Building Professional Pathways: Supporting WWU Planning Students at the 2026 APA National Conference

Western Washington University planning students are raising funds to continue the annual tradition of attending the APA National Planning Conference in Detroit. These efforts help ensure more students have access to this valuable professional opportunity.

Each year Western Washington University’s Club for Urban & Environmental Sustainability (CUES) sends 15–25 upperclassmen from the Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy (UEPP) department to the APA National Planning Conference.

In preparation for this year’s conference in Detroit, Michigan, students and CUES officers have worked diligently to raise funds to help offset travel and registration costs. Through campus initiatives, alumni outreach, and collaborative fundraising efforts with planning professionals, students are striving to reduce financial barriers and expand access to this transformative experience. To support our students, donations can be made here.

As CUES Co-President Laddi Quintanilla shares:

“I would sincerely say the conferences have so many layers of benefits beyond professional exposure and planning education outside the classroom, which is indeed nothing to scoff at by itself. But what comes as a surprise is the cohort and relationship building within and beyond students that really endures after these conferences. I know students who have been offered jobs and internships; some have met and invited guest speakers to bring inspiration back to the club; and those who go together develop a deep sense of responsibility and mutuality to their peers that inevitably transcends graduation.”

For many students, the conference is not only an academic opportunity, but a defining professional and personal milestone. Any support helps us move closer to our goal of ensuring that students can participate fully in this experience without the burden of additional financial strain.