Our work.
We partner with nonprofits, individuals, organizations, and communities to identify and address issues and concerns related to education, public policy, 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 and civic engagement
Internally funded and staffed projects
Education on key policy issues and elected boards and commissions
Our approach.
Children & Families
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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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Sponsored 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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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 project portfolio by priority area. These service areas directly reflect our giving priorities.
Education
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Through innovative public-private partnerships with the Salem-Keizer School District and Willamette Education Service District, Mountain West has 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.
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Mountain West team members worked closely with school administrators and teachers to improve graduation rates in the Salem-Keizer School District. The initiative 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.
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A series of community conversations to help identify the most pressing issues and priorities for education in our district, according to the most important voices: those of the parents and students the District serves. The series will conclude with a publicly available report.
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 2023 program results (and a few of our favorite cards) here.
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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.
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.
Civic Engagement
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Part of our newest subset of civic 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.
Faith-Focused Organizations
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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.