Nonprofit Spotlight: Education Alliance readies students for careers, college

As a business leader in northern Nevada, you want the best and brightest workforce to graduate from the Washoe County School District. The Education Alliance of Washoe County advances career and college readiness through business and community partnerships. We invite you to involve your business in helping our students of today to become your best employees of tomorrow.  

  Education Alliance is a non-profit organization and joint venture between the Washoe County School District, University of Nevada, Reno, and Truckee Meadows Community College. Through leadership, advocacy, and resource development, we strive to help each of our students become better prepared for life after graduation, which may include furthering their education in a community college or university environment, immediately entering the work force, or bringing their entrepreneurial ideas to our community.  

  Our flagship program is Partners in Education. We bring the business community together with education to achieve common goals. As a leader in your business, you know the direction your industry is heading and you know what education and skills are required to succeed. It is vitally important to bring business to the table to help our education system meet the needs of our ever-changing economy. Depending on your business size, scope, capacity, and corporate goals, Education Alliance will match you with a Partner in Education school(s). We recognize our Partners in all our marketing and highlight them in the news with the help of our media partners. This invaluable partnership also fosters collaboration with other businesses, expanding professional networks. 

  A new Partners in Education “ecosystem” pilot program was launched in the North Valleys last spring. Nine schools are positioned between Golden Valley and Cold Springs with a total student population of approximately 7,500. Each of these nine schools have similar needs, and high poverty demographics as demonstrated by the fact that 62 percent of these students are eligible for free/reduced lunch. With 460-plus businesses domiciled in this part of our community, Education Alliance oversees the pooling of resources among these businesses for maximum impact with minimal corporate risk. To date, more than 25 businesses are working together providing resources to the North Valleys Nine ecosystem, from volunteer hours and facility tours to donations to offset transportation expenses so students can broaden their educational experiences. By combining resources and sharing the responsibility to support these 7,500 students, together we are achieving more. 

  Education Alliance also hosts three annual community events:  

• The 11th Annual Run for Education is scheduled for Sunday, October 23rd at Legends at Sparks Marina. To date, we have raised $1.5 million for physical education and nutrition activities for elementary schools. This signature event reaches 64,000 students and their families and draws an annual attendance of more than 8,000 community members.

• Principal for a Day occurs every fall and is an opportunity for you, as a business leader, to shadow a principal to see first-hand what it’s like to run a school. Likewise, part of the day is structured for the principal to shadow you to experience and share your challenges and successes.

• Teachers’ Warehouse Donation Day, held in the spring before Teacher Appreciation Week, is for businesses and community members to donate usable items they no longer need. Donations of office supplies, paper products, seasonal goods, arts and crafts, furniture, teacher aids, books, games, and other usable items are accepted. Teachers then can “shop” for free to enhance learning in the classroom.

The final segment of our organization is the P-16 Advocacy Council. Made up of devoted supporters of education from academia and the business community, this Council looks at structural, systemic ways to improve the educational environment of our community. The focus of P-16 is Pre-K through college graduation.

By investing in our industrious youth, we are developing a bright future for a diverse, qualified workforce. Cultivating relationships with the next generation of employees, consumers, stakeholders, and business owners will strengthen the economic vitality we are creating today.

  For more information, please contact us at 775-353-6950, or visit us at www.ed-alliance.org.