The Social Venture Partners Arizona (SVPAZ) Education Affinity group started the year off strong with a great meeting to plan 2017 and discuss new initiatives. SVPAZ Board Chair Patrick Armstrong shared his vision of moving SVPAZ into the forefront of education innovation and having a voice in Arizona for K-12 schooling. Below are the big things happening during the next year:
#EducateAZ Initiative
- #EducateAZ – Hashtag to gather and aggregate to discuss topics, organize people, promote assets, and promote calls to action.
- #EducateAZ Conference – Intended to connect stakeholders and their programs to decision makers and engaged community members.
- #EducateAZ Award (Education Innovation Prize) – Puts focus on the student experience and the best-practice methods of educating an individual.
Education Innovation Prize
To launch in 2018, this prize will deploy $50K to a student-led solution on how to better K-12 education in the following areas:
- Increased Graduation Rates
- Increased Post-Secondary Enrollment and Persistence
- Increased Career Readiness
- Increased Engagement Among Disconnected Youth
SVPAZ’s Strategic Projects Manager Steve Smiley is spearheading the project, making connections and forming partnerships with local districts to create a talent pipeline.
Linda Abril Education Academy (LAEA)
Members of the LAEA team are using SVPAZ investments to incentivize students to achieve goals, to increase attendance, and to create a stronger campus culture. SVPAZ will also begin community lunches with LAEA student and dinners with LAEA teachers in February.
Phoenix Union High School District (PUHSD)
SVPAZ will continue to coach and mentor members of the PUHSD executive staff while also providing meaningful training opportunities for aspiring leaders within the district.
PUHSD Mini Grants Program
Started in 2016, this program asks students, teachers, and administrators from the Phoenix Union High School District (PUHSD) to submit proposals for funding in the areas of academics, arts and culture, leadership and development, and school culture. You can learn about our most recently funded projects here.
There is tremendous work to be done. If your heartstrings are pulled by education, we are asking for the time and talent of our interested Partners. To learn more and get engaged, please reach out to Sentari Minor.
John DeWulf, SVPAZ Partner and lead of the Education Affinity Group, and Attorney at Coppersmith Brockelman