Connect Casino Road and Northwest Education Access launched a new partnership last fall to provide one-on-one education support to young adults in this highly marginalized community.
On January 9th, NW Education Access will host an all-day WASFA & FAFSA application fair at Connect Casino Road’s community center, The Village on Casino Road from 6pm to 8pm. A bilingual (Spanish/English) Education Advocate from NW Education Access also offers regular office hours at the center. This assistance is provided at no cost to the community members and is just one of many services offered at The Village.
The initiative is part of Connect Casino Road’s broader efforts to provide programs that are culturally and linguistically responsive to the unique needs of the Casino Road neighborhood, including its longstanding English language learning classes with Everett Community College, US citizenship test preparation classes, and workers rights’ trainings with partner Casa Latina. Financial literacy tools and computer classes are also offered.
“By meeting people where they are on their education journey, we will see more success in helping community members achieve financial stability,” says Jillian Robinson, Assistant Director of Connect Casino Road. “The Casino Road neighborhood has been on the margins of opportunity for decades, even though it has a creative and hardworking contingent of parents who dream of better lives for their families. Our vision is to help families get there – and build a more resilient community in the process.”
In addition to as many as 5 one-on-one meetings each week with Vilma Alvarado Garcia, the onsite Education Advocate, NW Education Access is offering workshops to support larger groups. Vilma adds, “It’s been a pleasure working with the community at Connect Casino Road. As a first-generation college graduate from an immigrant family, I see my family reflected in many of the families I encounter. Together with the support of Northwest Education Access and Connect Casino Road, I am thankful to be supporting students in meeting their academic and career goals.”
The Casino Road neighborhood in South Everett is distinct; it is known for its high levels of community engagement, but also for the higher-than-average poverty rates (up to 36% when children are included). 80% of the student body at the local elementary school identify as a race other than white, and one in four residents are immigrants. As reported recently by the Los Angeles Times, 64% of the nation’s labor force growth has been driven by immigrants 16 years and older over the last two years, making Connect Casino Road’s expertise in immigrant services increasingly relevant.
January 6, 2024
Everett