In any given enrollment period at the University of Washington Bothell, students can choose among dozens of community-engaged learning and research opportunities. From STEM to disability justice, each class features hands-on partnership with organizations and people across Puget Sound.
How do faculty connect with the right community partners in the first place? And how do they build strong, enduring relationships with them?
Enter Dana Washington, community-engaged learning program manager in the Office of Connected Learning. Each year, she supports the University’s more than 100 community partners and collaborates with faculty across all five schools and first-year programs. The shared goal: provide meaningful opportunities for students to address real-world challenges.
“I like to say my core values are creativity, connection and community,” said Washington. “I’m a lovely little connector.”
For her efforts to expand and deepen UW Bothell’s community partnerships and learning opportunities, Washington has been awarded Distinguished Accomplishments Award for 2025-26. The award was established in 2021 by the Division of Academic Affairs to recognize staff members who have bolstered the division and propelled the academic mission of the campus forward.
For students and partners
Washington’s role, which she began in 2023, encompasses far more than shepherding students through registration, organizing site visits and managing logistics. She works directly with faculty to help design learning experiences and generate reciprocal opportunities for students and community members.
“I sync up the faculty mission and the community partner’s mission,” Washington said.
Case in point: Her work with Dr. Maureen West, an associate teaching professor who leads classes on disability justice and representation in the School of Nursing & Health Studies. The established partner for these courses is the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center, which offers lifelong learning and social skills programs for adults with autism and developmental disabilities.
“Dana has been a co-architect of a learning experience that centers disability justice as both theory and practice,” West said. “Over multiple quarters, she has helped shape a curriculum that foregrounds student agency, community voice and collective care.”
As evidence of Washington’s far-reaching impact, West called out a winter 2024 campuswide art exhibition that Washington helped conceive and execute. As the culmination of “The Art and Practice of Disability Justice” class, the event brought together students and the center’s clients to show multimedia projects.
“Dana’s sustained contributions over the past several years reflect a rare combination of strategic vision and day-to-day excellence,” West said. “Her responsiveness, warmth and precision have made her a trusted resource for students, faculty and community partners alike.”
“Over multiple quarters, she has helped shape a curriculum that foregrounds student agency, community voice and collective care.”
Dr. Maureen West, associate teaching professor, School of Nursing & Health Studies
A cohort of leaders
Just a few months into her OCL position, Washington took on facilitation of the Latino Leadership Initiative, a campus cohort and advocacy group focused on civic engagement and service. Under her guidance, the cohort has implemented several service projects: a Latino mentorship program at Bothell High School, a “Know Your Rights” training for immigrant community members and UW Bothell’s first-ever Latino Culture Night.
The cohort has also grown from 10 participants to 30 over the past few years — and Rosario Reyes, executive director of the Latino Educational Training Institute (which developed the LLI curriculum), credits Washington with the robust participation.
“Dana’s communication and leadership skills have helped not only find new students but also build a dedicated group of leaders who want to continue supporting this program,” Reyes said. “Thanks to her relationships, communication and collaboration, we have the strongest cohorts that we have seen in the 13 years of this program’s existence.”
Washington’s impact even extends to all three of the UW’s campuses. Last year, she began working with the Community Connect UW platform, a tri-campus system for matching community partners and UW constituents. She was one of the first staff members to pilot the platform, supporting eight courses over two quarters.
“She has envisioned and implemented novel ways to leverage the technology to better serve students and community partners, positioning herself as a trailblazer in this space,” said Jesi Egan, director of research and creative projects for undergraduates at UW Bothell.
A creative trailblazer
Washington currently leads trainings for this and other UW programs that connect with hundreds of students.
She said her background as a nonprofit educator — including positions with the YMCA, AmeriCorps and Seattle Public Schools — set her up for success at UW Bothell.
Just as salient: the creativity she brings to her work.
“To run a program where you’re building an experience for students,” she said, “it really does take a sense of imagination and thinking outside the box to see what experiences can happen.”
