Diversity@PLU

PLU: Beyond Campus

PLU continues to be represented in key civic organizations in Parkland, Tacoma, Pierce County and Washington state, including the Tacoma Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, the Parkland Community Association, and the Tacoma Urban League. The University is also actively involved in partnership with South Puget Sound Higher Education Diversity Partnership, American Cancer Society, the United Way, YWCA, Centro Latino and the annual Asia Pacific New Year’s Celebration!

Valued Partners in Diversity

South Puget Sound Higher Education Diversity Partnership
Sound Puget Sound, Washington

SPSHEDP is a consortium of colleges and universities whose primary goal is to build positive relationships that nurture respect for its diverse communities. In addition to supporting efforts on their individual campuses, SPSHEDP commits to working together to develop activities that nurture human diversity by bringing more voices to the table and modeling the value of working together to sustain more supportive communities for all people.

This year's Diversity Partnership Institute: “Reflections Upon Privilege!” was held at Pacific Lutheran University. For the full story, click here » 

Tacoma Urban League
Tacoma, Washington

The League is a non-profit, nonpartisan, civil rights and community based organization that serves residents of Tacoma-Pierce County, providing direct services, research and policy advocacy to help individuals and communities reach their fullest potential.

Founded in 1968, the Tacoma Urban League, Inc. vision is that of a world-class social service organization with a catalogue of programs and services beneficial to disadvantaged individuals and families by moving them from welfare to work, from low-wage jobs to sustainable living wage employment, from despair to hope to confident achievers.

Centro Latino
Tacoma, Washington

Centro Latino’s Family Services program was established to help meet the increasingly diverse needs of the growing Latino population of Pierce County. Although there is an emphasis on serving the Latino community, Centro Latino’s services are available to any individual or family in need. Approximately 350 individuals and/or families from throughout Pierce County receive services each month.Centro Latino’s Adult Education services provide adult learners with opportunities that increase their basic skills. In addition to traditional instruction, students are provided with culturally and linguistically appropriate support that encourages them to achieve their goals.

University of Nambia and Hedmark University College of Norway
Windhoek, Namibia and Hamar, Norway

The Norway/Namibia Project is a partnership of study and service with Pacific Lutheran University, the University of Namibia, and Hedmark University College of Norway. It is designed to enable students to become world citizens, aware of global problems and committed to creating constructive responses to these problems in the spirit of democracy and peace.

Pacific Lutheran University administers the initiative, through the Scandinavian Area Studies Program and the Wang Center for International Programs.

Peace Community Center
Tacoma, Washington

Peace Community Center is the vision turned reality of Peace Lutheran Church, a small E.L.C.A congregation on the Hilltop that represents the race, ethnic, age, and economic diversity of its neighborhood.. PCC concerntrates on educational assistance, recreation, and spiritual support for local high school students. As part of the Youth Leaders Intiative, two PLU students are selected each year as Youth Mentoring Fellows to work in partnership with youth leaders at the Center to learn from one-another by developing and implementing new strategies to cultivate leadership among the Center’s youth.

Tacoma Community House
Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma Community House is a non-profit organization that works with and advocates for individuals from various cultural and ethnic groups to improve the quality of their lives through education, employment, and multilingual assistance.This 2007 J-term, 19 PLU students volunteered from three different classes gave a total of 222 hours in service to the program! To visit the Tacoma Community House website, click here »

Salishan Project
Tacoma, Washington

PLU offers Community Study of Salishan, an intensive program of community work in the Salishan neighborhood in Southeast Tacoma, in which students learn first-hand about poverty and participate in community service projects. Three PLU students are living and volunteering in Salishan, each student completes at least four hours of community service per week, ranging from volunteering at a Southeast Asian food bank to tutoring math at a local middle school.The course is founded on exploring the meaning of service from multiple perspectives and illustrates thier commitment to integrating intercultural values and skills into daily lives. For the latest Salishan story in the Scene, click here »

Tacoma Public Schools
Tacoma, Washington

Korean Women's Association
Tacoma, Washington

The Korean Women's Association (KWA) of Washington is a community program leader in Pierce County with innovative programs designed to enhance the quality of life for Asian Americans and other minority citizens in the Northwest.

Asia Pacific Cultural Center
Tacoma, Washington