June 2025: Bill Gates’ big news

Director’s Note 

As you likely already heard, the Gates Foundation is making a historic $200 billion commitment to saving and improving lives over the next 20 years before closing its doors permanently in 2045. As Bill Gates shared when announcing this news: 

“By accelerating our giving, my hope is we can put the world on a path to ending preventable deaths of moms and babies and lifting millions of people out of poverty. I believe we can leave the next generation better off and better prepared to fight the next set of challenges.” 

We have a lot to figure out before we close our doors, but we can say without hesitation that education remains the foundation’s top priority in the United States. That includes here in Washington state, where we are working to ensure young people have access to the opportunities they need to design the future they want. 

Our Community Engagement team will also continue responding to urgent local needs with flexible, multi-year support for nonprofits working directly with communities. 

In this moment, our grantees and community partners ground us. The innovation, grit, and deep love you show for Washington’s young people inspires us every day. From rural advising strategies to youth- and community-led solutions, our partners are showing what’s possible—especially when students are at the center. We look forward to continuing our partnership and building real opportunity for the next generation. 

With gratitude, 

Angela Jones 
Director, Washington State & US Charters 

Amy Carter, 
Director, Community Engagement 

Southwest WA spotlights student advising progress 

Allan Golston, president of the U.S. Program at the Gates Foundation, visited Southwest Washington to learn more about the impact the Horizons Regional Advising Partnership has made in its first year of implementation.

• Aimed at improving postsecondary outcomes for students in rural areas, the partnership is a collaborative effort between K-12 districts and colleges in the region.

What Allan learned: Allan heard inspiring stories from students who are heading to two- and four-year colleges thanks to the support from their college and career readiness advisors, who are funded through this program. That includes Gary, who made the whole room cry as he shared his journey.

• Personalized advising: Dedicated advisors like Rory Heywood at Wahkiakum High School provide tailored guidance, helping students like Gary navigate college applications and financial aid processes.
  
  
• Cross-sector collaboration: Partnerships among K-12 schools, community colleges, and local organizations facilitate seamless transitions from high school to postsecondary education.
  
  
• Data-informed strategies: Educators utilize student feedback and data to expand dual credit opportunities and foster a college-going culture. 

Why it matters: These efforts demonstrate the effectiveness of community-driven approaches in addressing barriers to higher education, particularly in underserved rural regions. 

Read Allan’s reflections: How the power of regional partnerships in rural Washington is helping students’ postsecondary aspirations take root 

Superintendents highlight best practices and challenges 

At a June “LEVinar” hosted by the League of Education Voters, five superintendents from Elma, Highline, Shoreline, Tukwila, and Quincy shared how they’re shifting outdated systems to better support students. 

• Four of the five districts participate in the Gates Foundation’s Limitless Learning Network, which brings 26 local partnerships together to collaborate and explore new ways to help students pursue their postsecondary dreams.

What we heard: Elma Superintendent Chris Nesmith shared what the small school district has done to make college enrollment jump 8 percentage points in just two years. 

• Elma used The Opportunity Atlas to understand local economic realities for their 1,700 students, more than half of whom are low-income.
  
  
• Seeing that most students weren’t on a path to good-paying jobs, Nesmith and Elma redesigned how students demonstrate learning.
  
  
• Students now earn credits through real-world, applied projects like mechanical engineering for algebra or technical writing for English.
  
  
• The Seattle Times spotlighted this effort in a recent editorial, calling Elma’s approach a model for all districts.

Leaders from the other districts also shared key breakthroughs during the webinar: 

• Shoreline, for example, offers a new dual credit math model—90% passed and earned transferable college credit. A college-employed navigator provides support at two high schools. 
  
  
• The Quincy School District is offering new career-connected programs, expanded dual credit options, and student-led ideas like Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and data center certification programs. 

Why it matters: When district leaders use student-centered data, are empowered to innovate, and are supported by the community, they build systems that reflect students’ lives and open the door to meaningful pathways for the future.

Watch the webinar: Superintendents from across Washington state on best practices, data, and challenges

Read the editorial: Tiny WA district thinks outside the box to help students master skills 

WA state continues to expand access to dual credit programs 

A new Seattle Times story highlights how Washington’s expanded Summer Running Start program is helping high school juniors and seniors get a head start on college. 

• Last year was the first time Summer Running Start became widely available, and nearly 7,500 Washington high school students took advantage of the program—a nearly 400 percentage point jump from the prior year.
  
  
• Before last year, a high school student could have signed up for a summer community college class, but they would have paid tuition. With Summer Running Start, that tuition is waived.  

How it works: Students take summer college classes for dual credit—earning both high school and college credits in the same session. 

• Summer Running Start can also be used to get a workforce training degree.
  
  
• Participating students report increased confidence and a smoother transition to freshman year—especially in STEM subjects.
  
  
• State leaders hope that it’s a compelling option for students from low-income backgrounds. Data from the Education Research and Data Center shows that just 15% of students who are low-income enroll in a Running Start course, compared to 26% of their peers. 

Why it matters: Early exposure to college sets a tone—as one student interviewed by the Seattle Times said, “It opens up a lot of potential, when you start saving time and money.” 

• Participation in Running Start programs is proven to help propel a high school student to additional postsecondary education.
  
  
• ERDC data confirms that 82% of Running Start students enrolled in a postsecondary institution after high school—the highest of any dual credit type.
  
  
• Unlocking access to Summer Running Start, and making it free, could help more young people become ready for college and careers.

Read more: Summer Running Start classes give WA students bigger jump on college

Apprenticeship builds next-gen ferry workforce 

Washington State Ferries launched a new apprenticeship in 2024 to tackle a looming workforce crisis—especially among higher-skilled maritime roles like mates and captains. 

• To learn more, Seattle Times Education Lab reporter Dahlia Bazzaz followed 22-year-old Adam Knutsen, now in his final year of the two-year program.
  
  
• Apprentices rotate through every role on board and receive classroom instruction at MITAGS, a Seattle maritime training school. 

What’s different: The program fast-tracks participants toward a mate’s license—opening the door to $97,000+ salaries and long-term careers in an essential industry. 

• Training is free, no prior maritime experience is required, and apprentices earn while they learn (about $36,000/year).
  
  
• 40% of participants are women or people of color, but spots are limited: just 12 are accepted into each cohort from hundreds of applicants. 

🚢 It’s already working: Washington State Ferries have closed their retirement gap and are now planning similar pipelines for marine engineers. 

• The program creates high-wage, debt-free pathways—showing that apprenticeships can diversify the maritime workforce while driving economic stability. 

Read the full story: New apprenticeship program boosts Washington State Ferries workforce

Explore Seattle’s new waterfront park this summer 

Friends of Waterfront Park, a grantee of our Community Engagement team, is hosting over 270 free events this summer across Seattle’s waterfront landmarks.

The lineup includes: 

• Cultural festivals & music: Spotlight at Waterfront Park offers weekly dance, storytelling, and live music that provide “windows into the soul of the city.” 
  
  
• Markets & pop-ups: Regular evening markets featuring local crafts, food trucks, and diverse vendors that showcase community creativity and connection.
  
  
• Wellness & active play: Family-friendly drop-in classes—from yoga, Zumba, and sound baths to soccer, dance, and cardio—promote health and belonging.
  
  
• Guided tours: Monthly historical tours promote outdoor exploration and reflect on Indigenous stewardship of the shoreline. 

Events are designed to be accessible—featuring ADA seating, cooling, and multilingual programming—ensuring everyone can join the fun. 

• All these events are building toward the official Grand Opening of Waterfront Park later this year when the full 20-acre vision is realized. 

Learn more: 2025 summer lineup of free events, culture & community at Waterfront Park is here! 

MOHAI launches Nelson Mandela exhibit 

Looking for other summer activities in Seattle? Head to the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) for Mandela: The Official Exhibition, which explores the life of Nelson Mandela.  

• His journey is told in a series of experiential galleries, from his rural childhood home to his fight against apartheid and years as South Africa’s first democratically elected president. 
  
  
• The exhibition features previously unseen films, photos, and the display of historical artifacts and personal effects on loan from the Mandela family, museums, and archives worldwide. 

Along with other organizations, the Gates Foundation’s Community Engagement team provided funding support to help MOHAI launch this exhibit, which will also highlight Mandela’s 1999 visit to Seattle. 

• During this trip, Mandela and Bill Gates spoke at a forum on global health held at the University of Washington Medical Center. 
  
  
• Following his time with Mandela, Bill donated $15 million in support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and a foundation led by Mandela’s wife, Graça Machel.

Learn more: Mandela: The Official Exhibition