Washington Alliance for Better Schools

WABS is a collaborative of school districts that leverage resources, talent, and intellectual capital dedicated to ensuring students furthest from opportunity can pursue a future that embraces their strengths, passions, and dreams.

We build students’ 21st Century skills (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity), through industry and community partnerships for all students, particularly those impacted by systemic racism and those furthest from educational justice. We provide career connected learning opportunities across the K-12 educational spectrum to prepare students to succeed in the global economy. The life of a student does not end when the bell rings at the end of the day. WABS recognizes that after school and summer learning programs can provide youth, especially those who are most in need of support, with a safe and supervised space, healthy snacks and meals, and an academically enriching, fun environment. 21st Century Community Learning Centers are federally funded after-school and summer academic enrichment programs for low-income youth not meeting academic standards. STEM4Good engages elementary and middle school students in authentic problem-solving and hands-on STEM learning with industry volunteers. Career Launch programs combine meaningful, high-quality, paid on-the-job experience with classroom learning, creating a pathway to careers that provide upward mobility and family-sustaining wages. Career Tours offer high school students the chance to visit a workplace and see what a company does, hear from employees about their educational and professional pathways, and gain insight into what careers are possible.