UW in Your Community

From researching in the foothills of Mount Rainier to training medical students in Seattle and Spokane, the University of Washington is truly the University for Washington.

UW in Your Community is curated by the Office of External Affairs and the State Relations Office.

EXPLORE HOW THE UW IS SERVING IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR STATE

As a public university, we are deeply committed to serving our state. We collaborate with partners from around the world to bring knowledge and discovery home to benefit Washingtonians. To learn more about UW programs making an impact in your area and discover residents who are members of the UW’s broader student, faculty, staff and alumni community, select your legislative district by clicking the regions below. If you do not know which legislative district you live in, you can find it by visiting the State Legislature’s District Finder.

FIND YOUR LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT BY REGION

STATEWIDE PROGRAMS

We selected a handful of programs to showcase from a robust list of statewide initiatives ranging from public safety to environmental justice.

Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

The Washington State Legislature established a unique relationship with the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) nearly 60 years ago that continues to support innovative approaches to protect Washington’s workers. Working closely with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, the Washington State Department of Health and other state agencies, DEOHS conducts research on safe workplaces and offers an array of services to individuals and businesses in Washington. DEOHS also delivers expert guidance and evidence-based approaches to inform the work of state legislators and government leaders in creating safe workplaces and healthy communities. Learn more about how DEOHS is serving Washingtonians.

Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center–Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Training

Since 2000, the Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center has provided Washington state’s only sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) training program. SANE training focuses on the medical forensic care of patients who have experienced sexual assault or abuse. Adequately trained nurses are critical to providing necessary evidence and compassionate care for sexual assault survivors. In addition to statewide training programs, the Center provides web-based case review for nurses across the state and consultation to SANE programs across the state. It has also implemented a Tele-SANE pilot project to provide support for rural SANE programs.

Psychiatry Consultation Line

The Psychiatry Consultation Line was established to help address the growing need for behavioral health services across Washington state, especially in rural areas where many counties have no behavioral-health prescriber available. Prescribing providers in primary-care clinics, community hospitals, emergency departments, substance use disorder treatment programs and city/county correctional facilities can get immediate assistance from a UW Medicine psychiatrist in addressing the complex mental health and/or substance use care patients need. Launched in July 2019 with bipartisan support, the consultation line is now offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Center for an Informed Public

At the Center for an Informed Public (CIP), world-class researchers, labs, thought leaders and practitioners translate research on misinformation and disinformation into policy, technology design, curriculum development and public engagement. Aiming to shorten the cycle between research and implementation, CIP creates and engages a strong network of urban and rural libraries, educators across the country and institutional partners. 

Cultivate Learning

Cultivate Learning advances quality in early learning and expanded learning opportunities for school-age youth through state-based and higher education initiatives focused on workforce development. The program assesses all licensed child care and pre-K programs in the state; conducts studies on quality in learning environments; produces research-based professional learning materials; supports coaching and technical training systems; publishes studies that inform policy and practice statewide and nationally; and develops courses for early-learning degree programs through EarlyEdU Alliance.

Forefront Suicide Prevention

Forefront Suicide Prevention is a Center of Excellence at the University of Washington, based in the School of Social Work. The program focuses on reducing suicide by empowering individuals and communities to take sustainable action, champion systemic change and restore hope. Forefront works with high schools and higher education across the state to train professionals and educate students, promotes household safety among the public at large, and provides information and advocacy to help community partners, the private sector and legislators create positive change to prevent suicide statewide.

UW School of Medicine–WWAMI

WWAMI is an enduring partnership between the UW School of Medicine and the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. The WWAMI program provides access to publicly supported, community-based medical education across the five-state region and helps provide a primary-care workforce for rural and underserved areas of the Northwest. Its offices oversee clinical medical education for the School of Medicine within their regions, providing support services for the local clerkships and students rotating among them. WWAMI serves not only medical students but also students in K–12, college students, medical school graduates in residency and physicians in community practice. 

Father and sons look at dinosaur fossils

Burke Museum

As the Washington State Museum of Natural History and Culture, the Burke is committed to serving every corner of the state through public education and traveling exhibits. The BurkeMobile program brings educators and museum objects to classrooms from pre-K through high school, giving students the opportunity for hands-on investigation of their natural and cultural heritage. The Burke Museum’s Traveling Exhibits Service brings history, heritage, scholarship and research directly to communities and neighborhoods across the state and beyond. Often held in partnership with local libraries, museums and cultural centers, each traveling exhibit comes with educational resources and a publicity kit.