Business and community leaders will head back to school to participate in the annual Partner with a Principal program in Phoenix. In the fall, corporate executives and community leaders work alongside public charter and private school principals for a day. After experiencing the role of a school principal, they discuss ways to form lasting partnerships that enhance education quality workplace readiness, and leadership development programs.
The Partner with a Principal program offers several benefits to Phoenix schools and businesses.
Insight Exchange: Business and community leaders gain firsthand experience but working alongside of school principals. This exchange of perspective helps them understand the challenges and opportunities in education.
Collaboration: The program encourages collaboration between schools and businesses by fostering partnerships, they can jointly address education needs and enhance programs.
Quality Improvement: Principals and executives discuss ways to improve education quality, workplace readiness, and leadership development. Their insights lead to positive change in schools.
Community Engagement: Engaging community leaders in schools strengthens ties between education institutions and community leaders, organizations and businesses creating a more supportive environment for students.
In 2024, 65 partnerships were developed and as a part of this program, staff from Grand Canyon University (GCU) partnered with school administration at Bernard Black Entrepreneur Academy and Tomahawk Elementary School, “At GCU we are always looking at ways to provide outreach to our community, so we jumped right on board when we heard about the 'Partner with a Principal' program," Dr. Carol Lippert, asst. vice president at GCU said. “It was a way for us to get individuals from GCU who maybe aren't as familiar with how K-12 schools work and operate on a regular basis, and to also explore ways for us to partner with those schools into the future."
Laveen School District also partnered with the Chasse Building Team and Vulcan Materials Company. Dr. Jeff Sprout, superintendent of Laveen District says, “The keyword in our relationship with Vulcan and Chasse is “evolving." The greatest aspect of these relationships is they evolve with the needs of the district, but also throughout that relationship, we hear about their needs as well and so that helps us to equip our students to be their future workforce."
To learn more about how the Partner with a Principal program can benefit your school or business, consider watching spotlight videos from previous years, these videos provide insight into the programs' impact and showcase the experiences of business and community leaders who participated.
2024: Partnership Spotlight: Stix
2023: Partnership Spotlight: Partner with a Principal Program on Valley of the Sun United Way
2022: Partner Spotlight: Grand Canyon University
Important Dates for the 2024 Partner with a Principal Program:
Applications Open: August 2025
School Visit: Exact dates will be determined (September – October)
- During this period, participants engage with school principals.
Culmination Luncheon: Exact date to be determined and held at Grand Canyon University
- The program concludes with a luncheon to celebrate partnerships and impacts made.
For more information, please email mailbox.youth@phoenix.gov
For more information, call 602-256-495-0311, TTY 711.
