In the week leading up to May Day, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) mobilized across Central Washington — connecting with students, building civic participation, and helping bring communities together to defend democracy, higher education, and our local economies.
In just one week, we connected directly with 635 students and community members across Yakima, Grandview, and Pasco, while helping support the mobilization of approximately 150 people for May Day marches in Yakima and Sunnyside. This work marks the beginning of our broader electoral power-building campaign — grounded in student leadership and community engagement.
Reaching Students Where They Are
Our outreach focused on meeting students in the spaces where they learn and live. We conducted visits across: Davis High School (Yakima), Eisenhower High School (Yakima), Yakima Valley College (Yakima and Grandview), and Columbia Basin College (Pasco).
Through these visits, we engaged hundreds of first-generation students, working youth, and immigrant families in conversations about the importance of a well-funded and accessible community college system.
We also invited students to participate in our upcoming August Conference — a space to build leadership, share experiences, and organize for change.
Just as important, we listened. Students shared the barriers they face — affordability, lack of resources, and navigating systems that often overlook their realities. These conversations continue to shape our work and reinforce the need for structural investment in higher education.
Expanding Civic Participation: Building Electoral Power
This outreach is not just about awareness — it is about building long-term power.
As part of this effort, we are launching a statewide voter education and registration campaign throughout the month of May, with events across: Yakima, Sunnyside, Tacoma, Bothell, Spokane, Everett, Lakewood, Pasco, and Grandview.
Through tabling events led by fellows, student leaders, and organizers, we are:
- Registering new voters
- Sharing information about how decisions on education funding are made
- Connecting students to issues that directly impact their lives
This work is about strengthening the political voice of students and working families — ensuring they are not only affected by decisions, but actively shaping them.
Looking ahead, this campaign will continue into the summer with the launch of our canvassing program, building toward the Get Out The Vote (GOTV) season in September. Our goal is to ensure that students and communities most impacted by higher education policy are organized, informed, and ready to participate.
May Day: Defending Our Communities and Our Future
On May 1st, C4C members and partners joined May Day marches in Yakima and Sunnyside, helping mobilize approximately 150 participants.
We marched alongside students, families, and community organizations in defense of:
- Immigrant rights
- Worker dignity
- Civil rights and fundamental freedoms
- Equitable access to education
As reflected in local coverage of the marches, communities came together to speak out against policies that threaten safety, stability, and opportunity.
Our presence made clear that the fight for free and accessible higher education is deeply connected to the fight for immigrant rights, economic justice, and democracy.
When students feel unsafe, when education becomes unaffordable, and when communities are pushed to the margins, it impacts not only individuals — but the strength of our local economies and the future of our state.
Building Toward What’s Next
From classrooms to community spaces to the streets, this work is about building power.
In just one week, we connected with 635 students and community members, helped mobilize 150 people for May Day, and launched a statewide voter education and registration effort. And we are just getting started.
Every conversation, every new voter, and every act of participation is strengthening a multiracial, student-led movement rooted in racial and economic justice — one that is committed to transforming higher education in Washington.
Together, we are not just responding to challenges. We are building the power needed to shape the future of our colleges, protect our communities, and strengthen our democracy.