Alignment Subcommittee

Staff Liaison: Mike Varney (520) 792-2250 X 131

Chair: Autumn Rentmeester, Junior Achievement of Arizona

The Alignment Subcommittee is focused on connecting the business community with education partners in Southern Arizona.  They strive to increase quality and access to education and college/career readiness opportunities.

The Education Alignment Subcommittee supports the following organizations:

Blue Marble Institute, Champions for Change

Blue Marble Institute, nonprofit 501c3, and its Champions for Change Program (C4C) invites Southern Arizona companies to become a “Business Champion” by taking part in the C4C Business-Classroom STEM Collaboration Project.  C4C uses role models to draw middle school students into the world of innovative science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  “Business Champions” are paired with a classroom, work collaboratively on STEM-related projects and have the opportunity to inspire students to pursue careers in similar professions.  Exciting collaborations have already begun with the support of Science Foundation Arizona.  Help students foster a greater interest in STEM and become a “Business Champion” today.

Inspire middle school students to pursue careers in STEM by:

  - Speaking to a classroom(s)  - one hour timeframe
  - Mentoring a classroom project - one hour per visit (two to five visits)
  - Becoming a "Business Champion" by providing company professionals as mentors in the classroom (one to two times per week for three to six weeks) with an optional field trip to your business
  - Sponsoring a class project, field trip, or STEM presentation
  - Raising awareness at your company or in your professional community

If you would like to contribute time or funds to Blue Marble complete this online form and someone will contact you.

Click here to learn more about Blue Marble Institute.

Junior Achievement

 By partnering businesses with education, Junior Achievement (JA) recruits and trains volunteers to teach lessons focusing on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work skills to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Volunteers become role models to students by presenting important life concepts through their diverse outside perspectives with a teacher who remains in the classroom at all times. Students who have participated in JA programs are more likely to graduate from high school (93%) and obtain a bachelor's degree or higher (69%).  Spend five to eight hours this year helping us change the lives of more than 17,500 students in the Tucson area.

Help young people own their future economic success by:

  - Teaching Elementary School programs - one school day

•   - Teaching Middle School programs - 45 minutes per week for six weeks
•   - Teaching High School programs - 45 minutes per week for six to eight weeks
•   - Sponsoring a classroom or special event financially
•   - Raising awareness at your company or community

If you would like to contribute time or funds to Junior Achievement complete this online form and someone will contact you.

Click here to learn more about Junior Achievement.

Read On Tucson

 Third grade marks a critical milestone where students shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn".  Students who do not read at grade level often falter in later grades and drop out before completing high school.  In Pima County, one in four third graders is not reading at grade level. This statistic is even more disturbing when considering that four out of every five children in low-income families are not reading at grade level. United Way formed the Read on Tucson partnership to increase third grade reading proficiency to at least 85% in targeted school districts by addressing the gaps in school readiness, school attendance and summer learning loss.

Help more children read at grade level by third grade by:

  - Sponsoring a school’s or teacher’s annual membership to Treasures for Teachers for $25-$400, ensuring that at least every pre-k to third grade teacher has access to learning materials for his/her classroom 

  - Volunteering or allowing employees to volunteer as reading tutors with Literacy Connects in our targeted elementary schools at least once a week for 30-60 minutes

•   - Delivering literacy guides to schools when needed (usually once a year in the beginning or end of the school year)
•   - Selecting one or more of the Read On schools to “sponsor” and work with the United Way of Tucson and Southern Ariozna staff and the school principal to identify ways that volunteers can be used to support the school
•   - Targeting your Working Poor credit dollars to one of the Read on Tucson sites

If you would like to contribute time or funds to Read on Tucson complete this online form and someone will contact you.

Click here to learn more about Read On Tucson.