The Washington Bus

WE'RE NEARLY HALF WAY TO OUR GOAL—lets get to 500 letter writers in 6 days! On Thursday, the Washington Bus and the Washington Students Association launched an online portal for youth to directly message their legislators to defend and codify the Washington College Grant—the nation's most accessible financial aid program. WA State has announced a blanket 6% cut to higher education and now financial aid programs for students like the Washington College Grant are under threat. Please join us in emailing our leaders to ask that they support codifying the WA Grant into law so students can focus on their studies, rather than financial barriers. Join us, and send a letter to your legislators at bit.ly/WEFUNDFUTURES

POWERMAP WITH YOUTH - Join us at the Bus office on February 26th for a youth-led skill share on mapping out resources, connections, and power within our communities. Learn more and RSVP at busunderground.org Wednesday, February 26th 5pm - 7pm (Doors @ 3pm) Washington Bus HQ 1801 12th Ave, Suite A Seattle WA 98122 (Lightrail Accessible & Meals Provided!)

Yesterday, the Washington Bus and the Washington Students Association launched an online portal for youth to directly message their legislators to defend and codify the Washington College Grant—the nation's most accessible financial aid program. WA State has announced a blanket 6% cut to higher education and now financial aid for students is under threat. The WA Grant gives WA residents free or subsidized tuition and fees for all public and private institutions, as well as apprenticeship programs. This grant expires in July of 2025, to ensure that 10% of students do not lose aid, we must ensure that our state leaders understand the ramifications of this loss. As leaders negotiate our state budget, we are urging students, parents, and community members to share their stories to leaders. In order for them to secure our funding, they must see how much it's helping our students. Please join us in emailing our leaders to ask that they support codifying the WA Grant into law so students can focus on their studies, rather than financial barriers. Join us, and send a letter to your legislators at bit.ly/WEFUNDFUTURES

On Friday, February 7th, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the Party at the Capitol event in Olympia. This was my second visit to Olympia, and I had the opportunity to share my journey with the Alianza Youth Leadership Program while encouraging youth to advocate for the causes they believe in. It was inspiring to hear from our incredible speakers, and I was honored to share the stage with them. A special thank you to Nick Brown for delivering insightful remarks! I also loved meeting new faces and connecting with our youth. A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible, including our collaborators, Progresso and The Washington Bus for their collaboration and support. Looking forward to returning to Olympia soon!

are you looking for a way to show up for young people right now? make a gift in honor of valentines day and help us build power across washington ?? https://buff.ly/3CBwSM1 we need you bestie ??

A COLLECTIVE SPACE TO CENTER YOUTH - Join us at the Bus office on February 12th for a youth-centered community discussion on our political reality, our collective needs, and how Bus Underground can center and support the youth advocacy community. Learn more and RSVP at busunderground.org Wednesday, February 12th 5pm - 7pm (Doors @ 3pm) Washington Bus HQ 1801 12th Ave, Suite A Seattle WA 98122 (Lightrail Accessible & Meals Provided!)

Had a wonderful time with my workplace The Washington Bus and our partner Progreso at our yearly Party at the Capitol—where we bring young people directly to legislators' offices and center an agenda for youth, by youth, for all people (but specifically youth) in Washington. (Special shout out to Tai Yang-Abreu & Giovanni Severino, who were absolutely the ring leaders of this event and wrangled so many youth all day) I want to give a personal thanks to Sharlett Mena, Edwin Obras, MPA, Gerry Pollet, and Tina Orwall—who were legislators I had the personal opportunity to meet with. They made the time to listen to young people—even in such a chaotic environment. Looking forward to building lasting partnerships to advance our democracy and create genuine solutions to youth struggles in WA. That begins with showing young people their power and investing in their leadership. Go Bus!

Community power protects the community! We are proud to support OneAmerica, El Centro de la Raza, and many of the organizations who came together in an act of solidarity with immigrant communities to protect their rights and families. Shout out Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), WORKING WASHINGTON, The Washington Bus, Washington Community Alliance, Cambodian Children's Fund,?Faith Action Network, Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center - KIAC, Casa Latina, and every organization and person who showed up for immigrant communities.?

Thrilled to announce a passion project I’ve been drafting up the past few months.. The Cinderella Project Seattle! The ultimate goal of mine has always been to create a volunteer based charity nonprofit that can serve teens and young audults in the Greater Seattle area. This nonprofit will provide formal attire for high school students and young adults (ages 13–21) for events like graduations, prom, school dances, and professional opportunities. Together, we can ensure that these milestones are accessible and meaningful for everyone. I am calling on all my friends, peers, colleagues, and even friends of friends who are educators, work in the nonprofit space or would like to help and educate me to lift this from the ground up! #nonprofit #thecinderellaproject #seattlespaces

washington bus youth leaders at the oneamerica press conference & rally to defend migrants ??