Spirit Mountain Community Fund Helps Advance Equity for Children with Learning Challenge

Portland, OR. A $35,000 grant from from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund will help a nonprofit called The Shadow Project educate kids with the disabilities like dyslexia and autism. The 15-year-old nonprofit is committed to making school more accessible and engaging for children with learning challenges. (Photo Credit, Andie Petkus)

“The strength of our local partnerships is something we take pride in,” said Mychal Cherry, Spirit Mountain Community Fund executive director. “It’s an honor and a privilege to support an organization like The Shadow Project that makes it possible for children with learning disabilities to meet and exceed their full academic potential.”

The majority of the children in The Shadow Project are from low-income homes and communities of color. The Spirit Mountain grant gives them personalized learning experiences such as reading mentors who use a specialized audio-visual library to make books comes alive, sensory spaces where children can find calm and focus, and a goal-setting program that motivates discouraged learners.

“Because of Spirit Mountain’s generosity, our children have tools tailored to the way they learn, teachers equipped to support them, and a sense of belonging in school that sets them on a path of pride and accomplishment,” said Scattarella. “Many of the students we serve have been ready to give up—on school and on themselves—and their perseverance and determination inspire me daily.”

The Spirit Mountain Community Fund is the philanthropic arm of The Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde, distributing $78,610,930 in grants to non-profit organizations in 11 counties, government agencies in Polk and Yamhill counties, and the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon, to improve the quality of life in Northwest Oregon.