Navigating Shifts In Higher Education To Expand Opportunity
The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) reports a notable decline in student enrollment at public colleges in our state from the fall of 2019 to 2022. Community and technical colleges experienced a significant 25% drop in enrollment rates, while public four-year institutions saw a 10% decrease in undergraduate enrollment. Importantly, this decline reflects a nationwide […]
Pierce County Exec’s Veto Will Harm Pierce County Kids. There Was Another Way
The Community Needs Fund was more than just a budgetary line item; it represented a beacon of hope and support for those at the grassroots level, tirelessly working to uplift our neighborhoods. The proposed fund, part of the 2024-2025 Biennial Budget, was slated to invest $1.27 million into the community, a much-needed lifeline for programs addressing homelessness, food insecurity, and senior citizen support among other urgent needs.
Partnerships with Purpose: Announcing Recipients of $1.2 Million Challenge Grant
The Foundation for Tacoma Students (FFTS) is proud to announce the awarding of 20 grants totaling $575,000 to local organizations through the Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) fund. In partnership with Pierce County, these grants will support critical out-of-school programs for youth who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
The State of Public Education: A Journey of Equity, Access, and Empowerment
The second annual State of Public Education convening on October 25 serves as a powerful reminder of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in building a just and equitable education system.
A Call for Strategic, Empathetic Action for Education Reform
The Foundation for Tacoma Students recently hosted the second annual State of Public Education convening on October 25, an event that brought together community members, leaders, and advocates united by a common goal: advancing the success of every child in our community. During this gathering, Dr. Tafona Ervin, esteemed Executive Director of the Foundation, delivered […]
Convening For A Cause: The Launch Of The Collaborative Action Consortium
For over a decade, the Graduate Tacoma movement has fostered cross-sector partnerships called Collaborative Action Networks (CANs) to support youth from cradle to career. These networks, including Tacoma College Support, Out-of-School and Summer Learning, Early Learning and Reading, STEAM, and the Graduate Tacoma Advocacy Network, have now merged to form the Collaborative Action Consortium. The […]
CARA Partnership Powers New Peer Support at TCC
With the support of ECMC Foundation and in partnership with The Foundation for Tacoma Students, CARA’s peer to peer persistence model has been off and running at Tacoma Community College in Tacoma Washington since January of 2022. This summer, Shalema Henderson (Senior Director of College Allies and Persistence Partnerships), finally had the opportunity to visit Tacoma and observe […]
Rekindling Trust in Higher Education: The Imperative of Financial Aid Programs
The Imperative of Financial Aid Programs At the Foundation for Tacoma Students (FFTS), we firmly believe that policy strategies aimed at increasing postsecondary enrollment rates should prioritize improving the uptake of existing financial aid and expanding financial aid programs. According to a July 2023 Gallup survey, only 36 percent of Americans expressed a “great deal” […]
Policy Learning Tour 2023: Movers and Shakers In The Local Community
We’ve recently wrapped up another exciting adventure at the Foundation for Tacoma Students: our annual Policy Learning Tour! This event brought together policymakers, elected officials, state agency leaders, and all of us passionate about reshaping education and workforce pathways. This isn’t your typical adult field trip – it is instead a deep dive into the […]
FFTS Partners with County to Fund Expanded Learning Opportunities
The Foundation for Tacoma Students (FFTS) is proud to announce the awarding of 20 grants totaling $575,000 to local organizations through the Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) fund. In partnership with Pierce County, these grants will support critical out-of-school programs for youth who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic