Arizona’s Largest Backpack Drive to Impact over 10,000 Families with School Supplies
7th Annual ‘Phoenix Tools 4 School’ Also Provides College Readiness Workshops to Students

PHOENIX – In an effort to support local families with the cost of their kids returning to school, the HeroZona Foundation will host their 7th Annual ‘Phoenix Tools 4 School’ on Saturday, July 27, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix (7050 South 24th Street, about 15 minutes East of Laveen Village).

“Our goal is to make sure that Arizona students focus on getting a good education, instead of worrying about how to purchase the basic supplies necessary to start the year,” says U.S. Army Desert Storm Veteran and Co-Founder of the HeroZona Foundation, Alan “AP” Powell. “Through providing the resources necessary for their school year, we are investing in our future leaders and building stronger communities.”

Phoenix Tools 4 School was voted the Best Annual Charity Event for the 2019 Best Of Our Valley Awards with Arizona Foothills Magazine. In just six years, the Phoenix Tools 4 School annual event has impacted over 40,000 students and family members by providing them with supplies needed for their education, such as book bags, notebooks, writing utensils and more. The event will also host college prep workshops, games and a free breakfast. The event is free and open to the public and this year’s event is expected to draw an estimated 15,000 attendees. This event is open to all students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade. Supplies are limited, so attendees are encouraged to show up early.

For the second year in a row, Phoenix Tools 4 School will offer workshops from Maricopa Community Colleges and Arizona State University for 7th and 8th grade students to prepare them on their path to higher education. The event will have a carnival atmosphere with attractions and games for the kids and their families after they pick up their backpacks. Special guest appearances will be made by Baxter, the mascot of the Arizona Diamondbacks; Sparky, the mascot of Arizona State University and the Phoenix Suns’ Gorilla.

This year’s event is supported by community partners such as APS, UPS, Bank of America, Crescent Crown Distributing, Maricopa Community Colleges, ASU and Artisan by Santa Barbara Catering will provide the students with the free breakfast. Other event partners include Roosevelt Elementary School District, No. 66, Travis L. Williams American Legion Post 65, Laveen School District, Phoenix Suns, Cesar Chavez Foundation, water delivery by Fry’s, and supply discounts from Dollar Days International. Supporters include Greater Phoenix Urban League, First Institutional Baptist Church and Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. They will also have media partners on-site such as Mega 104.3, The Beat 101.1 and La Campesina 101.9.

On Thursday, July 25, the HeroZona Foundation, community partners and Valley volunteers will begin prep for the event by packing the backpacks for the event at South Mountain Community College. Those interested in volunteering should go to HeroZona.org/volunteer.

For more information about the Phoenix Tools 4 School event on July 27, visit herozona.org.

About HeroZona Foundation
The HeroZona Foundation has a strong focus on veteran initiatives and honoring those who have served our country and their family members. The nonprofit’s name reflects that messaging to focus on empowering and celebrating America’s veterans. Their most recent event, the HeroZona National Veteran Summit, was a multi-day engagement with three pillars to empower Arizona’s veterans through entrepreneurship, employment and education. The HeroZona Foundation’s annual HeroZona National Veteran Summit created a multi-day networking experience to improve America’s support of veteran companies through workshops, networking, entrepreneurial connections, and seminars. Other programs include the Bridge Forum, Phoenix Tools 4 School, Veterans Reach to Teach and Voting for Veterans. For more information, visit herozona.org

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Rose Tring for the

South Mountain District News

Eight aspiring business leaders of the future are getting their starts this month as members of the inaugural class of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, sponsored by the Ahwatukee Chamber Community Foundation and South Mountain Community College.

“We’re launching it this month,” said Anne Gill, president and CEO of the Ahwatukee Chamber of Commerce and its foundation arm. “The program is a combination of bringing the business community together to support the students and support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.”

During the year-long, intensive training, students develop relationships with local business owners, write business plans, create marketing strategies and pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors. By the end of the school year, many of them will have started successful businesses.

“The curriculum is a national one and is well-established,” Gill said. “We have volunteer instructors who will be doing the teaching. There are three main instructors and then there will be additional guest speakers and mentors from the business community.”

Devida Pi’ilani Lewis, founder and partner at iAloha Media Group, LLC and owner of D&D Commercial Real Estate, was one of the first business owners to volunteer. She is a board member at the Ahwatukee chamber and was immediately on board to support the project.

“I think there is so much emphasis on academics… which is all fine and great, but there is a segment of the market where college is not for them,” Lewis said. “That was me.

“I wanted to branch out and start my own business early. That’s why I think this program is so great. You catch kids right at the cusp of their creative sides, just at the beginning of middle school,” Lewis said. “I have a heart for entrepreneurial endeavors.”

Development of small business is crucial to the state and national economies.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms nationwide. Since 1995, small businesses have generated 64 percent of new jobs, and paid 44 percent of the total United States private payroll.

In Arizona, the U.S. Census Bureau reports there are nearly 61,000 small businesses with fewer than five employees. The SBA says such companies bring growth and innovation to the communities where they are established, and they help stimulate the economy by providing employment opportunities and providing services to larger corporations.

“Big corporations started as entrepreneurial endeavors,” Lewis said. “They morphed into these big companies from these small ideas.”

To participate in the afterschool program, students must be in sixth through 12^th grade and ages 11-18. To be accepted, the students must fill out an application that includes letters of recommendation and a 300-word essay in which they must tell about a situation in which they demonstrated entrepreneurial traits such as persistence, self-confidence, creativity, initiative, innovation or other similar skills. They are asked why they are interested in the program and, if they already have an idea for a business or social movement, the applicants are asked to describe their idea.

“For some of them, it’s their first interview process,” Gill said. “They can be nominated by their teachers, principals, business owners or their parents can bring them to an information night.”

Gill said the classes are kept deliberately small to ensure the youth get lots of one-on-one mentoring in how to develop a business. “It is a limited number of students each year,” she said. “The caliber of students who applied this year is very impressive.”

The eight local participants represent Desert Vista High School, Mountain View High School, Taylor Junior High and the homeschool system. Their names are not yet being released as there are still some waivers participants must sign, Gill said.

“We worked with local school districts and different private and charter schools in the area to make them aware of the program,” Gill said. “We have worked with the media, business radio shows and other media to get the word out.”

Classes for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy will take place at South Mountain Community College’s Guadalupe Center. The chamber approached SMCC to provide the classroom space for the program.

Angelica Glick, coordinator of instructional programs for the community college’s Guadalupe and Laveen centers, said supporting entrepreneurship fits in with the SMCC’s vision of developing a talented local work force.

“What better way to work with our youth than to work with and support entrepreneurship,” Glick said. “We support diverse work force development and we want to provide support to our local youth population.”

Classes will mainly take place at the Guadalupe campus, but there will be some events planned for the main campus on 24^th Street. “We will be having the grand opening on Nov. 19 of Entrepreneur Center at the main campus,” Glick said.

She said more programs are being developed around entrepreneurship and business and that “we have plans to work with Laveen and bring some more programs to that area as well.”

The curriculum provides hands-on entrepreneurial experience for participants beginning with several weeks of generating ideas, then developing a marketing plan and ending with the pitch for funding. Throughout the process, Gill said the students will be gaining confidence and learning how to present their ideas.

“That’s where the confidence and communication skills will come in,” she said. “It will help set them apart from their peers.”

The Ahwatukee academy is only the third to be launched in Arizona. The Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce in Bullhead City and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Glendale are the other state academies.

The YEA! program was first developed in 2004 at the University of Rochester in New York through funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Since 2011, the academy has been sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which in turn partners with local chambers.

Gill said the Ahwatukee academy is still adding speakers and volunteers to its curriculum for this year.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for business owners to help with future workforce development,” Gill said. “It’s a great way to use your knowledge to help a future business owner succeed. Your successes and your failures both are opportunities to teach.”

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

There are multiple opportunities for members of the local business community to get involved with YEA! including:
Investor panelists – evaluate ideas and provide start-up funding

Business mentors – work one-on-one with students sharing your expertise

Graphics designers – help develop logos and print material for the young entrepreneurs

Web developers – Help students create an online presence

CEO Roundtable – 3-5 local CEOs meet with the students and discuss their businesses and the role of CEO

Elevator Pitches – Local businessperson literally rides an elevator with the students so they have the opportunity to “pitch” their business idea.

Media Meet and Greet – Local reporters, anchors, editors, producers and other communication experts meet the youth and describe how they can get the word out about their business.

To volunteer your services, contact the Ahwatukee Chamber Community Foundation via email: foundation@ahwatukeechamber.com

For additional information about the YEA! program, visit:

http://ahwatukeechamber.com/page/entrepreneurs_academy

https://www.uschamber.com/free-enterprise/youth-outreach

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Several hundred family members gathered this morning at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix to welcome more than 250 new U.S. Citizens. For the 27th consecutive year, immigration and U.S. District Court officials have coordinated with the community college and leaders in the South Mountain/Laveen villages to swear in new citizens on or near the Fourth of July Holiday. At today’s ceremony, more than 60 different countries were represented as the citizens recited their pledge of loyalty to their new country. Boy Scout Troop 244 and Cub Scout Pack 244 from Laveen were the Color Guard at the day’s ceremony.

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