[Portland, Ore.] – Education Northwest received a $1.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to manage the Limitless Learning Network, a community of regional partnerships across Washington state working to increase postsecondary enrollment rates, especially among Black, Latinx, and Native students or Tribal students who are members of sovereign nations; students from low-income backgrounds; and students in rural communities. Education Northwest, a nonprofit headquartered in Portland, Oregon, will serve as Limitless Learning Network Manager through the 2026–2027 academic year.

The Limitless Learning Network convenes practitioners across Washington who lead strategies and programs that support students’ transitions from high school to postsecondary education—including trade schools, apprenticeships, and college. The network’s goal is to strengthen partnerships, improve data capacity, and develop best practices to help more students enroll in postsecondary programs. In 2022, the Washington Student Achievement Council confirmed that nearly 70 percent of open jobs in Washington require some postsecondary education, yet just half of high school graduates enroll in postsecondary programs—and even fewer complete them. Completion rates are lower for students who face systemic barriers, such as students of color, first-generation students, and students from low-income backgrounds.

Limitless Learning Network is a key strategy of the Gates Foundation’s Washington State Initiative, which aims to help 70 percent of Washington students enroll in a postsecondary program after high school by 2035. The network includes 26 local partnerships of leaders from K–12 districts, educational service districts, higher education, and community-based and workforce organizations. Through these partners, the Limitless Learning Network reaches nearly one-third of all high school students in Washington.

As Limitless Learning Network Manager, Education Northwest will design and implement a plan to engage the 26 network partnerships in a community learning experience. This will involve planning and facilitating network convenings and learning sessions, codifying effective practices and tools, and documenting challenges and opportunities experienced by network participants. Education Northwest will also support the development of evidence-based tools and resources to share across Washington and with the broader field.

Education Northwest has a long history of partnerships for educational equity in Washington. Since its founding in 1966, Education Northwest has partnered with school districts, colleges, Native American Tribes, and community-based organizations across Washington as well as agencies such as the Washington Student Achievement Council. Today, Education Northwest operates 19 active projects in the state, including the Washington Statewide Family Engagement Center, College Spark LEADER learning communities, and a National Science Foundation research project on student access and success in higher education. In addition, Education Northwest brings deep expertise in postsecondary success, especially for students from historically underserved communities. Recently, the team led projects to evaluate and strengthen a housing voucher program for Tacoma Community College students experiencing homelessness, an initiative to prepare students at seven rural-serving community colleges for the digital workforce, and partnerships to help college students meet their basic needs.

Leanne Davis will lead the Education Northwest team managing the Limitless Learning Network. Leanne is a managing researcher who specializes in technical assistance, research, and evaluation related to postsecondary access and success. She lives in Seattle and leads multiple projects in Washington, including understanding community college STEM students’ non-tuition barriers and partnering with the Washington Student Achievement Council to redesign college admissions pathways by leveraging guaranteed financial aid. Additional project team members include Johnette Burdette, Education Northwest’s Director of Equitable Learning & Systems Improvement/DEIA Strategy, and Ashley Sheppard and Mary Padden, two current staff members supporting the Washington Statewide Family Engagement Center at Education Northwest.

Education Northwest will assume the Limitless Learning Network manager role from Education First, which helped to launch the network as an incubation partner. Education First’s leadership in the network’s inaugural year built a strong foundation of relationships, trust, and best practices that will shape the project over the next three years. Education Northwest and Education First will work together closely through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition for network participants.

For more information or to schedule an interview with members of the project team, contact Ilona Wall, Communications Director.