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
How Policy Can Equip Educators and Empower Students
If we are to advance education justice, we must address the systemic barriers that prevent our students from accessing the excellent educators they deserve. Research confirms what we know – teachers are the most influential in-school factor driving student success. Yet many students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, end up with inexperienced teachers who may […]
Funding the Future: Achieving Equity in Washington’s K-12 Education System
We acknowledge that many advocates across Washington State believe it is time to rethink how Washington funds public education. As an ally and advocate for education justice, we offer these recommendations for consideration in achieving equity in Washington’s K12 education system. The policy decisions about how much we spend and how to invest and allocate […]