06-28-2010

Act Six Initiative Expands to Yakima with Full Scholarships to Heritage University

Yakima Valley students will be eligible for scholarships covering 100 percent of their financial need to attend Heritage University beginning in fall 2011 through an expansion of the successful Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative.

Act Six works with local ministries and faith- and social justice-based colleges to develop young leaders to be agents of change in their home communities.  The program identifies local high school seniors of promise, provides leadership and college success training, and scholarships to the partnering college. It was founded by Tacoma-based Northwest Leadership Foundation in partnership with Whitworth College in 2002. Since then it has grown to include eight colleges in Seattle, Spokane, Portland, and now the Yakima Valley.

“Far too often we see really great young people, who are smart and talented, but their potential is overlooked and they are not encouraged to pursue higher education.  Act Six and Heritage University both believe that these youth are far too valuable to our communities and our futures,” said Miguel Puente, director of admissions at Heritage University.

In the Yakima Valley, Act Six will be coordinated by Dave Edler, the regional facilitator of the Northwest Leadership Foundation, a faith-based non-profit organization that seeks to encourage, strengthen and develop leadership for the spiritual and social renewal of the city.  The foundation will work closely with two youth service organizations, Mending Wings, a Native American youth organization located on the Yakama Nation, and Yakima Young Life.

"Act Six will recruit and train young men and women from throughout the Yakima Valley who are passionate about learning and committed to serve their communities while they attend Heritage University.  The full-need leadership scholarship will prepare them to make a difference on campus and in the Valley," Edler said.

Act Six is open to students from any Yakima valley high school and the Yakama Nation Tribal School. It will provide seven scholarships to attend Heritage. Applicants must be high school seniors planning to graduate in 2011 or who graduated from high school in 2010 or 2009. There are no income restrictions and students from all ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply is October 30, 2010.  For more information and to find the online application, visit www.actsix.org. 

The Northwest Leadership Foundation is a faith-based non-profit headquartered in Tacoma, Wash. Since 1989, the foundation has worked to move individuals and organizations from good intentions to effective outcomes in its effort to encourage, strengthen and develop leadership for the spiritual and social renewal of the city.

Contacts:

Dave Edler, Yakima Valley facilitator, Northwest Leadership Foundation, (509) 575-1490, or pastordave@yakimafoursquare.org

Bonnie Hughes, communications officer, Heritage University, hughes_b@heritage.edu

Tim Herron, Act Six national director, Northwest Leadership Foundation, (253) 272-0771 ext. 109 or therron@northwestleadership.org