"Everyone needs an education. Everybody has to have knowledge - and literacy is the foundation for everything," says Taurean Morton, state director for Reading Roadmap in Mississippi. The organization provides reading interventions for students in kindergarten through second grade, helping at-risk students in the Mississippi Delta region become fluent readers.

"No one knows a classroom better than someone who is in a classroom all day," says Sanford Johnson, executive director of Teach Plus in Mississippi. Teach Plus works to empower teachers to influence decisions that are going to improve the quality of education for students in the Mississippi Delta.

Real inclusion is about ensuring that people can afford housing and easily get around Northwest Arkansas to take advantage of all it offers. The foundation believes transportation challenges in the region can be solved by actively listening to the communities we serve. When everyone participates in creating transportation solutions, it improves access for everyone.

Matt Mosler founded Home Again Pine Bluff several years ago to begin revitalizing the city of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, block by block. The nonprofit organization renovates homes and rents them at below-market value. It’s also setting residents on the path to home ownership. After three to five years, tenants can purchase the property for half the appraised value.

Drew Smith is in the business of creating joy. Through his Helena, Arkansas-based nonprofit Delta Magic, Drew is connecting the dots between what people want and how to find it. The organization is playing a vital role in building the social infrastructure in the community.

An innovative bus service transports FedEx workers from small rural communities to and from their jobs. Pam Chatman’s idea has helped improve lives in the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta by opening new employment opportunities for the region’s resident.

Through Delta Circles, Patricia Ashanti is helping Black women in the region build financial stability and independence. But the Helena, Arkansas-based nonprofit is also doing much more. It’s become a place of fellowship and friendship, where Black women build connection and confidence in the future.

The Arkansas-Mississippi Delta is a region ripe with talent. But like so many rural parts of America, its potential is often overlooked. The Walton Family Foundation is committed to supporting the exceptional people building lasting impact here. We’re proud to share the stories of the incredible people changing their communities for the better.

The Walton Family Foundation is working in collaboration with communities and leaders throughout the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta to build a lasting impact for its residents. Our new Delta strategy is rooted in community-driven change that removes historical inequities and creates opportunities for people to learn and lead a region brimming with potential.

This video presents an overview of the Walton Family Foundation's Theory of Change in Northwest Arkansas.

Entrepreneurship is key in building a vibrant economy. In Northwest Arkansas, the Walton Family Foundation is working to cultivate and expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem. As part of that vision, the foundation is supporting community partners as they build a pipeline for diverse entrepreneurial talent and remove barriers for underserved entrepreneurs.

Learn how local companies and nonprofits are creating innovative training programs that fill workforce needs and help residents find higher-wage careers.

A COVID Relief Fund grant helped INTERFORM supply Northwest Arkansas communities with masks during the early phase of the pandemic. That experience helped the fashion and design nonprofit expand into small-batch production.

The Walton Family Foundation is working in collaboration with communities and leaders throughout the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta to build lasting impact for its residents. Our new Delta strategy is rooted in community-driven change that removes historical inequities and creates opportunities for people to learn and lead a region brimming with potential.

Northwest Arkansas is an emerging hub for entrepreneurship in the Heartland. Local and national organizations are working together to build a community where all residents have access to economic and cultural opportunities. This conversation explores resources available to entrepreneurs in the region that help break down barriers innovators face when opening new businesses or startups.

The Walton Family Foundation supports community-driven housing solutions that help Northwest Arkansas remain an inclusive, vibrant and affordable place to live, where everyone has access to mixed-income, walkable, transit-accessible neighborhoods.

Sam Dean, executive director of the Amazeum in Bentonville, Arkansas, says communities must embrace and support a holistic view of education that ensures students have access to learning opportunities inside and outside of school.

Dr. Debbie Jones, superintendent of Bentonville Public Schools, says her goal is to ensure students graduate high school ready to follow their dreams.