TCSN is dedicated to increasing the percentage of Tacoma Public School graduates, especially students of color & those impacted by poverty, who enroll in a right-fit post-secondary degree or credential program & gain good-wage earning employment within six years of high school graduation.
People are the answer, not programs/services.
Keep Black/Brown, Indigenous, People of Color, and those impacted by poverty at the forefront.
Start with what’s working well vs. what’s broken.
The Tacoma College Support Network is our most senior network and predates the Foundation For Tacoma Students. The origins of TCSN brought together community-based organizations, colleges, and school district partners to strategize and partner on the challenges facing students and education. Today, collaborative efforts aim to support students in their college and credential attainment pathways. This is done with an eye for equity, data, and youth voice. TCSN pilots and incubates strategies to meet goals that can eventually be scaled and used across the school district.
In partnership with the Graduate Tacoma Advocacy Network and the Washington Student Achievement Council, TCSN helped inform the bill that ultimately passed in 2021 making CBS an automatic enrollment for qualifying students.
TCSN workgroup coordinates the collection of FAFSA/WASFA opportunities across the city and helps promote a calendar that ultimately supports students and families to know where they can find help completing their FAFSA/WASFA regardless of family circumstance and language.
TCSN partners were instrumental in a pilot that supported seniors transitioning out of high school during the first spring of the pandemic–This strategy is recognized at the state level as an innovative tool to ensure a smooth transition into a postsecondary pathway.
TCSN recognizes that the 2030 goal of 70 percent of students earning a degree, technical certificate, or gain a good-earning wage employment within six years of high school graduation will require strategic thought partnership and a systemic lens. We value the contribution and voice of every educator, community partner, parent and student in ensuring that the direction and strategies developed by the Tacoma College Support Network align with the needs of the community and an eye toward a bold and ambitious future.
Graduation, college, and work may seem far away, but this is the best time to start and make sure that you are on track to graduation.
Set your sighs on future college and career goals and take important steps toward preparing for your future beyond high school.
Regardless of which path you choose, junior year is the time to begin the conversation about your options and plan your next steps.
Now is the time to finalize plans and meet deadlines for the transition to college, technical school, apprenticeship, military, or career.
