Northwest Learning & Achievement Group

Located on the Yakama Nation reservation in rural central Washington State, Altera is an educational nonprofit with 20+ years of success serving students in more than 24 communities and 67 schools from the Oregon border to Canada. Most families, Hispanic, Native and Caucasian farm families live on subsistence agricultural wages. 65% of students served are racial or ethnically diverse, 83% live in poverty, 100% are rural. 23% are migrant or first or second-generation immigrant. Guided by our mission of social equity through education, Altera provides educational programs helping students and families build the skills they need to achieve ambitious outcomes. Altera helped 10,000 area students apply to college through multi-year grant-funded university/school/Altera educational initiatives we spearheaded, and served thousands of students in other programs. Our staff (rural, 55% BIPOC), college-educated residents of communities we serve, themselves overcame barriers to education. Many are in their first professional jobs, several serving in schools they once attended, often the first BIPOC professionals working in these districts. In partnership with school communities—administrators, teachers, parents and students -- Altera has developed programs and materials for college preparation, for before- and after-school tutoring and enrichment, for at-home literacy training, and early-childhood curricula (English/Spanish) so families can ensure their toddlers are “Kindergarten-ready.” Altera’s dedicated board members (14 years average tenure, 50% Hispanic, 30% Spanish speakers) are drawn from rural area universities, school districts, and community businesses. Altera will test our program outcomes and share insights and successes that might help other rural districts.