Students at Garfield Elementary learn about the magic of the bass from YAMA. Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA) grows confident young leaders in the neighborhoods it serves by widening access to professional music learning, igniting collective pride, & empowering students & families.

Imagine Learning recognizes all of the multilingual students of Yakima School District who completed over 400,000 minutes of reading in Imagine Language and Literacy to support community members through YWCA Yakima. With the number of minutes spent on the program, multilingual students helped to donate over 3,747 meals!

From November 1 through December 10, multilingual students within Yakima School District have been trying to log as many minutes as possible within Imagine Language and Literacy. The minutes spent in the program equivalate to meals for community members. This initiative called “Minutes 4 Meals” drastically increased student motivation. We saw schools increase their average program usage time and student achievement scores are also on the rise.

Hoover, Garfield, and Ridgeview Elementary schools were the top program users in the district.

This incentive program was made possible by many members of Yakima School District, YWCA Yakima, and Imagine Learning. This wouldn’t have been made possible without the support of Thalia Garcia, Brandice Alejo, and ELD staff.

Today, Superintendent Greene, YWCA Yakima Executive Director Cheri Kilty, and Director of Development and Outreach Lisa Kapuza, accepted a check and donated over 3,747 meals to children at the YWCA Yakima on behalf of our students.

At Garfield Elementary School, Mrs. Temple’s class did an activity where students shared who they respect and why. Check out some of the wonderful responses and insights they shared.