What does it take to build a region where growth strengthens communities and opportunity reaches everyone? Across our Home Region, we know that opportunities grow when people learn, earn and thrive together in the communities they call home. We invite you to learn more about Strategy 2030, our ongoing commitment to Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta.

It’s me, Raindrop, here to drop some knowledge on how each of us can protect communities and the planet using our very own superpower… the Power of Nature! Voiced by actor and nature enthusiast Rainn Wilson, Raindrop is shares how natural solutions can be a smart, simple and powerful way to protect water so people and nature can thrive together. Restoring wetlands and forests, using cover crops, and even working with beavers (yes, beavers!) can help communities and nature thrive together.

Meet Raindrop! Voiced by actor and nature enthusiast Rainn Wilson, Raindrop is here to explain the ways that climate change is making waves across our water systems. In Episode 1 of this Walton Family Foundation video series, Raindrop wades into how water change is climate change—and how those changes in water impact everything from droughts to floods to a warming ocean. The good news? By working with the power of nature, we can protect water and the climate. Ready to get your feet wet? Let’s dive deeper!

The Community Compass is a new measurement tool designed to help communities better understand how public spaces and programs support connection, belonging and trust. In this video, Home Region Program Officer Ana Aguayo explains how the Community Compass works and why it matters for communities.

What happens when teachers don’t have paid parental leave? Too often, they leave the classroom—or never enter it at all. In Arkansas and Delaware, teachers receive 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, with states covering the cost of long-term substitutes. Educators and state leaders share how these policies support families, strengthen financial stability, and help schools retain great teachers.

The 2025 Voices of Gen Z study from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation finds student engagement at a three-year high. Half of high schoolers now say school lets them do what they do best, up from 40 percent in 2023.

At a Little Rock school, Magpie Literacy's virtual tools are helping young students master reading fundamentals. Meet the educators using sound, structure and smiles to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

We asked teachers from across the country to share moments when their students moved and inspired them this school year. These reflections are reminders of why they chose this work—and how its impact reaches far beyond the classroom.

Recent studies predict that using AI could save teachers up to 24 hours a month. We asked teachers across the U.S how they would use that time to better support students.

The Ignite Startup Lab helps student entrepreneurs work through the practical elements required to bring their business ideas to life – from choosing how to incorporate a business and discover new customers, to raising financial capital and building a social network.

How is AI shaping the classroom? Hear teachers share their views on how artificial intelligence is helping students learn in new ways – while asking questions about creativity and critical thinking.

The Walton Family Foundation is proud to support women leaders creating a Ripple Effect of change to protect water and help people adapt to a changing climate.

Researcher Emily Fairfax created this video to demonstrate how beavers can help protect wetlands and forests from fire. Beaver dams build climate resiliency by slowing water down and storing it in their ponds and the surrounding riparian area. Their wetlands are uniquely resistant to disturbances like droughts and fire.

Up and down the coast of Maine, commercial fishermen are securing a better future for waterfront communities and ensuring sustainable seafood reaches our dinner plates.

Sandi Macklom built a gluten-free baking business after career training at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food in Bentonville, Arkansas. “I’m so lucky to do what I love every single day of my life," Sandi says. "There is no better feeling in the world.”

Pastry chef Ana Sáenz launched her business, The Magical Spatula, after studying at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food in Bentonville, Arkansas. While there, Ana gained critical training in culinary nutrition, artisanal food, beverage management and food entrepreneurship. “Brightwater brought so much value to my career. You really learn what food is all about,” Ana says.

Environment Program Director Moira Mcdonald introduces a new Walton Family Foundation storytelling series, The Ripple Effect, featuring women who are leading the way in protecting water resources in the face of climate change.

Echelon Insights cofounder Kristen Soltis Anderson and BSG vice president Shannon-Janean Currie share their insights into new polling that shows Americans find common ground on some of the country's most pressing issues. They also discuss what their research found about Americans' views on the role of nonprofits and philanthropies in helping advance solutions to solve those challenges.