In 2019, five Southwest Colorado school districts (Archuleta, Bayfield, Durango, Ignacio, and Silverton), Pueblo Community College, and Fort Lewis College formed the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative to expand opportunities for all students in the region. The Collaborative will strengthen existing college and career pathways, and develop new ones that are available to any student, in any district. This initiative supports school districts in developing deeper partnerships to address common challenges while allowing each district and community to retain its unique identity. About Us The ~ 9,000 K-12 students and 2,785 high school students in our region are diverse and under-resourced (46% of all students experience a higher-than-average rate of poverty). The Southwest is home to nearly 10% of the state’s Native American population, making up 11% of the region’s student population as a whole. The Collaborative shares borders with several Sovereign Tribal Nations, including the Navajo Nation, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Fort Lewis College is the most diverse public liberal arts college in the nation, serving a student body comprised of 53% students of color and over 40% Native American students (the largest percentage of Native American students served nationally by any non-tribal institution). Initial Pathways Multiple high-quality college and career pathways would alter the landscape of opportunity for students in southwest Colorado and contribute to the economic development of the region. In the first two years of the project, efforts will focus on two pathways: Environmental Science and Building Trades. Over time, the Collaborative may add other focus areas such as healthcare, technology, hospitality, public safety, education, and finance.