The myTRI2030 Education Council continues to make progress towards our goal to deliver transformative educational experiences to the Tri-Cities area. We firmly believe our region is uniquely positioned, and we, as a Council, continue to foster the shared vision of myTRI2030 and drive collaboration action.
The Education Council is highly aware and sensitive to the current state of education, due to the global pandemic, and the ongoing impacts had – not only to our Mid-Columbia community – but especially to our education ecosystem. Our Council made the strategic decision to take a pause for the months of June through August due to the increased responsibilities present amongst our STEM education ecosystem, as well as the increased responsibilities of our education leaders engaged in the Council.
September 14th, the Education Council re-grouped to hold a Fall kick-off meeting, which encompassed a brainstorming session. The intent and focus of the meeting was to reflect on and renew the Top Ten Report and the Education Opportunity Area Charter, as well as to brainstorm potential focus areas for 2021-22 and beyond and have direction on what the Council can lead and support. The Council engaged in various high-level discussions about K-12 and higher education enrollment and the impact to our community; learning loss and support for literacy across early education; education programs and upcoming levies; and points of intersection for potential collaboration amongst all myTRI2030 Councils.
The Education Council continues to be proactive in conversations to ensure current and crucial education needs are addressed, and solutions are achieved. For an upcoming October meeting, representatives from the *
Washington Student Achievement Council will be present to engage with the Council on the current climate of education and discuss needs and opportunities specific to the Eastern region of Washington.
As mentioned in our
April 2021 subscriber update, the myTRI Education Council partnered with the STEM Nexus Initiative and continues to work in close collaboration to respond to and provide solutions for the education needs of the Mid-Columbia region. Beyond the two higher education projects funded, partners from the STEM Nexus Initiative and the myTRI2030 Education Council recently identified three local K-12 community projects to advance equity in STEM Education for local, underserved populations. To read more about these Nexus efforts, visit the
Washington State STEM Education Foundation site.
We continue to look forward to the future – 2030 and beyond – to lead efforts that will help our region achieve goals set from the myTRI 2030 vision and engage in crucial work to create opportunities for growth. We appreciate your continued patience and support to the education leaders within our community during these challenging times and look forward to what’s to come.
*The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a nine-member council supported by a cabinet-level state agency. By statute, the Council provides strategic planning, oversight, advocacy, and program administration to support increased student success and higher levels of educational attainment in Washington.
