Washington Student Achievement Council Renews Funding for Olympic Peninsula Resource CO-OP Partnership
Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 13, 2026
Two-year Regional Challenge Grant will expand one-stop support services for adult learners and former foster youth across Clallam and Jefferson counties
PORT ANGELES, WA – Peninsula College and its regional partners have been awarded another two years of funding through the Washington Student Achievement Council’s (WSAC) Regional Challenge Grant, allowing the Olympic Peninsula Resource CO-OP to continue expanding access to education and essential support services for residents across Clallam and Jefferson counties.
The Olympic Peninsula Resource CO-OP (Connections and Opportunities) brings together Peninsula College and community organizations to provide wraparound services that help people overcome barriers to higher education and workforce training. Through weekly Resource CO-OP events and community pop-up locations, residents can access assistance with college enrollment, financial aid, housing, childcare, transportation, technology, and other support services, all in one place.
Since launching in 2024, the partnership has demonstrated the value of bringing multiple organizations together to simplify what can often be a complicated process for prospective students.
“This renewed investment recognizes what we’ve seen firsthand over the past two years, that when organizations work together, we can remove barriers that prevent people from pursuing education and changing their lives,” said Dr. Suzy Ames, president of Peninsula College. “The Resource CO-OP is about meeting people where they are, connecting them with the support they need, and helping them take the next step toward a credential, a career, and a brighter future.”
The partnership operates through a Collective Impact model, with Peninsula College serving as the lead organization alongside community partners including United Way of Clallam County, West Sound STEM Network, Serenity House of Clallam County, Olympic Peninsula YMCA, Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP), the Department of Social and Health Services, Clallam County Transit, Olympic Angels, and Olympic Community of Health.
The renewed grant builds on the success of the first two years by strengthening weekly Resource CO-OP events in Port Angeles, Forks, and Port Townsend while expanding outreach through community pop-up events across the North Olympic Peninsula. Peninsula College advisors and program specialists will continue helping adult learners and former foster youth navigate enrollment, financial aid, academic planning, and career pathways while connecting them to essential community resources.
The partnership also aligns with Peninsula College’s broader workforce development efforts. By combining wraparound student support with new workforce training opportunities, including mobile classrooms funded through the federal Recompete Grant, the partnership creates a pathway from initial connection to education, credential completion, and employment.
Washington has set a statewide goal of having 70 percent of adults earn a postsecondary credential. Rural communities continue to face unique challenges, including transportation, housing, childcare, and broadband access. The Olympic Peninsula Resource CO-OP addresses these barriers by bringing services directly into communities and coordinating support through trusted local organizations.
Over the next two years, the partnership will continue refining its collaborative model, expanding outreach, strengthening data-informed decision-making, and increasing access to education and workforce opportunities for residents throughout Clallam and Jefferson counties.
For more information about the Olympic Peninsula Resource CO-OP, contact Aimee Gordon, director of Marketing and Communications, at agordon@pencol.edu.
