If money was not a barrier, what would we do to transform our region? In 2020, this simple, but audacious, question was posed to Innovia Foundation staff and volunteers. Turning to local data, we traced the challenges facing our community:

• homelessness
• generational poverty
• workforce shortages
• gaps in education access

At the root of each challenge was a ripple effect beginning at birth. From kindergarten readiness to college preparedness, young people navigate a complex of barriers along their journey to success. Too often, fragmented support leaves children and their families behind, impacting the whole region. What could our community do?

In 2022, the LaunchNW initiative was born, modeled after Say Yes to Education programs successfully implemented in Syracuse, Buffalo, and Cleveland. Using a supported Promise Scholarship as incentive, LaunchNW is a bold, cross-sector collaboration that removes barriers to post-high school education for every child.

Research shows that post-high school education and workforce training create prosperity powerful enough to boost economies, bolster communities, and break cycles of poverty, but they feel out of reach for many of our students and families. LaunchNW brings funders together to invest in comprehensive solutions that spark lasting community vitality. We galvanize entire communities by:

Our team is committed to working with community partners to collaboratively engage and provide wraparound supports for students and families. We unite businesses, educational entities, government, nonprofits, students, and communities to develop innovative solutions that support every child in the Eastern Washington and North Idaho region.