Updates - Communities for Our Colleges

No Cuts to Our Future: Students and Educators Take Action on Presidents’ Day

On February 16, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) brought 133 students, educators, and community members from across Washington State to Olympia for our Presidents’ Day Lobby Day of Action — a powerful demonstration of statewide organizing and collective leadership.

Participants traveled from Spokane, Yakima Valley, the Tri-Cities, Everett, Kitsap County, Tacoma, Olympia, Bothell, Bellevue, Seattle, and South King County, representing community and technical colleges, high schools, unions, and community organizations. Together, we came with a clear purpose: to reject harmful cuts to higher education and demand bold investment in students, families, and our shared future.

Our Futures, Our Voices: Students Leading at the Capitol

Our Futures, Our Voices: Students Leading at the Capitol captures student leaders from across Washington State putting their training into practice during Communities for Our Colleges’ recent MLK Action Day at the state legislature. After months of organizing, preparation, and leadership development, students stepped into the halls of power to advocate directly with lawmakers on the policies shaping their futures — from free college and basic needs support to equitable funding for community and technical colleges.

No Cuts to Our Future: Students Across Washington Take Action on MLK Day

Yesterday, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) brought 107 students, educators, and community members from across Washington State to Olympia for our annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Action — not just to honor Dr. King’s legacy, but to push back against proposed budget cuts to higher education. Participants traveled from Yakima, Grandview, the Tri-Cities, Spokane, Seattle, Bothell, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia, and Tacoma to send a clear message: cutting higher education weakens our economy, narrows opportunity, and undermines democratic participation. On a day rooted in the fight for racial and economic justice, we came together to demand bold public investment in students, communities, and our shared future.

Dr. King reminded us that “the time is always right to do what is right.” On MLK Day, we honored that legacy not with words alone, but through collective action: elevating student voices, advancing our policy agenda, and demanding bold investments in higher education rather than harmful cuts.

Speaker Jinkins with C4C Tacoma, King County, & Olympia. January 19, 2026.

How Rural Small Businesses Are Rallying Behind Free College

Across rural Washington, small business owners are speaking up about an issue that is often framed as a student concern—but is just as much an economic one. The video “Rural Small Businesses Rallying Behind Free College” highlights a growing recognition among local entrepreneurs: tuition-free community and technical college is not a luxury, but a necessary investment in the future of rural communities.

For these business owners, free college is about more than affordability. It’s about ensuring that rural towns have the skilled workforce they need to survive and grow, and that young people don’t have to leave their communities behind in order to build stable, meaningful careers.

Strengthening Statewide Power: C4C Builds Community and Student Leadership in Spokane

As part of our commitment to building a truly statewide movement for educational justice, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) continues to organize actively in Spokane and across Eastern Washington. During the first week of December, we deepened ongoing relationships, expanded our base, and supported the leadership of students and families throughout the region. Our work in Spokane reaffirms that the fight for accessible and equitable colleges belongs to all of us — and that communities across the state are ready to shape Washington’s higher education future.

Leading from the Ground Up: How Students Are Transforming Washington’s Colleges

Across Washington State, students are stepping up to lead—not just in their classrooms, but in shaping the policies that define higher education.

“Leading from the Ground Up” follows student leaders in the Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) movement as they organize, advocate, and inspire change across campuses. From rallying for equitable funding and free college to sharing their personal stories of perseverance, these young leaders are proving that the future of our colleges lies in the power of collective action.

Beyond the Ballot Box: Centering Parenting Students in Higher Education Policy

“Democracy in Practice: Supporting Parenting Students in Washington” captures how democracy lives beyond the ballot box. For Communities for Our Colleges, democratic practice means shaping the policies and priorities that impact students’ lives — not just through elections, but through active participation in the institutions that govern our shared future.

Growing Student Power: High School and College Leaders Organize for Educational Equity

This fall, Communities for Our Colleges has continued deepening its organizing and leadership development work in Western Washington—this time with a powerful new addition: high school students. Through our fall fellowship program, student organizers from Bothell High School, Everett Community College (EvCC), and South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) have been working together to strengthen outreach, build leadership, and engage their peers in shaping the future of higher education in our state.

Making College More Accessible: Building Student & Community Power in Central Washington

On Saturday, October 25, at Yakima Valley College, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) brought together more than 80 students, families, and community members for a day of learning, dialogue, and collective action. The gathering—Making College More Accessible—was designed not only to provide information on college admissions, scholarships, and professional licensing but also to cultivate community leadership, strengthen grassroots organizing, and empower our communities to transform the policies that shape their lives.

Advancing Postsecondary Success for Parenting Students in Washington

Last Friday, Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) co-hosted an engaging strategy session focused on the experiences and needs of parenting students pursuing higher education in Washington State. The event, titled “Advancing Postsecondary Success for Parenting Students in Washington,” brought together students, advocates, and institutional leaders to identify solutions that can make college more accessible and equitable for student parents.