Impact | Puget Sound Elementary

Cultivating tomorrow's leaders through community-driven education

Impact | Puget Sound Elementary, a public charter school in Tukwila, Washington, USA, is driving change within the community through culturally-responsive education. Established in 2018, the school integrates social-emotional learning deeply into its curriculum, significantly enhancing student success and community integration.

This vibrant, inclusive school educates 470 students from kindergarten through 5th grade (primary), focusing on developing 21st-century skills within a culturally-responsive framework. Its educational model features school-based mentor groups, personalised learning pathways, and project-based learning to address the urgent need to close the growing opportunity gap, particularly among low-income students, homeless students, students of colour, Multilingual Learners, and students with disabilities.

A powerful example of this approach is a kindergarten student who, after facing significant behavioural challenges and expulsions from previous institutions, showed dramatic improvement through a tailored social-emotional learning plan, reflecting the school's commitment to transforming lives.

The leadership at Impact | Puget Sound Elementary exemplifies how community-built, collaborative models can empower parents and community members. Commitment to the school’s core value of Brave Solidarity - the belief that diversity strengthens and enlivens us - has helped transform a School Advisory Council into an active parent organising committee, significantly impacting community engagement and advocacy.

The school's commitment to community collaboration is evident in its extensive partnerships with childcare providers, school district leaders, community organisations, and faith-based organisations. These collaborations have led to impactful community-based projects such as “Girls on the Run” and “Let Me Run,” programmes that not only provide extracurricular care but also empower students with daily social-emotional learning lessons. Another notable initiative involved local indigenous communities, where students deepened their cultural understanding through museum visits and field trips, learning from and teaching about local history.

These initiatives address specific community needs identified through a comprehensive engagement process that started even before the school opened its doors. By integrating educational excellence with community-oriented projects, the school not only enhances academic performance but also actively participates in societal change, addressing local issues through student-led advocacy and projects.

Should Impact | Puget Sound Elementary be awarded the World’s Best School Prize for Community Collaboration, the funds would be used to further enhance classroom libraries and align curriculum materials with the project-based learning approach, empowering students to continue making impactful changes as community changemakers.