Our work.
We partner with nonprofits, individuals, organizations, and communities to identify and address issues and concerns related to education and general community well-being. We believe change requires a collective effort; that’s why we bring together community members and groups of diverse backgrounds and interests to learn together and tackle issues our community deems important.
Our team offers support to community partners through research, consultation, and collaborative work, as well as through the operation and management of several internally sponsored initiatives.
We work to identify solutions that are specific, practical, relevant, and positively impact the community and its members. Our work is accomplished through:
Partnerships with nonprofits, foundations, philanthropists, and businesses
Community engagement
Internally funded and staffed projects
Education on key policy issues and elected boards and commissions
Our approach.
Children & Families
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Project PEACE was designed to strengthen families and teens by intentionally creating a space of belonging, both together and apart, to understand and transform conflict by increasing self-awareness and accountability in the relationships that matter most. Initially launched as an after-school program, Project PEACE now offers three different service areas:
Project PEACE for Teens. Our flagship after-school programs, hosted at local nonprofits.
PEACE+Outward Leadership. Curriculum integrated into middle and high school classrooms.
PEACE+Parents. A companion program for parents whose teens are currently enrolled in a PEACE program.
PEACE+Community. A series of public trainings specifically geared toward teachers, coaches, mentors, and others who work directly with youth.
Our projects.
Explore our foundation’s project portfolio by priority area. Looking for a project not listed here? Keep scrolling for a list of projects and initiatives that stayed under the Mountain West Investment Corporation umbrella.
Education
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Through innovative public-private partnerships with the Salem-Keizer School District and Willamette Education Service District, Mountain West Investment Corporation previously provided support to SKSD’s Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) and Willamette Career Academy (WCA). These education centers provide opportunities for high school students to graduate with real career or trade experience. The foundation plans to take this legacy and continue exploring opportunities to expand CTE courses throughout the state. In some cases, this means moving beyond the high school model and investing in post-graduate programs to capture nontraditional students, as well.
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Mountain West Investment Corporation team members worked closely with school administrators and teachers to improve graduation rates in the Salem-Keizer School District. The initiative, known as Salem-Keizer +10, was built upon the principle that by strengthening one-on-one relationships, improved attendance and academic performance would then follow. The program far exceeded expectations and in most high schools, improved graduation rates well beyond the targeted +10 percent. The Center builds upon this legacy by continuing to work with individual schools, teachers, and administrators to find innovative solutions to prominent challenges in the District.
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Structured like a community school, a “Super School” integrates educational, social, and health services to support the holistic development and well-being of students and their families. The Foundation’s Super School Coordinator collaborates closely with school administration, teachers, families, community partners, and service providers to create a supportive, inclusive, and resource-rich learning environment. As of 2025, we have launched our first pilot program at Highland Elementary School, in partnership with the Salem-Keizer School District.
Seniors
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Each year, we connect Salem-area students and seniors through a letter writing project. Youth create holiday cards for seniors living in retirement, assisted living, and long-term care communities. When possible, card deliveries are accompanied by cookies and caroling.
View the 2024 program results (and a few of our favorite cards) here.
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Magic happens when the oldest and youngest members of our community get together. And we like to make that happen as often as possible. Our multigenerational programs bring school-age children and seniors into conversation and community, whether through an organized club like the Glamour Gals chapter at Blanchet Catholic School or in a mentorship capacity like our volunteer program with Center 50+ and the Salem-Keizer School District.
Leadership
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Established in 2023 as a way to develop young leaders in our community, this program brings students together from across the district and from both private and public institutions. Students are given opportunities to learn from guest speakers on topics ranging from entrepreneurship and financial literacy to civic engagement. Throughout the year-long commitment, students are asked to work together on a cross-boundary community issue facing youth today.
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Our founder strongly believes in investing in individuals. Strong leaders create strong teams; that’s why we work heavily with nonprofit leaders in an effort to bolster consistency and impact. Several of our MWCCE team members are well experienced in strategic and succession planning, frequently working with our closest nonprofit partners during times of transition.
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Our most experienced team members provide direct coaching and mentoring services to a variety of leaders in our community, from school and District leaders to nonprofit directors. The goal of these services is to support and enhance a leader’s capacity to effectively lead and manage their organizations for better results.
Community Engagement
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Part of our newest subset of community engagement programming, these public forums are intended to be a nonpartisan, no-strings-attached space for anyone to learn how our community works and operates. Each forum focuses on a specific community issue and provides panelists with informed but varied perspectives on the topic.
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A series of community conversations to help identify the most pressing issues and priorities for different sectors of our community. Our first series dealt with education in the Salem-Keizer School District, listening to the most important voices: those of the parents and students the District serves. Each series will conclude with a publicly available report.
Historical Projects.
Although the Center for Community Excellence has only operated as a foundation since 2024, it was built upon a legacy of philanthropy started by Larry Tokarski and his company, Mountain West Investment Corporation. Our work as a foundation would not have the impact it does now without the years of relationships and giving established under the Corporation. In honor of that legacy, we’ve compiled a list of some of MWIC’s most memorable initiatives—many of which continue today as programs housed under other organizations.
To see which organizations and initiatives are still engaged by the corporation’s philanthropic arm, click the button below.
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Through innovative public-private partnerships with the Salem-Keizer School District and Willamette Education Service District, Mountain West Investment Corporation previously provided support to SKSD’s Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) and Willamette Career Academy (WCA). These education centers provide opportunities for high school students to graduate with real career or trade experience. Description text goes here
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Established in 2019, the Community Business & Education Leaders Collaborative (CBEL) is a group of leaders across our community who meet regularly to listen to the voices of lived experience in our neighborhoods and share resources to help effect change. CBEL’s mission is to build community resilience that strengthens families and supports world-class education in Salem-Keizer. You can learn more about what that entails on their website: www.cbelsalem.org.
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Center 50+ is dedicated to the wellness of local seniors in a holistic sense. We are proud partners of their Wellness of Wheels (WOW) program. Front porch visits from the WOW van can include fitness, nutrition, mobility and wellness programming, activities, lifelong learning instruction, social check-ins, and technology tutoring. Learn more here.
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Now housed under Curandi but still supported by CBEL, these neighborhood-based councils bring community voices to the forefront of decision making in our City and School District. Learn more about how the Councils operate and where you can find them here: www.cbelsalem.org/neighborhood-family-councils.
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Mountain West and its founder have long supported faith-based educational institutions in the Salem area and beyond. Our founder is passionate about bringing private education opportunities to any interested student or family.
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Mountain West Investment Corporation team members worked closely with school administrators and teachers to improve graduation rates in the Salem-Keizer School District. The initiative, known as Salem-Keizer +10, was built upon the principle that by strengthening one-on-one relationships, improved attendance and academic performance would then follow. The program far exceeded expectations and in most high schools, improved graduation rates well beyond the targeted +10 percent.
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As the success of the +10 Project drew more interest, Mountain West team members developed the following series of videos to showcase the model. Coupled with additional trainings from the Arbinger Institute’s Developing and Implementing an Outward Mindset (DIOM), the +10 Project’s impact was profound. See what seeing people as actual people, instead of vehicles, objects, or irrelevancies, can have on an individual, school, and even community.
View the impact at McKay High School.