Beloved Seattle Central programs are at risk. Let's safeguard their future.

Throughout the pandemic, overall enrollment at Central and the other Seattle Colleges has shrunk, putting tremendous strain on our budget. Revenues that used to help subsidize expensive programs like Seattle Culinary Academy, Seattle Maritime Academy, the Apparel Design & Development program, and the Wood Technology Center have dwindled, making leadership at the Colleges ruefully question whether these important programs should close.

Yet no sooner did that possibility become public than students, alums and others made emphatically clear that that's not an acceptable outcome. Instead, they want an all-community effort at finding a sustainable way forward, so these programs can continue preparing people for stimulating careers, and industry can continue benefiting from some of the best-trained professionals anywhere.

As these long-term strategies are sorted out, the financial support of the community can play an important part in bridging the programs through. Your generosity is also a huge emotional boost to the programs' students and faculty. Thank you for giving!

Note: A small gift management fee is levied on all gifts so that Seattle Colleges Foundation, the non-profit advancement arm of Seattle Colleges, has operational support for its ongoing work to inform, inspire, and steward contributors. We do not sell, trade, or share donor information with any other organization.

If you have questions, please contact us or see more ways to give.