GATE Partnership Advisory Committee

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Contact Information

Dixie Grunenfelder 
Executive Director, Student Engagement & Support

Maria McKelvey-Hemphill
Administrative Assistant IV, Student Engagement & Support

The Graduation A Team Effort (GATE) Partnership Advisory Committee is a broad base of youth and family-serving agencies and organizations that meet quarterly. This committee works to provide a wide lens of input on specific goals and topics related to the development and implementation of a dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement system across cradle to career milestones.

The Legislature established the Building Bridges program and workgroup in 2007 to keep all students visible and on track to graduate from high school. The state's ongoing student engagement and reengagement efforts are based on the recommendations of the Building Bridges Workgroup. Read RCW 28A.175.075 for more information!

Membership

Membership in the advisory committee is established by RCW 28A.175.075. If you’re interested in joining our meetings please contact Dixie Grunenfelder

Members

Required Members

  • The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Workforce training and education coordinating board
  • Department of children, youth, and families
  • Employment security department
  • State board for community and technical colleges
  • Department of Health
  • Community mobilization office
  • Children's services and behavioral health and recovery divisions of the department of social and health services
  • A statewide organization representing career and technical education programs including skill centers
  • Juvenile courts or the office of juvenile justice, or both
  • Washington association of prosecuting attorneys
  • Washington state office of public defense
  • Accredited institutions of higher education
  • Educational service districts
  • Area workforce development councils
  • Parent and educator associations
  • Educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee
  • Office of the Education Ombuds
  • Local school districts; agencies or organizations that provide services to special education students
  • Community organizations serving youth
  • Federally recognized tribes and urban tribal centers
  • Each of the major political caucuses of the senate and house of representatives
  • Minority commissions

Additional Members

  • Senate Staff: Ben Omdal
  • Building Bridges Grantees

Resources

Notes & Agendas

2024-25

All meeting times for the following dates will be from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM unless otherwise announced.

2022

April 19, 2022, Collective power to support student pandemic recovery and acceleration

2021

December 14, 2021, Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020

May 12, 2020, Dual Credit

Due to current "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" measures, our meeting was a virtual meeting to explore dual credit outcomes and learn about increasing equitable access to dual credit from multiple viewpoints.

Dual Credit Advisory Meeting Presentation

2019

December 10, 2019: Hope, Mentoring, and Youth Voice

December GATE Advisory Presentation