The state’s Workforce Board is seeking evaluators for our annual Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) scholarship. This valuable, two-year scholarship celebrates high-performing career and technical education (CTE) students–both graduating high school seniors and students in professional-technical programs in our state’s community and technical colleges. 

Who we are seeking 
We’re looking for people from the business, labor, nonprofit, workforce and education communities. 

What’s in it for you 
Read personal stories about the rewarding impacts that come from hands-on, career-focused learning and how CTE is making a difference for students at the high school and college level across Washington. 

What to expect as a WAVE Evaluator: 

• Volunteer evaluators will receive electronic WAVE review assignments by email starting the third week of April.
• Email messages from State of Washington WAVE may arrive in your junk or spam folder, so please check those folders later this month.
• Evaluators are assigned about 10 applications. Each application contains essays and a scoring rubric.
• WAVE review instructions will be included.
• Evaluating all 10 applications typically takes two hours total. Evaluators will have a certain amount of time to score and submit all assignments.
• Each application will be evaluated by more than one reviewer and a composite score will determine awardees by Legislative District. 

More about WAVE 
The award celebrates the top three CTE students from each of the state’s 49 legislative districts, with up 147 total students receiving an award. WAVE was created by the Legislature in 1984 to emphasize the importance of career and technical education, and the value of real-world, hands-on learning. The award was restarted in 2022 after being suspended for more than a decade following the Great Recession. 

The 2025 award covers up to two years of tuition. This is based on the institution students attend—with awards up to $3,900 per year, and up to $7,800 for two years. 

The anticipated 2025 timeline for the review process follows:

• March 17 – The WAVE application period concluded.
• Late March to May – The Workforce Board screens then distributes WAVE applications to volunteer evaluators.
• April to May – Volunteers evaluate applications.
• Late May or early June: WAVE awardees announced.

If you would like to volunteer or know others who are interested, please contact us at wave.award@wtb.wa.gov. 

Thank you!