Formerly the West Virginia Education Fund, the Education Alliance is a nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for business and community involvement in West Virginia public schools. This annual report describes the following Education Alliance activities during 1997: (1) Mini-Grants for Classroom Projects (grants to 195 teachers of up to $500 for innovative learning projects); (2) Partnerships in Education, promoting cooperative links between schools and businesses or community organizations; (3) Read Aloud West Virginia (enrichment activities such as Readers in the Schools and book distribution); (4) Business Council for Education, consisting of businesses committed to improving educational quality in West Virginia; (5) Working on Wellness, supporting school programs and activities that promote student health; (6) Education Policy Research Institute, conducting educational research, evaluation, and policy analysis; (7) Ashland Inc. Day on Campus; (8) parent involvement awards; and (9) Tech Corps-West Virginia, supporting technology integration in the classroom. Also included are a financial statement, schedule of functional expenses, photographs, and lists of contributors and board of directors. (SV)