In 2017 the Tempe City Council allocated $6 million for 20 preschool classrooms now located in 12 elementary schools and serving approximately 360 children. This high-quality, tuition-based, full-day preschool program is open to families living or working in Tempe and neighboring cities. The program is five days a week with schedules corresponding to those of the individual elementary schools. Benefits include small class sizes, a play-based curriculum, and certified teachers. Financial assistance — including full tuition, half-tuition, and free tuition — is available to qualified families.
Partnerships
Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission
In 1980 the City of Tempe recognized the need for youth voice and input into issues that affect them and formed the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. Forty years later, the Commission continues to play a critical role in developing solutions for persistent issues, such as depression, pregnancy, substance abuse, and violence. Reporting directly to the Mayor and City Council, members include 18–24, eighth to twelfth grade youth who reside in or attend school in Tempe and represent a variety of perspectives and interests across the community.
Flagstaff STEM City
Founded in 2012 by the Flagstaff STEM Consortium, STEM City convenes STEM-orientated businesses and organizations, schools, educators, and parents to develop and deliver engaging activities that strengthen STEM literacy, develop students’ competencies and employability skills, and ensure a Flagstaff workforce poised to succeed in tomorrow’s economy.
Homeless Youth Connection
Established in 2010 and located in Avondale, Homeless Youth Connection has served more than 2,700 homeless students across the Valley. Staff provide basic necessities, case management, housing, counseling, mentoring, and life skills training to youth, ages 13-21, attending over 100 high schools in 10 districts. These resources help ensure that students have the support necessary to stay in school, earn a diploma, and pursue a brighter future.
Video
College Connect Tempe
College Connect Tempe is a community collaboration designed to increase access to postsecondary opportunities. This free workshop series enlists mentors who provide resources, financial guidance, and support for low-income and first-generation students at critical points in the college application and admissions process.
Border Youth Tennis Exchange
In 2017 Nogales launched a distinctive cross-border, afterschool youth development program, in conjunction with the U.S. Tennis Association Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz County. The organization provides high-quality tennis instruction and a specialized digital academic curriculum, facilitated by bilingual educators in novel teaching spaces in Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Lesson plans include STEAM topics (science, technology, engineering, art, math); social-emotional learning; digital storytelling; and personal narrative, as well as collaborative projects and activities tailored to each site.