Thank you, Walton Family Foundation, for selecting EAST as one of eight Little Rock non-profits to serve families and students experience meaningful learning despite the challenges of COVID-19. 

EAST will assist 600 parents, through the #EducationUnleashed program,  by providing training and resources for them to better support student learning no matter where their classroom may be.

#EASTAchievement #InspireChange

Eight Little Rock nonprofit organizations will receive funding from the Walton Family Foundation’s inaugural Community Support Grant Program. These organizations will collectively help more than 1,500 Little Rock students and parents continue meaningful learning despite unprecedented challenges. “It’s more important than ever for us to learn from and support those that know Little Rock families and communities best,” said Gary Stark, senior program officer at the Walton Personal Philanthropy Group. “These organizations are doing extraordinary work to help students and families continue learning in this challenging time.” The foundation selected the recipients based on their work to address the needs of local students and families. In a survey of 667 residents, respondents prioritized the following needs: • Helping students improve in specific subject areas, such as reading or math. • Offering 1-on-1 tutoring or student group programs. • Equipping parents and guardians with the tools and training they need to assist their children with online learning. Through the Community Support Grant Program, the foundation will provide $200,000 to eight Little Rock nonprofits, including: 

Ambitious Girls to support reading and math tutoring for 100 girls through the Ambitious Girls Academy. 

Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas to provide virtual and in-person tutoring support for 450 Little Rock students. 

EducationCorps to support 75 high school students in foster care on their path to college and employment. 

EAST Initiative to provide training and resources for 600 parents to better support student learning. 

Life Skills for Youth to provide resources and on-site and virtual learning to 200 students in southwest Little Rock. 

Our House Shelter to serve 30 homeless or near-homeless students with academic and related support during COVID-19. 

Ozark Mission Project to advance student literacy skills through “Extended Family,” a project that pairs 30 students with local seniors to share books and build relationships. 

Xtraordinary Minds to create innovative reading and math tools to support 60 students. 

In September, the foundation awarded more than $300,000 to the Central Arkansas Library System and AR Kids Read to expand access to tutoring programs. Over the last two decades, the Walton Family Foundation has invested in education initiatives to support more than 10,000 Little Rock students. This includes supporting the launch of 16 schools and the training and development of more than 500 leaders and educators serving students across the city. The foundation also contributed resources to expand high-quality preK, establish school-community partnerships at eight middle schools, increase access to online learning and enhance educator development and retention. 

About the Walton Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. In 2019, the foundation awarded more than $525 million in grants in support o