Washington Bus Education Fund

YOUTH VOTER ENGAGEMENT Our Campus Program offers students opportunities for civic engagement, voter education, and voter registration. In 2024 we we hired two temporary campus organizers to mentor and support student leaders at 14 member campuses across Washington State. We were successful in registering around 900 new student voters and collecting over 3,500 student pledges to vote. Our High School program provides nonpartisan presentations about the history of voting rights, the importance of holistic civic engagement, and the opportunities that young people have to make a difference in their communities. In 2024 we went to one Seattle high school, where a class rap blitz event generated 130 direct engagements, spanning five classroom presentations and one library tabling session. We received 5 new voter registrations and 6 pledges to vote.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP The WA Bus Education Fund Fellowship is an intensive ten-week leadership development and organizing program for young people ages 18-25 in Washington State. It is an intentional and transformative experience for young folks who are ready to inspire change alongside their communities. Fellows learn from organizing experts and civic servants, run the most innovative, effective and fun civic programs in Washington State, and collaborate with community organizations and issue campaigns for hands-on organizing experience. The WBEF recruits fellowship participants from a diversity of communities. Fellows graduate with a professional network and experiences they can apply in a variety of fields, including organizing in their own communities. In 2024 we hired 12 Fellows who received over 45 hours of classroom time, and collected a total of 72 voter registrations and 853 pledge-to-votes across 20 canvassing shifts. The Fellows also organized 2 events, including an innovative non-partisan candidate forum for local and statewide candidate forum.