Aerial view of the Seattle city skyline.

Seattle Experience 2026

A faculty-led alternative spring break trip offering real-world insights from and connections to industry, government, and non-profit organizations.

Your degree does not define your potential.

Opportunities abound in today’s complex society, but how does an anthropologist become a data scientist? Can biology help you pursue a career in customer support? What skills does an English major use to become a business leader?

The Seattle Experience is designed to foster curiosity and prime you for possibilities yet unknown.

Apply Now

Deadline: October 31

Questions?

Contact Professor Jeff Sanders,
jcsanders@wsu.edu

Spring 2026

A cohort of 12-15 undergraduate students will spend five days in the urban environment of the Seattle metro area, meet with workers, volunteers, and leaders to learn about their successes and challenges, and experience first-hand the breadth of opportunity for all majors.

Sunday, March 15 – Thursday, March 19

Theme: A Sense of Place

What does it mean to have a sense of place? It can describe everything from individual well-being to our commitments to sustaining the communities and environments we share. A sense of place may include access to shelter, food security, healthcare, transportation, renewable energy, or preserved open space. It also involves the work that grounds us: the goals we set, the ambitions we pursue, and the chance to do meaningful work in a place we call home. Cost of living, opportunities for fulfilling work, and the alignment of career and community all shape where and how we find home.

This year the Seattle Experience will focus on the theme of sense of place broadly defined. As we visit different NGOs, corporations, and in conversations with employers and stakeholders in the city we will learn how they define and create a sense of place in practice. Along the way we will consider how our individual fields of study within the College of Arts and Sciences may help us contribute to shaping a stronger sense of place in our present and future, while also reflecting on how we can acknowledge flaws and improve our own “place.”

All students selected for the Seattle Experience must:

  • Be enrolled as a full-time WSU undergraduate student (any campus)
  • Be an admitted student in a bachelor’s degree program offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Attend all pre- and post-trip meetings:
    • February 26
    • March 5
    • Post trip: March 26
  • Be on time for and participate in all of the planned Seattle Experience activities.

Jump to the bottom of this page to view the itinerary.

The Seattle Experience is supported by generous alumni donors and there is no cost to participate. Lunch and activity transportation (as needed) will be provided each day. Participants will be responsible for arranging their own transportation, accommodation, and other meals and will receive a stipend of $2,700 in advance of the trip to use for this purpose.

Each cohort will be designed to include a broad scope of academic pursuits and personal experiences.

To apply, you’ll need:

  • Your current resume in a Word or PDF format.
  • Name and email for two WSU references (faculty or staff members). A third non-WSU reference may also be provided (optional).

The application includes several short-answer questions (each 100 words or less). We recommend you create your responses in advance and then copy-and-paste them in the application. The questions are:

  • Why do you want to participate in the Seattle Experience program?
  • What are your areas of interest and your career goals or ambitions? How do you anticipate this program will help you move forward in your career goals and ambitions?
  • What do you think/feel/question when you hear a “sense of place”? How has the work you’ve done inside and outside the classroom at WSU helped you think about this year’s theme?
  • What is your experience with Seattle? Have you been there? Do you live in the Seattle area? 

Questions?

Contact Professor Jeff Sanders,
jcsanders@wsu.edu

2026 Itinerary TBA

2025 Itinerary

Sunday, March 9 Afternoon Arrival

Museum of History and Industry

(from 3-5PM; the Museum closes at 5PM)

Monday, March 10: A Thriving Downtown by Design

Pike Place Market: Goodwin Library

  • 9-10AM: Prep meeting: Address contemporary issues of resilience related to Seattle’s ongoing and post-pandemic struggle to house people, current efforts at economic revitalization, and the market’s role as microcosm of Seattle’s historical and contemporary challenges.
    • Jeff presentation on themes and the Market’s historical role in Seattle
    • Leanne on career development
  • 10 to 10:30am: Discussion of the Market’s historical thriving and model in contemporary Seattle
    • Nick Setten, Market Foundation
  • 11 to Noon: Market walking tour with Nick featuring social service agencies, low-income housing, and other features of the Market Foundation’s mission.
  • Noon-1PM: Lunch

Seattle Waterfront

  • 1-3pm: Waterfront walk and fieldwork
  • 3-5PM: Regroup and Meeting: Director of the Pike Place Market, PDA, Rachel Ligtenberg

Tuesday, March 11: Public and Private Thriving

Amazon Spheres

  • 11:30AM-1PM: Lunch and transit
  • 1-5PM: Seattle City Hall Tour and Meetings

Seattle City Hall

  • 1:30p-1:55p – Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck
  • 2:15p-2:45p – Chief Maryman, Chief, Gender Based Violence Division, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office PAO
  • 3:00p-3:30p – Seattle Deputy Mayor Jessyn Farrell
  • 4:00p-4:30p – Mina Hashemi, Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations

Wednesday, March 12: Thriving Past and Future

Turn 10 Studios

  • 9am-Noon: Microsoft Corporation Game Design

Lunch at Redmond Town Center

  • 3-5pm: Wing Luke Museum Walking Tour
  • 7:30-9PM: Meeting at Town Hall
  • Event: Yoni Applebaum, “Priced Out of the American Dream”

Thursday, March 13: Thriving Upon Reflection

Meeting at Seattle Center and Space Needle

Seattle spheres building.
Seattle Experience group at Pike Place Market.