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30
Community Council
Recommendations
13
Support regional economic activ-
ity related to the arts and other
creative endeavors by increasing
opportunities for arts education for
all students.
a. Enhance collaboration between
arts programs in schools and the
region’s arts community.
b. Increase access to school-based,
private and semiprivate music
and arts programs, particularly
for underserved populations.
c. Develop or attract an arts-based
school to our region.
14
Provide more opportunities for
high-quality summer and after-
school programs that enhance
student engagement and support
the development of 21st century
skills for all students.
a. Build partnerships to increase
access to and provide better sup-
port for summer and after-school
programs.
b. Explore the creation of a destina-
tion summer education program
through collaboration between
educational institutions and tour-
ism partners (e.g., outdoor certi-
fications, engineering programs,
Walla Walla Valley resources).
15
Increase educational attainment
in the region by increasing the
percentage of adults (age 25 and
older) with a postsecondary de-
gree, certificate or other credential
from an accredited institution to
60 percent by 2025.
a. Define and measure gaps in
access and retention at all
educational levels and mea-
sure educational attainment
(completions) so that schools
and colleges develop strategic
interventions that are grounded
in reliable data.
b. Shorten pathways to educational
attainment by recognizing prior
work-based learning.
16
Reduce or eliminate financial barri-
ers for students seeking a postsec-
ondary credential.
a. Establish an investment fund that
enables every high school gradu-
ate from regional high schools to
access and attend the first two
years of college.
b. Advocate for policy changes to
make the first two years of com-
munity college free to students
who are accepted.
c. Reduce students’ out-of-pocket
expenses for housing, food, and
childcare.
d. Encourage employers to support
working students by accommo-
dating their course schedules.
17
Support and expand regional
postsecondary workforce training
programs.
a. Advocate for state legislatures
to fund workforce training
programs.
b. Foster robust engagement
between regional industries and
workforce training programs to
increase the development and
retention of talent.
18
Develop a mechanism through
which businesses, governmental
agencies, nonprofits, educators
and students can engage with one
another in a number of partner-
ship activities, including coop-
erative learning, job-shadowing,
mentorships, volunteering, and
internships.
a. Creatively address cooperative
c. Provide professional develop-
ment opportunities that support
trauma-informed learning and
student engagement.
7
Emphasize the importance of 21st
century skills and enhance their
development in all curricula.
a. Support and expand teaching
strategies that promote critical
thinking, problem solving, and
effective communication skills,
and teach students the “hidden
curriculum” of schools—how to
take notes, keep a schedule, be
organized, advocate for yourself,
and access resources.
8
Expand dual-language educa-
tion to all schools, starting in
kindergarten.
9
Support the incorporation and ex-
pansion of project-based learning
at all levels of education.
10
Support and expand STEM
educational opportunities for all
students, kindergarten through
postsecondary.
a. Facilitate partnerships between
regional educational institutions
and industry partners to support
the development of additional
STEM curricular opportunities.
b. Develop or attract a STEM school
to our region.
11
Expand opportunities in and access
to Career and Technical Education at
the secondary level (grades 9–12).
12
Support and promote digital
literacy.
a. Incorporate a more computer/
internet-based curriculum.
b. Expand opportunities for com-
puter certification programs in
middle schools, high schools and
adult education programs.