The Center for the Future of Arizona, in partnership with the Tucson Metro Chamber, will launch a new career exploration program in Sunnyside Unified School District middle schools.
The Greater Tucson Career Literacy Initiative, which will launch this fall, will incorporate a robust career exploration curriculum, guided activities for students, and provide guidelines and materials for engagement with industry.
βThe goal of this initiative is to share the variety of career paths to Tucsonβs south-side middle schoolers, giving them the opportunity to dream, plan and achieve,β said Frank Velasquez Jr., Tucson Metro Chamberβs director of workforce initiatives.
The initiative aims to expose students to a variety of career paths, help them develop employable skills and form their occupational identity.
Free fall break meals in Marana
The Marana Unified School District will be distributing free meals to all students 18 years old or younger during its fall break, scheduled for the week of Oct. 10-14.
The Marana Cares Mobile will be operating at the following locations:
On the corner of Sandario and Anthony roads, next to the Marana Congregation of Jehovahβs Witness Church, 11 a.m. to noon
Marana Domestic Water Treatment District, 16560 W. El Tiro Road, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
The Care Mobile was created from a retired school bus in 2015. Since then, it has served more than 27,600 meals to students in the community.
Elvira Elementary principal honored
Andy Townsend, principal of Elvira Elementary School, was selected as the fourth recipient of the Arizona Educational Foundationβs Carolyn Warner Legacy Award.
The $1,000 award is given to a former AEF Teacher of the Year finalist or semifinalist who has continued to make a difference long after their year of service as an AEF Teacher of the Year honoree or candidate was over.
The recipient is someone who has remained active in elevating the teaching profession and has continued to make an impact as a champion of public education.
Townsend, who was named a finalist for the 2011 Arizona Teacher of the Year award, has dedicated more than 16 years of service to Elvira Elementary School as a teacher, coach and administrator.
He was named a 2011 AEF Ambassador for Excellence while he was a fifth-grade teacher at Elvira and later became the school principal. He is working toward a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Townsend has also helped guide Elvira to maintain its A+ School of Excellence title, a distinction that the school earned during the 2017-21 and 2012-16 cycles.
To learn more about the Carolyn Warner Legacy Award, visit azedfoundation.org.
