top of page

 

Launched in 2023, Palmer Fit-4-Me helps young adults in Pierce County explore and pursue fulfilling career paths. The program combines career exploration, mentorship, skill-building, and wraparound support to remove barriers and connect young people to education, training, and employment opportunities that align with their strengths and goals.

Eligibility & Application

To be eligible, prospective Fit-4- Me Scholars must:
​

  • Be 16-24 years old

  • Be a Pierce County resident

If you meet the eligibility requirements and are ready to start your journey in our Fit-4-Me Program. Fill out our form to take the next step!

GSI - Fit-4-Me Pathway

Our GSI pathway introduces young adults to careers in Green Stormwater Infrastructure—an emerging field focused on managing water resources through sustainable design and maintenance. These systems protect water quality, control runoff, and support healthy ecosystems while complementing traditional stormwater management. Through hands-on training and wraparound support, participants gain the skills to launch meaningful careers in this growing industry.

TNC Logo.png

GSI Workforce Collaborative​

​

A regional initiative by The Nature Conservancy to advance green stormwater infrastructure and urban forestry careers, addressing workforce sustainability challenges.

 

  • Multi-sector representation supporting workers in family-wage GSI jobs and employers needing a qualified workforce.

  • Identified a gap in relevant training programs in Pierce County.

  • A subcommittee from Pierce Conservation District, City of Tacoma, Clover Park Technical College, Workforce Central, and The Nature Conservancy created a framework to pilot entry-level training.

  • Training combines classroom learning with hands-on experience, adapting the Western Washington Regional GSI Curriculum, with a focus on equity and equitable engagement.

Voices from the Field: Insights from GSI Professionals

Hear from professionals in the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) workforce as they share their experiences, career journeys, and insights into this growing field.

 SUPPORT OUR MISSION TODAY!

Palmer Scholars acknowledges that our work is carried out on, and our office space is located within, occupied Coast Salish land, specifically that of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. We pay respect to Coast Salish Elders past and present and extend that respect to their descendants and to all Indigenous peoples. To acknowledge this land is to recognize its longer history and our place in that history; it is to recognize these lands and waters and their significance for the peoples who lived and continue to live in this region, whose practices and spiritualties were and are tied to the land and the water, and whose lives continue to enrich and develop in relationship to the land, waters, and other inhabitants today.

 

We also pause to recognize and acknowledge the labor upon which our country, state, and institutions are built.

We remember that our country is built on the labor of enslaved people who were kidnapped and brought to the U.S. from the African continent and recognize the continued contribution of their survivors. We also acknowledge all immigrant labor, including voluntary, involuntary, trafficked, forced, and undocumented peoples who contributed to the building of the country and continue to serve within our labor force. We acknowledge all unpaid care-giving labor.

 

To the people who contributed this immeasurable work and their descendants, we acknowledge our/their indelible mark on the spaces in which we operate today. It is our collective responsibility to critically interrogate these histories, to repair harm, and to honor, protect, and sustain this land.

Physical Address - 

4500 Steilacoom Blvd SW BLDG 16

Lakewood WA 98499-4004

​

Phone -

Tricia Speid (CEO) (253) 617-5676
Note: For general information ONLY

​

For questions regarding our specific programs/enrollment please contact the following: 

Palmer Legacy - Jessica G. | (253) 444 - 8564

Palmer Pathways - Alondra M. | (253) 317 - 5479
 

​

Mailing Address - 

PO Box 7119, Tacoma, WA 98417

Email - info@palmerscholars.org

To contact someone directly visit our staff page here: Our Team

candid-seal-platinum-2022.png
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
bottom of page