Grant-funded Limitless network brings Yakima students to CWU

To many high school students, college can seem like a far-off dream meant for somebody else.

In order to help make that dream become more attainable, Central Washington University, in partnership with Yakima School District (YSD), has joined the Limitless Post-Secondary Enrollment Network, a statewide initiative dedicated to examining and optimizing the transition from high school to college.

The CWU-YSD partnership has received a $100,000 grant through the network, to be distributed over the course of a four-year period, to support this work. The Limitless network, administered by Education First and funded through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, tasks its 25 participating partnerships with expanding their horizons on higher education enrollment by hosting annual gatherings and other learning activities over the course of four years.

A delegation from YSD visited the CWU Ellensburg campus on April 17 for one such gathering. The delegation included five YSD administrators, along with a large cohort of students from the district’s College in the High School program. Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center Director Bonnie Smith said the visit helped administrators from both organizations gain a ground-level perspective on the work ahead of them.

“In our grant work, we sit at a high level and discuss policy, but it’s not often that we get a view of what’s happening at the ground level,” she said. “This visit was an important step in learning what our counterparts at CWU are doing to further our combined efforts, and get to know our partners better in the process.”

The Limitless partnership focuses on CWU’s College in the High School program, a learning opportunity that allows students at participating high schools to take college courses for college credit for free through a network of partnered teachers.

The partnership is working to expand participation in this program, allowing more YSD students to access free college credits before they graduate from high school. YSD Superintendent Dr. Trevor Greene sees it as part of a multi-pronged effort to send more of his students to college.

“We’re very excited about having multiple pathways for our students to access college, and the possibility through College in the High School for our students to earn college credit before they graduate,” he said. “We’ll continue to work with CWU to make sure that we extend that opportunity to as many students as possible.”

One of the many benefits of the CWU-YSD partnership through the Limitless network is an increased focus on metrics and data-gathering. Since each member of the network is expected to contribute to the project’s overall understanding of how students move through Washington’s education system, the work places heavy emphasis on detailed reporting—a feature CWU Dean of Undergraduate Studies Yoshiko Takahashi believes will create new opportunities for everyone involved.

“The data capacity is an important aspect of this collaboration,” she said. “With the heightened focus on student metrics, we’ll be in a better position to understand who’s choosing CWU and why, as well as which students might need more help.”

This collaboration builds on more than two decades of collaboration between YSD and CWU, thanks to well-aligned goals and geographical proximity. Greene said the opportunity to visit the CWU campus is often what makes the difference in a student’s decision to enroll.

“To have this equitable access opportunity to experience campus life, and to see how close CWU is and explore the opportunities available here, that really gives them a vision for what their future could be,” he said. “It’s not as far away as one might think, especially for students who are very closely tied to their family and their home. If you can’t imagine what the future holds, how can you ever see yourself moving beyond your present circumstances?”

CWU Director of Concurrent Enrollment and High School Partnerships Kyle Carrigan concurred, adding that getting the word out about the opportunities available to students is key in keeping the program’s momentum going.

“It’s really important for us to maintain a close relationship with our neighbors 45 minutes down the road, and this program will help us do so in the long term,” he said. “Letting students know that these experiences are only a short drive away, and transition seamlessly into a college career, that’s incredibly valuable.”