About Us

Our Vision

Equitable systems of support for all individuals to acquire 21st Century skills.

Our Mission

Equitable systems and partnerships that mindfully allocate resources needed for communities to thrive in the lower Yakima Valley.

We collaborate with schools and communities to improve educational outcomes for all youth, cradle to career.

Yakima Valley Partners for Education was formed out of a commitment to work collaboratively to improve educational outcomes for all youth of Yakima Valley. The initial work focuses in the Lower Valley communities of Grandview, Sunnyside and Mabton and the plan is to extend into Mid Valley followed by Upper Valley.

Cradle to Career is both a network of partners who have aligned to create a stronger, more integrated, more seamless education pipeline, and a coordinated approach for equitably investing in children and supporting their success from birth through careers.

Collective Impact is an approach to solving complex systemic or social issues by leveraging community strengths and forging uncommon partnerships through cross-sector, structured collaboration.

Heritage University

Heritage University is serving as the backbone organization and two leadership bodies will guide the supports for this initial cohort. The leadership bodies will be comprised of representatives within and outside the education sector, a key component of collective impact that will guide the administrative functions of this work.

Learn more about Heritage University

Partners for Rural Impact

Partners for Rural Impact serves to accelerate educational outcomes in rural places from cradle to career. YVPE receives consultation, training, implementation strategy support, and leadership. With over 25 years of collective impact experience in Appalachia, their rural lens is well aligned with our Valley’s needs.

Learn more about Partners for Rural Impact

Save the Children

Since its founding more than 100 years ago, Save the Children has changed the lives of more than 1 billion children in the United States and around the world, helping ensure children grow up healthy, educated and safe.

Save the Children is a central program partner, with three Early Learning Coordinators placed in the Grandview School District, serving 150 children locally through home visiting, book bag exchanges, and various food, learning materials, and essential resource distributions. They have also provided catalytic financial and technical investments to help launch this work.

Learn more about Save the Children

Strive Together

Strive Together is serving as the facilitator of this work through a series of convenings both in person and online. Strive Together’s founding principle is: Those who care about a community’s children — from parents and educators to civic leaders and local employers — can accomplish more by working together than by working apart.

Learn more about Strive Together