e-Newsletter

June 2026

On May 28, 2026 at the Mount Vernon Library Commons, over 100 educators, counselors, administrators, college partners, community partners, and workforce leaders attended the High School & Beyond Community of Practice convening organized by Career Connect NW hosted at the Northwest Educational Service District 189. The event, On the Frontier of Education: Riding Together Toward What’s Next, provided a space to collaborate and share best practices within the region and beyond. Read more about the insightful presentations and take-aways from the wild-west-themed event. 

Career Connect NW connects industry, education, and community partners to meet career development needs of Northwest Washington’s youth in an equitable and
accessible way. 

We focus on increasing awareness and access to High Wage/High Demand
career opportunities in the 5-county region.

We use data to ensure we are connecting young people to careers in an equitable way, including people who are historically underrepresented in STEM fields, students of color, women, students living in rural areas, and students living in poverty.  

Kim Reykdal (left) and Tim McClain (right) from OSPI presenting their session at the High School & Beyond Community of Practice. 

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's (OSPI) Kim Reykdal, Director of Graduation & Pathway Preparation accompanied by Tim McClain, Dual Credit Program Supervisor shared their vision for the future of the High School & Beyond Plan, including SchooLinks implementation updates.

Randy Spaulding from State Board of Education shares FutureReady initiative to change high school graduation requirements.  

State Board of Education's (SBE) Randy Spaulding and Washington School Counselor Association's (WSCA) Lauren Mendez presented SBE's FutureReady strategic plan initiative aimed at updating Washington state high school graduation requirements, with an anticipated proposal to the legislature in 2027. Participants had many questions about the time, cost, and effort it would take in the high schools to implement the initiative, if passed. Learn more about the proposed changes and how you can offer feedback now.

CTE Dual Credit Proviso Partners presenting at the CTE Dual Credit Summit portion at the High School & Beyond Community of Practice: Anna Labitzke from Everett Community College (left), Alana Dalgarn from Bellingham Technical College and Whatcom Community College (middle), and Ali Holmes from Skagit Valley College (right). 

The CTE Dual Credit Summit provided a space for K-12 and higher education partners to collect feedback on a regional Dual Credit Database, a CTE Dual Credit Guidebook for CTE Educators, and an updated Articulation Request Form. The Summit was held as part of the High School & Beyond Community of Practice convening on May 28, 2026. Find out who presented and the innovative tools being developed.

Coalition members posing for a group photo at the gathering at Western Washington University in between group work to connect students and employers. 

On May 21, 2026 Career Connect NW convened the NW Education and Workforce Coalition at Western Washington University, including partners within the Northwest Workforce Council's footprint of Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties. All the organizations united around a shared goal: strengthening pathways from education to career. Read more about who attended, who presented, and highlights.  

Darin Chase, Precision Machining faculty at Everett Community College's Advanced Manufacturing Training & Education Center, showcases a national competition project during the tour. 

The Manufacturing, Engineering, and Welding Community of Practice gathered at at Everett Community College's Advanced Manufacturing Training & Education Center, known as AMTEC, April 28 to work on strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways. Read more about the plan to align CTE high school courses and college curriculum  to increase dual credit opportunities.  

Washington State Ferries and partners pose by their activity station for high school students to explore maritime careers at Blue Tech by the Bay in Fisherman's Pavilion on April 28, 2026.

The Port of Bellingham and Career Connect NW co-hosted the second annual Blue Tech by the Bay event with support from the Working Waterfront Coalition, Whatcom Working Waterfront, NW Maritime Apprenticeship, and Bellingham SeaFeast. More than 110 students from 11 different high school attended the event at Squalicum Harbor, Fisherman's Pavilion, and the marina. Read more about the employers and community resource partners who provided activity stations, feedback from students, and Stats-at-a-Glance from the event.

Engage in the history of the land and the experiences of Indigenous peoples at this professional development.

Whether you are beginning your journey in culturally responsive education or seeking to deepen existing practices, Teachers for the People: Grounding Indigenous Ways of Being Using the Culturally Responsive Framework experience is an opportunity to learn, reflect, and grow alongside colleagues committed to creating more equitable educational experiences for all students. This three-day professional development event will be held at Skagit Valley College August 4 - August 6 and includes 15 Equity Clock Hours. Read more about this event, who’s presenting, and content details on our blog. You can also download the flyer for sharing! 

April 21-22: Pathways to Prosperity Conference 

Learning and sharing at the Pathways to Prosperity conference in New Orleans with Alyson Rotter, Olympic College (left), Kristi Lagrutta, Edmonds College (middle) and Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge, Career Connect NW (right).   

April 30: LEADER Spring Convening

Vanessa Woo stands with Teachers for the People partner Janis Velasquez-Farmer, Dr. Adam Kay, and Superintendent Dr. Ismael Vivanco. LEADER (Leaders in Education Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Racial justice) is a community-driven initiative focused on elevating representation in Washington's education workforce.

May 19: 2026 Maritime Workforce Forum 

Career Connect NW's Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge presenting along with Everett Community College's Dr. Renuka Prabhakar, Associated General Contractors (AGC) Education Foundation's Sarah Patterson, and event facilitator Ann Avary, Director of the NW Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing and Technology at the Maritime Workforce Forum at the Port of Bellingham.

June 2: Marysville School District Teacher Academy Celebration

Ryan Beatty, Career & College Readiness Director, and Teachers for the People instructor, Lauren Lindbloom, present at Marysville School District Teacher Academy Celebration.

Career Connect NW Team Wishing You the BEST Summer! 

Vanessa Woo, Jenny Veltri, Mary Powers, Donovan Tate, and Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge (left to right) 

August 11, 2026: "College Experience Day" at Western Washington University hosted by FuturesNW and Compass 2 Campus. Free Summer program for high school juniors and seniors (class of 2026 & 2027) to explore college life. Read more about the event and apply by July 13. Questions? Contact Sage Borgias at sborgias@futuresnw.org. 

Looking for Clock Hours?

Image by Kumar Sharma from Pixabay.

July 8 - July 30, 2026: Conversations Around Conscious Discipline - Summer Session. This 8-session online course combines Canvas and Zoom sessions for educators who want to build strong, resilient classroom communities. Learn more and register now for Early Bird Pricing! 

Image by NASTER from Pixabay

July 14 - July 16, 2026: Teacher Training Workshop on Forest Management. Sierra Pacific Industries is partnering with several organizations to provide a free field-based training workshop for those who teach grades 6-12. This workshop also offers 15 STEM clock hours, with meals and lodging in Skagit County all included. Learn more about the location, logistics, and registration.  

August 4 - August 6, 2026: Teachers for the People: Grounding Indigenous Ways of Being Using the Cultural Responsive Framework. Grounded in regional and Tribal perspectives, this three-day professional development experience at Skagit Valley College will support educators and school teams in developing an individual Culturally Responsive Education (CRE) educator identity, engage with the history of the land, the experiences of Indigenous peoples, and the ongoing impacts of historical and systemic inequities affecting Indigenous partner communities today. Learn more about registration and clock hours. 

August 17- August 18, 2026: School Safety Symposium: Circle of Trust. This hands-on workshop at the Mount Vernon Library Commons is designed for school teams central to fostering a culture of safety in your district and includes interactive, scenario-based training. Find out more about the presenters, clock hours, and registration. 

Just in time for summer learning, check out these fully asynchronous Canvas course options related to helping students with High School & Beyond planning! Participants can earn STEM or equity clock hours.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

If you are having an event and would like us to share it widely, you can enter your event in this form. We review each event and then add them to our "Upcoming Events" webpage tab and the next newsletter. It makes it easier to for people see what's happening in the region and when! 

Thank you for reading our newsletter! To learn more, visit our website: www.nwesd.org/ccnw

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Career Connect NW

Northwest Educational Service District 189

1601 R Avenue, Anacortes, WA 98221 US