This community-based initiative brings together representatives from K–12 and postsecondary education, business and industry, nonprofits, and the Town of Sahuarita to pursue a shared vision and leverage resources so that all students have access to college and career readiness programs and receive two years of paid tuition at Pima Community College. The initiative exemplifies the SUSD mission, “Working as a Team to Help Every Student Succeed.”
Sahuarita Times: Sahuarita WINS!
Early Grade Success
Education and Workforce Development Roundtable
The Education and Workforce Development Roundtable is a centralized body reporting to the City Council that streamlines and coordinates efforts to advance Mesa’s education and workforce development goals, including but not limited to:
- Increasing and maintaining enrollment in education programs, including in early childhood, vocational, trade, and postsecondary education programs.
- Improving completion rates of education, vocational, and trade programs.
- Achieving higher educational attainment, including increased attainment of professional certifications and licenses and postsecondary degrees.
- Expanding job opportunities.
- Building successful careers, a competitive workforce, and a strong local economy.
- Providing equitable access to work and learning opportunities, resources, and support so that all can participate, prosper, and thrive in Mesa’s vibrant community and workforce.
The Roundtable works in partnership with experts in education, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and Mesa residents to advance these goals.
Mayor’s Reading Club
This unique partnership between the City of Casa Grande and the Casa Grande Elementary School District supports volunteers who spend one hour each month reading to students in two-to-four elementary classrooms a day. Schedules and classroom assignments are coordinated by the Casa Grande Public Library. The City also participates in the AARP Foundation Experience Corps program where tutors work one-on-one with students who need additional help with reading.
City of Casa Grande Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan guides decision-making and resource management in pursuit of organizational goals. It is “strategic” in the sense that it provides guidance over a 2-year timeframe. The strategic plan is actively reviewed and updated periodically by the City Council and management to ensure that the goals, strategies, and actions remain relevant. The plan prioritizes six areas: financial stability and sustainability, community connection, community enhancement, economic expansion, education and workforce advancement, and healthy and safe community environment. Casa Grande will continue to have success because the organization is flexible enough to respond to local, national, and global change.
Triple P – Positive Parenting Program
Triple P — a highly effective parenting program — provides free classes to Tempe residents facilitated by accredited practitioners. Classes help parents develop the skills needed to raise confident, healthy children and teenagers, and to build stronger family relationships. The program also helps parents prevent and manage misbehavior. Parents may customize the program to meet their needs by choosing from options such as one-time discussion groups, short series seminars, in-depth group courses, and individual sessions.
Tempe AARP Experience Corps
This program focuses on early literacy skills and provides support to struggling students in partnership with the Tempe Elementary School District. Students in kindergarten through third grade who have tested below benchmark standards in reading for their grade level receive one-on-one tutoring from highly-trained, older adult volunteers twice a week during the school year. Tempe Experience Corps volunteers have helped more than 3,000 at-risk students reach grade-level reading benchmarks since the city’s program was established in 2006.
