Compassion Scholars is a program of the Washington State Leadership Board. The Washington State Leadership Board is a trustee agency of Washington state originally founded in 1971 as the Association of Washington Generals, by then-Lt. Governor John Cherberg. The organization was codified in state statute in 2005, giving it permission to use the Washington State Seal and to work with the Office of the Lt. Governor on programs and initiatives.

In 2022, the Washington State Legislature designated the Washington State Leadership Board a trustee agency of the state of Washington with the signing of Bill 5750. Today, the Leadership Board continues its long legacy of recognizing service and cultivating leadership in Washington through educational programs, public service, international engagement, and bestowing statewide honors including Washingtonian of the Year.

Compassionate leadership through experiential travel.

The Compassion Scholars program originated from an acknowledgement that the current decade has not been a particularly compassionate one — and a belief that the global collective action problems of the future will require practical, compassionate leadership. The goal of the program, established through a partnership between the Washington State Leadership Board and the Office of the Lt. Governor, is to cultivate compassionate leadership in Washington state. In its first iteration in 2019, the program included a trip to meet with the Dalai Lama, as well as the ongoing implementation of concrete compassion projects in communities throughout the state.

By state statute, The Washington State Leadership Board receives funding from specialty license plate sales from the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Kraken, Seattle Storm, Seattle Mariners, and the Seattle Sounders FC.

If you’d like a specialty license plate of your own, please consider purchasing one from the Washington State Department of Licensing. Your contribution will help us provide opportunities for underserved youth to be involved in local sports programs.

If you are interested in learning more about the programs administered by the Washington State Leadership Board, click here.