Co-Creating a Shared Future

At Shared Futures 2026, students, faculty, staff and community leaders took part in a fast-paced design thinking workshop centered on a key theme: the link between student wellness and civic engagement. 

The annual event, hosted by UW Tacoma’s Institute for Innovation and Global Engagement (IIGE), empowers participants to engage in hands-on, creative problem-solving around complex issues. This year, the focus was on understanding how personal health and stability can influence a student’s ability to get involved and make a difference in their community.  

Students had the opportunity to work directly with elected officials and community leaders from the IIGE’s Community Advisory Board and the American Leadership Forum Tacoma–Pierce County, an organization that helps shape programs and initiatives throughout Tacoma and the South Sound. 
 
Through open dialogue, shared learning, and collaborative problem-solving, Shared Futures shows how bringing different voices together can lead to new connections and inspire real change.