About

From 2017 to 2025, the Washington Student Engagement Networks (WA-SEN) was the student arm of the College Promise Coalition. The primary function of WA-SEN was to regularly recruit, train, and connect college students with policymakers at the district level, and annually during the legislative session in Olympia. This contact with elected officials and policy makers provides a student-centered perspective on access to higher education in Washington state.

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Washington Student Engagement Networks (WA-SEN) brought together students on private and public, 2-year and 4-year campuses to engage and educate legislators about the importance of higher education for all Washingtonians. We also partnered with aspiring college students through the College Success Foundation. Recruiting a diverse and inclusive student network was an essential component of WA-SEN’s commitment to advance equity, leading through the lens of race. The network included the 34 community and technical colleges, the six public baccalaureate universities, and the 10 private not-for-profit colleges across the state of Washington.

Systemic racism permeates every institution in our country. WA-SEN’s work was striving to ​create more equitable ​and increased access to higher education ​for Black, Indigenous, students of color, low-income students, and other historically marginalized students.

How we did it

• WA-SEN held an annual Student Summit in the fall with speakers and workshops to improve engagement, organizing, and speaking skills.
• WA-SEN sponsored advocacy days during the legislative session, typically during February.
• WA-SEN sponsored local or regionally based appointments with elected officials, where student advocates could have their voices heard and educate elected officials about the needs of students and the importance of funding college and education opportunities beyond high school.

Read the Guidebook to learn how you can do all of this and more.