation Technicians. South’s hangar at Boeing field is a unique public/private partnership that was the result of a $1 million fundraising campaign by South’s Foundation.

 In the midst of the recession, Time Magazine identified entrepreneurship as one of the top ten jobs.

New University of Washington President Michael Young will be keynote speaker at district-wide Convocation for faculty and staff at the Seattle Community Colleges...The district sends more students to the UW than any other college district, where they do as well or better than students who start at UW as freshmen ...

On August 31 and September 1 Seattle Central Community College will host a training exercise for emergency responders.

Business and Government Leaders Hosted by North Seattle Community College  The Sustainable Growth Summit, led by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in partnership with North Seattle Community College and the State of Washington Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, was held on July 8, 2011. This daylong event, hosted by and held on North’s campus, was a great success.

South Seattle Community College will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2011 at the annual commencement ceremony taking place at Benaroya Hall, at 2:30 pm on Thursday, June 16....  This year, 853 students have earned degrees and certificates, including 410 in academic transfer, 336 in professional/technical studies and multi-occupational trades, and 27 students in the college’s four-year Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Hospitality Management degree program. The graduating class also includes 42 new Registered Nurses and seven dual-graduate Running Start students, who are receiving a college AA degree and high school diploma concurrently.  Behind the numbers are many student stories....

The Seattle Community Colleges, the Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center and the Manufacturing Industrial Council of Seattle are hosting a May 19 conference on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in the workforce at the Georgetown Campus of South Seattle Community College.  The gathering will take a "roll up your sleeves" approach to the anticipated shortfall of qualified manufacturing and industrial workers in the region and create an action plan through cooperation among industry, labor, the public schools and community colleges.