Innovative Programs

Right Now Needs Fund

$6 Million
distributed to students and families with immediate needs since inception (Jan. 2019 - Dec. 2024)
89,271+
instances of student support across all Seattle Public Schools since inception (Jan. 2019 - Dec. 2024)
14,840
instances of student support in 2024

We know when students have their basic needs met, they are more likely to succeed within and beyond the classroom. The Right Now Needs Fund is a one-of-a-kind program that works at the individual school level to address the basic needs of students and families across all Seattle Public Schools. The fund ensures students can fully participate in classroom activities by covering the costs of clothing, meals and shelter that are not included in individual school budgets, but are necessary for students to thrive. Supported by generous investments from Amazon since 2018, the fund continues to meet student needs into its sixth school year.

Learn More About the Fund | Make a Donation to the Fund

Seattle Teacher Residency

80%
Stay in the field teaching through their fifth year in the classroom (current Oct. 2022)
68%
of STR cohort 12 residents (2024-25) are BIPOC
268
educators have graduated from STR since the first cohort in 2012 (Dec. 2024)
35%
of surveyed STR graduates have a school or district leadership role (surveyed Dec. 2022)
2/3
grads are mentors for current residents, also receiving coaching and support (June 2025)
87%
of Title I schools in Seattle have STR teachers in the classroom (June 2025)

The Alliance founded the Seattle Teacher Residency (STR) program in 2012 in partnership with the University of Washington, Seattle Education Association and Seattle Public Schools to recruit, prepare and retain high quality elementary and special education teachers for students furthest from educational justice in Seattle Public Schools. The 14-month program is intentionally designed to recruit and prepare future educators who share a passion for educational justice and reflect the diversity of SPS students.

Learn More About the Program | Make a Donation to the Program