DIRECT SERVICE
Northwest Education Access (NWEdA) provides holistic, long-term postsecondary support that is individualized to the student and prioritizes their academic and career goals. We serve students ages 16-29 years old who are outside the traditional K-12 system in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
WHO WE SUPPORT
We serve Opportunity Youth, which we define as young people who are disconnected from education and/or livable wage employment. There are over 100,000 Opportunity Youth in Washington State, which represents 12% of this age population
Many students with whom we work come from nontraditional backgrounds and face various challenges that make navigating or completing their education difficult. This includes barriers such as housing instability, financial insecurity, lack of access to basic needs, a difficulty in navigating childcare resources, the challenge of exiting the foster care system, or the difficulty in finding educational environments that support our neurodivergent young people.
In addition to our direct-service program, NW Education Access offers capacity building assistance to organizations and institutions. We are also the backbone convener of the Puget Sound collective impact network, known as the Sound Reengagement Collaborative.
HOW WE WORK
Postsecondary Navigation and Support
Our team of Education Advocates provide students with one-on-one, individualized, long-term holistic support with:
Program & Career Exploration
Securing Funding/Financial aid
Admissions & Enrollment
Ongoing Academic Planning & Guidance
Campus & Community Resource Navigation.
a network of support
2023-2024 Demographics
We help youth prepare for higher education and meaningful employment. Our Education Advocates work with each student to create a career and academic achievement plan tailored to the student’s gifts and goals. Some NWEdA students choose a vocational or technical postsecondary track while others will choose an academic or professional track.
The NWEdA program model is based on having a team of education advocates located at partner sites throughout the community. We center our work on building trusting and supportive relationships with the young folks we serve and providing low-barrier support for students.
Students enrolled with NWEdA have access to our internal funding support including pre-college funding and applying to our quarterly scholarship.
We provide students with access to several networks to help them achieve their postsecondary goals.
NWEdA Education Access Network:
We have a network of volunteers, alumni, and staff who provide support to students through:
Academic Tutoring
Mentorship
Informational Interviews
Career Workshop
We facilitate events for students and alumni of our program as a way for them to build community with one another and increase their sense of belonging. Past events have included group museum visits, movie and game nights, painting pottery, and a fall kick-off party
Campus and Community Network:
We have developed intentional partnerships with GED & high school reengagement programs, community technical colleges, and community based organizations throughout our service region. Through these partnerships, we are engaging and listening to the people we serve, holding space for each other’s strengths, collectively identifying gaps across institutions, and creatively envisioning new ways of approaching the work. These partnerships also act as a support system for our students, ensuring that, as needs arise, we can connected them to necessary resources such as:
Academic Advising
Disability Services
Multicultural Center
Emergency Assistance
Job Shadowing
Career Exploration
Retention through postsecondary pathways is just as important as access, and NW Education Access continues to support students throughout their education journey. This includes providing ongoing academic support & guidance, renewing or reinstating financial aid, completing transfer applications, building self-advocacy skills, and addressing barriers and connecting to resources.
Counseling
Tutoring
Mental & Physical Health
Childcare
Legal/Immigration
Housing
Employment
Campus and Community Network: