| Dear Friends,
As the school year draws to a close, I’m deeply grateful for your support and also recognize the growing urgency of our mission. WABS was born from a simple yet powerful belief: Equity in every school. Opportunity for every student.
Looking back, I'm filled with pride at the 30-year milestone we've reached together. But as we celebrate three decades of partnership and progress, the challenges facing our community and students are more pressing than ever. While projections show a nearly 13% surge in job growth in WA by 2032, a staggering shortfall of almost 600,000 credentialed workers looms large. This isn't just an economic statistic; it represents countless young people being locked out of family-wage careers and the upward mobility they deserve.
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That's why our mission at WABS is so vital. We're not just preparing students for jobs; we're igniting their potential and connecting them with pathways to fulfilling futures.
As you’ll read below, I recently witnessed the impact of your support firsthand at our Sound Careers in Healthcare event this spring. Imagine the spark in a student's eyes as they discovered a healthcare career they never knew existed. In fact, 99% of students reported increased awareness of healthcare careers, and an astounding 85% identified a concrete next step towards their goals after attending the event. These are real, life-changing moments taking shape towards a successful future.
These moments are made possible by you.
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As we launch this year’s GiveBIG campaign, I'm reaching out to you personally with a heartfelt invitation: become an even greater part of this transformative work. Your contribution, no matter the size, directly fuels crucial work.
Whether you choose to make a gift, amplify our mission by sharing our story with your network, or explore deeper partnership opportunities, your involvement will help us create a future where every student in Washington can thrive.
Your belief in our students makes all the difference.
With sincere gratitude and in partnership,
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Sound Careers in Healthcare 2025: Inspiring the Next Generation of Health Professionals
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This year’s Sound Careers in Healthcare (SCIH) event was a tremendous success, bringing together 670 students from 27 schools across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. In partnership with the Healthcare Industry Leadership Table (HILT) and the University of Washington’s Doctor for a Day (DFAD) program, WABS was proud to host this powerful career exploration opportunity at our new venue, the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. The expanded space allowed us to welcome more students than ever before, with 218 volunteers and vendors from 62 organizations engaging students through hands-on experiences, demonstrations, and career conversations.
We also introduced several new features this year to enhance student engagement and long-term impact. The launch of our
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Guidebook event app allowed us to share real-time updates and ongoing healthcare opportunities like internships, scholarships, and apprenticeships. Students could also explore visual healthcare career pathways tied directly to the fields featured at SCIH 2025. Through our SCIH Collaboration Framework, educators led pre-event preparation and post-event reflection lessons in classrooms. As a result, students were more intentional about their learning—85% identified a “next step,” a significant increase from last year.
The impact speaks for itself! 99% of students reported increased awareness of healthcare careers, and 78% said they are likely to pursue a healthcare career.
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We’re inspired by the growth of this event and deeply thankful to our partners at HILT and DFAD for helping make it possible. We look forward to following up with students later this month to learn more about their continued progress—and to building on this momentum in the years to come.
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| GiveBIG, Give Back: Empower Washington’s Future with WABS!
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We’re thrilled to team up with WAGives for this year’s GiveBIG campaign! Through this statewide fundraising initiative, we’re coming together to make a real difference for students and educators across Washington.
What is GiveBIG?
GiveBIG is a 48-hour online event that empowers individuals throughout the state to support local nonprofits. It's a chance for donors to show their support for organizations doing impactful work in their communities—and this year, WABS is honored to be part of the movement!
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Why does this matter for WABS?
Your support helps us create invaluable educational experiences for students, connect them with industry mentors, and equip them with skills that will shape their future careers. Every contribution you make goes toward expanding vital programs like Career Tours, STEM4Good, and educator development—ensuring that even more students benefit in the years ahead.
Ready to make an impact?
Join us and give today! Your donation will directly help us empower the next generation of leaders.
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Celebrating Family Leadership at Tacoma Public Schools
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In April, WABS had the honor of participating in Tacoma Public Schools’ final Superintendent Community Breakfast of the year - an inspiring morning filled with student performances, district highlights, and meaningful conversations about community, partnership, and supporting student success.
We were invited to share our presentation, “Partnering for Student Success: Family Engagement That Makes a Difference: The WABS Natural Leaders Approach.” Our session spotlighted how the Natural Leaders Academy is empowering families across TPS, with a special highlight on the powerful work taking place at Birney Elementary. We explored how the program builds family leadership, strengthens school communities, and aligns directly with TPS’s commitment to family connections and student success.
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Cheers to 30 Years of Impact and Counting! |
Showcase of Success was a truly inspiring event, and we were absolutely thrilled to see so many of you there. We are deeply grateful for your presence and your commitment to empowering students furthest from opportunity to achieve their dreams. Your support fuels our dedication to creating a future where every student can embrace their strengths and passions.
A special thank you to our amazing sponsors! Our platinum sponsor: Providence, our gold sponsor: The Boeing Company, sponsors at the Bronze level: Heritage Bank, Kaiser Permanente, Port of Seattle, Symetra, and WGU, and our community sponsors: Edmonds College, Greenwood Ohland, Live Oak AV, and Sasha Summer Cousineau!
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We are excited for the future and look forward to continuing this important work together.
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| Port of Seattle Receives Distinguished Education Partnership Award! |
At Showcase of Success, we were honored to present our Distinguished Education Partnership Award to Port of Seattle.
Since 2018, the Port of Seattle has been a steadfast partner to WABS in the shared mission to prepare students for the workforce. From their backing of the Teach2Connect program, to hosting many Career Tours, to supporting STEM4Good, the collaboration with WABS has directly impacted more than 4,000 students in just the past three years.
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The Port has gone above and beyond, playing an active role in helping co-design and implement programming, supporting strategic initiatives, and providing leadership through participation on the Board and Industry Advisory Council.
Thank you to the Port of Seattle and Commissioner Ryan Calkins for your leadership, vision, and commitment and congratulations. Read more about our partnership.
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Celebrating Our Outstanding Leadership Award Recipient, Briana Preimesberger! |
We were honored to recognize Briana Preimesberger, from the Boeing Company, as this year’s Outstanding Leadership Award recipient!
For the past five years, she has been a dedicated champion of WABS programs like STEM4Good and Family STEM Nights, showing up with leadership, reliability, and heart.
Briana’s impact goes beyond logistics—she builds real connections, making STEM accessible and inspiring students to see themselves in these fields. Her unwavering commitment to education and equity has made a lasting difference in the lives of so many.
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From last-minute volunteer cancellations to sessions needing extra support, Briana has been a reliable and experienced leader who ensures the program not only continues but thrives. She bridges STEM concepts and real-world applications by sharing her journey as a woman of color working in STEM to inspire and empower students to be innovative and creative. Her thoughtful preparation—such as memorizing student names and ensuring a seamless session flow—creates an inclusive and engaging environment that helps students see the relevance of STEM in their daily lives.
Congratulations, Briana! Your passion and dedication make WABS and our community stronger.
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Building Futures: 1,300+ Students Explore Careers in Architecture, Engineering & Construction
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Career Tours are gaining momentum! Over the last few months alone, more than 1,300 students from 13 districts have participated in hands-on learning experiences—with 30 more tours still to come before the school year wraps up.
This season, we’re shining a spotlight on careers in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction—thanks to the incredible support of Bassetti Architects, Lydig Construction, Coffman Engineers, and Perteet Inc.
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Students touring with Bassetti and Lydig got a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of their very own future school, offering a rare and inspiring perspective on the design and technical coordination that brings a building to life.
At Coffman Engineers and Perteet Inc., students explored real-world civil and structural engineering projects—mapping roadways using professional software, building catapults with limited materials, and constructing spaghetti marshmallow towers to test their resilience in simulated earthquakes.
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These engaging, hands-on experiences are just a few examples of how Career Tours are connecting classroom learning to the real world—sparking curiosity, building confidence, and inspiring the next generation of industry professionals.
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Become an Industry Mentor:
Share Your Expertise with Educators!
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WABS educator leadership program, Teach2Connect, will begin accepting applications for next year’s cohort starting in May!
This program aligns educators with industry mentors for a semester-long curriculum development collaboration. We are actively seeking mentors from all professional fields to provide industry insights. If you would like to be contacted about mentoring, please sign up below.
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Call for Volunteers: Turn Your STEM Skills Into Student Superpowers!
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We’re looking for volunteers to join our after-school program, STEM4Good! Help spark career curiosity and build essential collaboration skills through fun, hands-on activities—impacting over 1,000 students across the region.
When you volunteer with WABS, you become part of a passionate network of individuals dedicated to helping students thrive. Use your time and talent to inspire the next generation to discover their strengths, follow their passions, and dream big.
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Washington Alliance for Better Schools
18560 1st Avenue NE
Shoreline, WA 98155 US
EIN: 91-1698851
Nonprofit 501(c)(3)
wabsalliance.org
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