Grants to Education Service District 105 (Leadership Initiative)

Grants to Education Service District 105 (Leadership Initiative) is sponsored by Ballmer Group (to Education Service District 105). Ballmer Group supports Education Service District 105 in Central Washington to enhance educational outcomes for students.

Ballmer Group is pleased to share some of our recently announced grants: **Oakland Thrives**: Oakland Thrives is dedicated to advancing cradle-to-career outcomes for children by fostering collaboration among cross-sector partners across Oakland and Alameda County. Our grant supports a project-based fellowship program to enhance cross-sector collaboration among local partners and inform program improvements.

This initiative will place 10 fellows in key roles within five public agencies, focusing on developing data tools and actionable insights to optimize service delivery. Through this fellowship, Oakland Thrives aims to strengthen data-driven processes and improve outcomes for children across the region.

**Education Service District 105**: The mission of ESD 105 is to provide essential support and resources to school districts in Central Washington, enhancing educational outcomes for nearly 70,000 students across Kittitas, Yakima, Grant, and Klickitat Counties. Our grant will support the development of a sustainable, equity-focused leadership initiative in partnership with the Center for Educational Leadership.

This initiative aims to empower 100 educators through the Aspiring Leaders program and co-develop a local leadership training model, ultimately improving equity-driven leadership and educational excellence in the region.

**Olympic Educational Service District 114**: Olympic Educational Service District 114 (OESD) is dedicated to providing coordinated services that enhance educational opportunities and support for students across North Mason, Kitsap, Clallam, and Jefferson Counties.

Our grant will support the launch of a new Open Doors Youth Reengagement Program, which aims to reengage disconnected youth aged 16-21 by helping them earn a high school diploma or GED, develop career pathways, and access essential support services. This initiative will fill a critical gap in the region, ensuring long-term success in education and employment for these young individuals.

**Innovia Foundation**: LaunchNW is an initiative of the Innovia Foundation, aiming to enhance post-high school training opportunities in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, ultimately leading to quality local jobs. Our grant will support the expansion of LaunchNW’s services by funding six post-high school navigator positions, which will provide critical support to students transitioning from high school to post-secondary education.

This initiative aims to improve student persistence and credential completion, addressing regional workforce development needs and reducing educational inequities. **College Unbound**: College Unbound (CU) is dedicated to providing accessible, innovative higher education opportunities for adult learners who have faced significant barriers to attending college.

Our grant will support a partnership with EarlyEdU to deliver a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Change to experienced early childhood educators. It will also build the infrastructure needed for statewide and national expansion, enhancing CU’s capacity to serve more students and scale its impact.

**Chicago CRED**: The mission of CRED and its partners is to create safer communities across Chicago by building a robust network of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) organizations that save lives and reduce violence-related trauma. Our grant will support CRED’s general operating budget, enabling cross-functional initiatives that enhance the effectiveness and scalability of the CVI ecosystem.

This funding will strengthen CRED’s operational capacity and help attract additional support from other foundations, corporations, and government entities, amplifying the impact of their vital work in public safety solutions.

**Juvenile Law Center**: The Debt Free Justice campaign is dedicated to eliminating the financial burdens of juvenile fees and fines, advocating for fair treatment of youth and families across diverse jurisdictions.

Our grant will support the campaign’s efforts to abolish these fees and fines in additional states, ensure the effective implementation of existing legislation, and broaden the initiative to address other monetary sanctions in municipal courts, schools, and the child welfare system.