AWSP Blog

The 64th anniversary of the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) will take place in Washington, D.C. from March 7–14, 2026. For the past 64 years, two students per state have been selected to receive a $10,000 scholarship and attend this week-long program, funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. This program is a national nonpartisan initiative to provide an annual opportunity for high school students with demonstrated leadership abilities to deepen their understanding of America’s political processes and strengthen their resolve to pursue careers in public service. Students should apply by September 26, 2025 for consideration.

As another school year begins, we know the back-to-school season can bring a mix of excitement and stress for teachers and school staff. That’s why Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools is proud to champion the well-being of the entire school community. Let us help you set the right tone for the year with these resources and webinars.

Right now, most students get their information about firearms from television, movies, social media—even video games. By the time the average U.S. student graduates from high school, they’ve seen more than 200,000 acts of violence on TV alone, many involving firearms. Yet instruction on firearm violence is not included in Washington State’s health education standards. For the past decade, Firearm Injury Prevention Educators has provided public health–informed education on firearm injury prevention to high school students. We present the facts—without embellishment, without a political agenda.

As many of you know, OSPI has completed its permanent rulemaking process regarding student discipline. The updated permanent rules took effect on July 11, 2025. These rules mostly mirror the emergency rules issued in September 2024, but also include additional changes that school districts should carefully review. To help school districts comply with the new requirements, WSSDA has updated its model student discipline policy and procedure, 3241/3241P.

What do Monsters, Inc., TPEP, and PLCs have in common? More than you think. This post explores how one school flipped the script on isolated goal-setting by aligning TPEP, PLC, and SIP efforts into one shared system — turning disconnected “containers of energy” into a powerful, unified grid. The result? Purposeful evaluations, real-time instructional impact, and student-centered learning that actually sticks.