Fourteen school districts, three colleges, and other partners in Southwest Washington will receive $3.3 million in Horizons Regional Grant Program funds, as announced this year by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a key regional partner for the grant program, Educational Service District (ESD) 112 will designate one grant-funded College and Career Readiness Advisor to each school district to work with students on career exploration, financial aid literacy, and future readiness. ESD 112 will also coordinate professional development opportunities that come with the grant.
Ocean Beach School District, Naselle-Grays River Valley School District, Wahkiakum School District, Castle Rock School District, Kalama School District, Hockinson School District, Trout Lake School District, Glenwood School District, Stevenson-Carson School District, White Salmon Valley School District, Klickitat School District, and Lyle School District will each receive a grant-funded College and Career Readiness Advisor. Additional rural schools will be added in subsequent years of the grant.
The Horizons Regional Grant Program helps students, especially BIPOC and first-generation college students in rural and low-income areas across Washington state, transition from K-12 education into postsecondary opportunities. This initiative aims to support students who face the most significant barriers to opportunity to gain better access to higher education pathways.
“Career and college readiness programs are crucial for equipping our students with the skills and guidance they need to navigate their futures successfully. At ESD 112, we are committed to creating more equitable pathways to higher education and career opportunities,” said Vickei Hrdina, Director of K12, Workforce and Higher Ed Partnerships at ESD 112.
In Hockinson School District, the grant-funded College and Career Readiness Advisor will work closely with Hockinson High School’s College & Career Resource Specialist. Hockinson High School District hired its first-ever College & Career Resource Specialist in 2023. Beginning last school year, students can access 35 free university credits at HHS with courses like environmental science, pre-calculus, statistics and more. The grant will allow Hockinson School District to continue expanding career and college readiness programs in the future.
School districts selected for the Horizons Regional Grant Program will also receive resources to improve student advising strategies and programs that prepare students for postsecondary success. School districts will also be given support to measure the impact of grant-funded career and college readiness initiatives so that they can refine approaches to best meet student needs.
ESD 112 is one of four Horizons Regional Grant Program partners in the state. Elevate / United Way of the Blue Mountains, Puget Sound ESD, and West Sound STEM Network / PREP (Postsecondary Regional Equity on the Peninsula) also coordinate Horizons grant programs in other regions throughout the state.
With the support of ESD 112 and the Horizons Regional Grant Program, school districts in Southwest Washington continue to strengthen career and college readiness programs to provide more equitable postsecondary pathways for students, with far-reaching impacts on the region’s future workforce and community.
