The Arizona Department of Education recently announced funding for the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA). “CFA is a proven leader in helping students understand the career paths available to them and how they can strengthen our state’s communities,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman. “The Department’s partnership with CFA will pay dividends for Arizona’s students and our state as a whole long into the future.”

The funding will support the following programs:

• Arizona Pathways to Prosperity (APTP) will receive $5.1 million to increase college and career readiness and opportunities for upward economic mobility for K-12 students. APTP provides quality career exploration and guidance, direct experiences in the workplace, and an early start on earning college credit that leads to a career-connected degree or credential in high-demand career fields.
• School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) will receive $1.1 million to engage elementary through high school students in learning democracy by influencing decisions that impact their lives and transform their school communities. The funding will enable CFA to significantly expand SPB across Arizona to serve many more students and school communities impacted by the pandemic.

  “We are humbled to be stewards of not only these relief dollars but the important work to bolster support for Arizona students and families impacted by the pandemic these last few years. Their success is critical to the future of our state,” said Dr. Sybil Francis, President & CEO of Center for the Future of Arizona. “This investment provides us a significant opportunity to expand the reach and impact of evidence-based initiatives shown to positively impact students and families for the short and long term.”

  CFA’s work has already impacted more than 330,000 students,14,700 teachers, and 650 education leaders. The investment follows yesterday’s announcement of nearly $28 million to help local government agencies and school districts implement solutions in their communities.

  These projects are funded with dollars from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and are part of Arizona’s ARP School and Community Grantees. All funded projects share the goal of supporting schools, students, educators, and families as they recover from the effects of the pandemic.