Another Level Training Academy Teaches People How to Thrive

Another Level Training Academy Founder and CEO Nia Hodge leads a community healing circle with neighborhood residents and youth.  The event was a collaboration between ALTA and Alley in the Valley (Wellness to the West and Breath of Evolution).

In the heart of Southwest Fresno, there’s a small house with an enormous impact. It is home to Another Level Training Academy (ALTA), where Nia Hodge turned her grief into a catalyst for community transformation, one person at a time. The organization began with a vision to help individuals and families move from surviving to thriving.

“My mission is to create a place where people can come, find support, learn how to be self-sufficient, and create new paths for themselves,” Nia said.

Nia Hodge interviews a community member during Wednesdays on the West, a monthly community activation hosted by Another Level Training Academy and Alley in the Valley.

The Academy’s work spans education, cultural arts, workforce development, youth mentorship and healing-centered engagement. For over 35 years, Nia worked as a neighborhood hairdresser and business owner, quietly mentoring youth and adults who sat in her chair. Then tragedy struck in 2017: her daughter, eight and a half months pregnant, passed away from complications of asthma. The path Nia had imagined shifted entirely. “Our organization was really created out of trauma,” she shared. “I saw all these things after that happened. I became even more aware of how many people in our community are hurting.”

In response, she poured her energy into environmental justice, food access, grief support and resident-led mutual aid. During COVID, she and volunteers knocked on doors delivering food boxes. She helped launch the Inside Out Community Garden through the Transformative Climate Communities initiative, bringing fresh produce and a sense of belonging to the Southwest Fresno neighborhood.

Another Level Training Academy now provides academic support at 17 school sites, literacy intervention, cultural arts education, including traditional hair braiding and leadership development.

The impact is tangible. One student, accepted to Morehouse College, nearly lost his chance due to a single algebra grade. Nia and others at ALTA advocated for the young man, explained the difficulties he faced at home and worked with his teacher to develop a plan to improve his grade. With ALTA’s support, he raised his grade and is preparing for his next chapter at Morehouse College. Another young woman, nurtured through ALTA’s arts and culture program, recently returned from a four-month study-abroad experience in Paris.

The organization also uplifts adults. A resident engagement specialist, once unemployed, now leads healing-centered community circles and was recently nominated for a community service award. Youth have been hired for summer employment. Cultural exhibits have been hosted. Monthly community events connect residents with resources, leaders and one another.

The Central Valley Community Foundation has played a pivotal role, investing in ALTA’s capacity, training and long-term sustainability. Their support helped formalize payroll, strengthen data collection and build organizational infrastructure. “Having the Foundation come alongside us helped us move beyond short-term events and build out our structure to sustain our work,” Nia said.

Looking ahead, ALTA plans to expand transportation services, create more employment pathways, support entrepreneurs and continue building leadership skills among youth and adults. Every contribution, be it time, resources, expertise or financial support, helps move the community closer to thriving.

Another Level Training Academy Founder and CEO Nia Hodge is interviewed at the Juneteenth Living Textile Exhibit.  This exhibit highlights the culture, history and self-efficacy of cultural techniques and how hair is both history and art. 

What began as heartbreak has grown into a movement: intentional, relationship-driven and rooted in the belief that people don’t need rescuing—they need access. And in Southwest Fresno, access is exactly what Another Level Training Academy is creating.

To learn more or to volunteer, visit Another Level Training Academy

This story is part of the Central Valley Community Foundation’s “Sixty Stories That Shaped Us” initiative to help mark 60 years since our founding. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone and this special place we call home. To learn more, visit centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.