CWU Partnership explores how digital media can increase motivation to pursue college

ELLENSBURG — A new partnership between the Washington Student Achievement Council, Central Washington University, and Sandbox Inc. is taking a new approach to building awareness about the benefits of a college education, particularly among underrepresented populations.

The Changing the Narrative pilot project, made possible by a $250,000 investment from Lumina Foundation, will leverage the three partners’ multidisciplinary expertise to create evidence-informed, interactive digital media tools designed to test new ways of fostering a college-going culture in Washington state. The project’s innovative approach will focus on designing multimedia content that builds trust and rapport with its target audiences.

Washington ranks near the bottom nationally (48th) for the percentage of high school graduates who immediately enroll in a higher education institution, despite having one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country. Stakeholders from WSAC, CWU, and Sandbox believe new ways of communicating about postsecondary education can help reverse this troublesome trend.

“This project will allow our organizations to leverage our collective expertise in postsecondary education and rethink the narrative surrounding higher education,” WSAC Deputy Executive Director Isaac Kwakye said. “We will look to reframe the benefits of postsecondary education in a way that resonates with our target audiences, and we will deliver the information through channels and formats that our target audiences use in their daily lives.”

One of the primary objectives of the Changing the Narrative project is to build meaningful connections with youths and adults who may lack knowledge about postsecondary pathways or who believe they would not feel welcome or well-supported in a college or university setting. The aim is to provide compelling personal stories of peers and role models who can help students of all ages and demographics envision their potential for future success.

“Our goal with this project is to show how accessible higher education can be for everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status,” said Andrew Morse, CWU’s Interim Vice President of University Relations. “We believe the work we are doing with WSAC and Sandbox will show more prospective students in Washington how to navigate the barriers — and perceived barriers — that are preventing them from continuing their education after high school.”

CWU and WSAC have been engaged in a parallel initiative this year as they seek to improve the state’s college-going rate. A separate Lumina Foundation grant, announced last month, is providing $150,000 to help CWU and Educational Service District 105 deliver guaranteed financial aid to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible families in the Yakima Valley so students in six area school districts can more easily pursue higher education opportunities.

The Great Admissions Redesign Grant Program, facilitated by WSAC, is part of a $3.1 million nationwide challenge that is seeking to revolutionize the admissions process and increase accessibility to higher education for all students, particularly those not admitted proportionally to their shares of the U.S. population.

Similarly, the Changing the Narrative project is designed to support the populations that traditionally have been the furthest from educational equity. CWU, WSAC, and Sandbox intend to help people make more informed choices when considering the perceived costs, potential value, and lifelong benefits of college or career training.

The project will begin with a robust user research phase to inform the choice of information to be included, the architecture and formats of the information and data presented, as well as the contexts and times at which information should be presented to the audience.

Sandbox Inc. will then conduct a series of video interviews with a diverse set of CWU students to help tell the university’s story in ways that are more likely to inspire prospective students from underrepresented populations.

“We plan to engage a diverse group of students and support staff during the research phase and then develop content that highlights aspects about CWU that will resonate with the people in our target audiences,” said Patricia Mangeol, the Director of Digital Learning Initiatives at Sandbox Inc., a Toronto-based agency that employs a multidisciplinary approach to digital media, technology, and learning.

The Changing the Narrative project began in September and will last until July 2025. It will draw from a broad range of fields, such as higher education policy, behavioral science, design, marketing, and student services, to create multimedia content that will be meaningful to these audiences.

The project will also build an intuitive platform that encourages information-seeking and action through quality User Experience (UX) design, gamification, and data visualization.

“This project is a model for a different way of thinking and behaving as we look for new ways to create a college-going culture in Washington,” Morse said. “We need to approach our work in different ways if we are going to achieve the things we know are important in the world. CWU looks forward to working alongside WSAC and Sandbox to make this vision a reality.”