At Puget Sound, we’re committed to engaging with our neighbors. We’re proud to give back to our community and work hand-in-hand with our local partners to strengthen Tacoma today and invest in our shared future.
Community Partnerships & Initiatives
We’re committed to ensuring that every student in Tacoma’s public schools has the opportunity to pursue education after high school. Any student in the district who works hard, graduates from high school and meets our admissions requirements can attend Puget Sound—regardless of their family’s ability to tuition.
We’re committed to improving access to postsecondary education and increasing the number of students from underrepresented populations who attend college. Since 1995, we’ve invested in improving access to postsecondary education by offering year-round academic support to students in Tacoma.
Changing our nation’s discourse on race begins in the classroom. The Race and Pedagogy Institute (RPI) is a community collaboration focused on educating students and teachers at all levels to think critically about race and act to eliminate racism. The initiative hosts a national conference on race and education on campus every four years, as well as regional summits each year.
Our Civic Engagement & Leadership program connects Puget Sound students with volunteer and service learning opportunities in Tacoma. We strive to help students understand local environmental, health, and social justice issues and make a positive impact in the community while forging long-lasting partnerships between our campus and local nonprofits.
We’re putting our faculty and student research knowledge to work to benefit our community. This initiative pairs organizations and governments with expert scholarship aimed at solving real-life problems, developing policy, and educating the public.
We believe everyone should experience the joy of music. This program provides year-round music instruction to Tacoma students of all ages and skill levels.
We believe we can be good stewards of our environment and encourage sustainable, equitable growth. The Sound Policy Institute seeks to restore and sustain the natural environment of the South Sound while balancing the needs of a healthy, prosperous, and just community.