Mayor Honors Business-Education Partnerships
May 3, 2002
Local businesses and community leaders who have partnered with Phoenix schools
will be honored at the 12th annual Mayor's Partnership Awards Luncheon 11:30
a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Phoenix Civic Plaza Yuma Rooms, Third
and Jefferson streets.
Mayor Skip Rimsza and the Phoenix Youth and Education Commission will recognize four outstanding partnerships between businesses and schools that have enhanced education and growth opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom.
The award recipients demonstrated excellence in leadership, youth development and mentoring programs, workforce development and neighborhood/community improvement. Below is a recap of the award-winning partnerships.
· Leadership: Wells Fargo for its Teacher's Partner Program,
which has provided mini-grants to teachers for books, supplies, curriculum
materials, field trips, training and more in 200-plus Phoenix classrooms.
Wells Fargo also underwrites more than a dozen before- and after-school programs
managed by school districts and community organizations. These programs and
others supported by Wells Fargo demonstrate the company's strong commitment
to education and they distinguish Wells Fargo as a leader in the Valley business
community.
· Community Improvement: The Active Learning Project, a partnership
of Kenilworth Elementary School, Arizona State University, The Salvation Army,
WorldCom, Intel and American Express. This partnership provides educational
opportunities for low-income residents of the downtown Phoenix neighborhood
surrounding Kenilworth Elementary. Components of the program include English
as a Second Language classes, job skills training, after-school tutoring,
a garden club, a summer literacy program and more.
· Youth Development and Mentoring: The Hoop of Learning program,
a partnership among the Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix College
and Motorola. The program helps Native American students to graduate from
high school with up to 25 college credits, giving them a head start on their
college career path. Hoop of Learning provides academic advisement and financial
assistance covering tuition, fees, books, meals and transportation for summer
classes at Phoenix College.
· Workforce Development: APS and North High School for their collaboration
to prepare students for a lifetime of success. APS has contributed staff expertise,
in-kind donations and more than $75,000 to support student programs and scholarships
since the program's inception in 1989. The partnership's hallmarks include
integration of the Arizona Workplace Skills Standards into North High curriculum,
emphasis on cultural diversity awareness, the Electric Vehicle Program competition
that teaches teamwork and technical skills, and mini-grants that support art,
culture, literature, science and leadership projects.
The Mayor's Partnership Awards program is sponsored by KTVK 3TV. For more information, call the Phoenix Youth and Education Office at 602-525-0314.
Media Contact:
| Christiana Ferris |
602-262-6169 |
| LaVonne Morris |
602-262-7783 |
