Across Western Washington, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) is bringing high school and college students together to strengthen civic participation, develop leadership, and build a movement for accessible, affordable, and equitable higher education.
From knocking on doors in Everett to engaging elected officials and organizing voter registration drives on college campuses, our student leaders are putting grassroots organizing into practice. These activities are part of our broader statewide electoral organizing program, connecting young people with opportunities to shape decisions affecting their education, families, and communities.
Everett: Young Leaders Take Their First Steps in Canvassing
In Everett, members of our Everett High School C4C Club knocked on 102 doors, marking their first experience participating in a community canvass.
For many students, this was an opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, practice communicating with community members, and experience firsthand what grassroots organizing looks like.
But organizing is also about building relationships and community. After the canvass, students celebrated their work with pizza and a Just Dance party, bringing some well-deserved fun to the experience.
These moments remind us that developing the next generation of leaders requires more than training. It requires creating welcoming spaces where young people can build confidence, develop friendships, and discover their collective power.
Connecting Student Experiences With Elected Officials
Our student leaders from Olympia, Auburn, Everett, Tukwila, West Seattle, and Seattle also participated in gatherings with Senator T. Krishnadasan and Senator Jamie Pedersen, creating opportunities for young people to engage directly with elected officials.
Students shared their experiences navigating higher education, including the challenges facing parenting students, immigrant students, and students transferring between colleges and universities.
These conversations are an important part of our leadership development model. We want students not only to understand how public policy affects their lives, but also to develop the confidence and relationships necessary to participate in shaping those decisions.
Building Civic Participation on College Campuses
Our electoral organizing efforts also continued through voter registration and student outreach at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, Clover Park Technical College, and South Seattle College.
Beyond providing voter registration information, our teams invited students to become more involved in organizing on their campuses and in their communities.
The response was encouraging. In one organizing drive at Pierce College, 25 students signed up to volunteer, while another 17 students signed up at Clover Park Technical College. Together, these efforts identified 42 students interested in taking the next step toward civic participation and community organizing.
Each new relationship helps us expand our base and build the infrastructure for sustained student engagement beyond any single election.
Building a Statewide Movement, One Relationship at a Time
These activities reflect a central part of C4C’s organizing model: building a multiracial, student-centered movement rooted in community colleges, high schools, and the communities they serve.
Whether students are canvassing their neighborhoods, speaking with elected officials, or encouraging their peers to participate in elections, they are developing the skills, relationships, and collective confidence needed to create change.
Our work across Western Washington is connected to ongoing organizing in Eastern and Central Washington, bringing communities together around a shared vision of higher education as a public good.
Because protecting our democracy and transforming higher education begins with investing in people—and building the power of students and communities to shape their own futures.