Everett Community College

The Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) is an early college high school academy, one of the first in Washington State. ORCA is the only early college in the nation that uses the local marine environment as the unifying theme to integrate the core academic disciplines.  Funded initially by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ORCA seeks to provide opportunities for all students to engage in active inquiry and in-depth study in a supportive environment.

"I truly love everything about ORCA: the hours, the instructors, the skills I acquired asking and answering my own questions.  ORCA is unique in everything it provides for its students.  The responsibility to be successful here rests on me.  I feel I am doing something significant." ORCA Student

ORCA is a unique opportunity for high school students, using the framework of the Running Start program and the resources of Everett Community College, there is no tuition for high school students. ORCA offers students a full-time college experience that satisfies all requirements for an Associate’s degree and most requirements for a high school diploma.

Using an innovative, project-based approach in a small "learning community" environment, students enjoy the challenge of designing and implementing their own learning experiences under the guidance of talented college faculty. While marine science provides the focus for interdisciplinary projects, students receive a rich education in all of the core subjects, with outstanding faculty members working with the students for two years.