Business Community
Your Business + Local Schools = A Stronger Marketplace
Empower your employees to give back | Prepare a better-trained workforce | Better inform your customer base
Dutch Bros Sticker Contest
When Dutch Bros, Alice Cooper’s the Rock Teen Center, and School Connect joined forces with the Paradise Valley School District, the result was 500 students competing to design the next Dutch Bros sticker! Fine Arts student, Cloe Bell, did not let her learning disability stop her from winning first prize – a whole year of free Dutch Bros, and the knowledge that other people believed in her! Imagine what opportunities your company could create for Arizona youth when you connect to your local schools?
Help Employees Live Out Their Purpose
For Valley Metro employee, Daryl Blazing, the experience was especially rewarding. He recounts, “To be able to get outside the walls of this building and our normal mode of operations, and to be able to supply this equipment to these kids…It was really exciting to see the looks on the kids faces, the joy in the parents faces that their kids could now do their homework at home instead of scheduling time at the library to find an available PC…What I think of as “every day” and “expected” was so much excitement!”
Make A Difference For A Child
By connecting to local schools your company can make a direct impact for the children who need it most
Inspired Employees Love To Give Back
Lend business expertise to educators and students by tutoring, joining a planning committee, or mentoring
Give Where It Counts For Local Children
Sponsor initiatives you care about to support local schools with resources and opportunities for students!
Team Builders That Make An Impact
Bring a team of employees to volunteer on a school campus for LOVE OUR SCHOOLS DAY!
How can my business or team support Arizona youth?
VOLUNTEER SERVICE DAYS, TEAM BUILDERS & SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Love Our Schools
Bring a team of volunteers to support a project for Love Our Schools Day!
School Connect Awards
Help us honor champions of education both inside and outside the classroom!
Love Our Teachers
Teaches are the leaders of the classroom and have a direct impact on the success of our children. Let’s show our teachers some love!
NETWORK & LEAD WITH PURPOSE
School Connect Summit
Network with top leaders across the state to form strategic partnerships that change outcomes for kids!
Connect at a CAFE
Connect with school leadership to learn how you can make a difference! Join A CAFE!
Champion Program
School Connect connects, trains, and coaches leaders like YOU to become champions for the children in your community. Connect to a school champion or learn how to become one!
Training & Coaching
Find training and coaching to help you reach your goals in ways that fit for your community!
GIVE BACK & SUPPORT A CAUSE
Sponsor a School
Sponsor a school to make a direct impact where it is needed most!
Support a Project
Help fund a needed school project planned by the school and community!
Parent Connect
Bring the Parent Connect program to your local schools! Build connections to support the families in your neighborhood.
“I can tell you that businesses are looking for ways to connect with schools, and they need a strategy. And what the [School Connect] Summit does is it provides a strategy and specific action steps. And here’s what’s even better – they work!”
DICK FOREMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, ARIZONA BUSINESS & EDUCATION COALITION
CORE Construction’s John Dowd Shares Their Heart For Schools
The way we aligned with schools was we wanted to serve communities just like schools are doing. They are serving children, they are serving parents, they are serving the overall community that surrounds them. Whether it’s supporting teachers, connecting rural areas to equal opportunities, or supplying tech and connectivity to underserved areas, we want to support every teacher and every student we possibly can.
Join Our Village
Doing this alone is impossible; it takes all of us working together to make a difference.
Love Our Schools Day
Become a Part of Love Our Schools Day 2026
Are you a local school with a project? Love Our Schools Day is a project-based volunteer day when the community can roll up their sleeves at a local school and make a difference where it is needed most whether it is planting a garden, painting a classroom, or fixing up a playground. Complete the interest form to get involved!
Classroom to Career Workshop
You’re invited to the Classroom to Career Workshop on September 9th!
Join education and industry leaders for an experience where partnerships form, ideas flow, businesses tap into future growth and students are connected from the classroom to cutting edge career pathways!
When we, as adults, only tell kids what to do, their energy is often drained.
But when we give them a role to own and a purpose to aim for, they come alive.
Of course, there will always be parts of learning that feel like brushing teeth and cleaning up the mess — slow, not glamorous.
But when we create safe environments for students to own their learning, to get curious, and to connect what they’re learning to something that matters to them, we don`t just help them pass a test — we help them see themselves as future colleagues, creators, and community leaders.
That’s the heart behind our upcoming Classroom to Career Workshop on September 9th at Grand Canyon University.
In partnership with Grand Canyon University, CHASSE Building Team, and Advanced Technologies Consultants, we`re bringing educators and industry leaders together to connect, listen, and build relationships that make a difference for kids.
This workshop is designed for:
👉 Teachers and instructional coaches who want practical ways to build student agency into daily lessons while meeting standards.
👉 Principals and district leaders who are exploring how classroom practices can align with broader workforce and career‑readiness goals.
👉 Community and business leaders who want to better understand how to support schools in creating meaningful classroom‑to‑career pathways.
Will you join us?
When: September 9th - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Where: Grand Canyon University
Who: Educators & Industry Leaders
RSVP: Reserve your spot at
schoolconnectaz.org/classroom-to-career/
AI will keep evolving. New tools will enter classrooms. But there`s one thing an algorithm will never do...
No algorithm will spend a Saturday pulling weeds, painting walls, or writing a teacher a handwritten note that says, “We see you. You`re not alone!”
Our kids’ sense of worth, belonging, and possibility is formed in those human moments—when people like you choose to show up in person.
🩷 Love Our Schools Day is one way we can do that together! 🩷
We’d love for you to consider how you or your organization might be part of this year’s village—by hosting a project, joining a volunteer day, or helping fund a grant.
👉 👀 Learn more: loveourschoolsday.com
How do you love a school?
Love Our Schools Day is one special way we can offer that encouragement and support. It’s a state‑wide, project‑based volunteer day where communities roll up their sleeves at local schools to make a tangible difference where it’s needed most — whether that’s planting a garden, painting a classroom, updating a lounge, or fixing up a playground.
And underneath the paint and landscaping, what we’re really saying to educators and students is....
✨ “We see you. We’re grateful. Let’s love this school, together." ✨
It doesn`t matter if you`ve never done anything like this before. Whether you`re an educator, represent a business, a faith community, a nonprofit, or just someone who loves your local school and wants to give back, there is a place for you!
👉 Learn more about how to get involved at LoveOurSchoolsDay.com
Last year`s School Connect Bowling Tournament was such a hit. We can`t wait for the next one on August 19th... and hope you can join us!
On the surface, it might just look like a game of bowling...
In reality, it’s a chance to let go of our roles and goals for the night and just enjoy each other`s company. It’s a time to let our minds reset with fun and relationships.
If you believe in School Connect’s mission of creating collaborative, caring villages around schools, we would be delighted to have you join us!
Bring your team, invite a partner, or come on your own and let us introduce you to new friends. Whether you’re a seasoned bowler or the one who uses the bumpers, there`s a place for you here!
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Check-In: 5:00 pm
Bowling & Raffle: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: Lucky Strike North Scottsdale, 7000 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ
RSVP & Get Tickets: SchoolConnectAZ.org/Bowling
Sponsorship Deadline: August 1, 2026 (Reach out to Jerry Withers at jerry@schoolconnectaz.org to learn about sponsorship opportunities.)
Sufficient resources can solve many problems, but what do we do when those resources are unpredictable?
It often feels like the only thing we can control is what to cut and what to keep. What a daunting task when you want to offer the best for your students.
But what might happen if we were to take a step back and instead of asking, "How am I going to do this?" we asked...
"Who is in my corner?"
Sometimes the answer to our biggest challenge doesn`t require more money or a new program. Sometimes, it’s as simple as making the right connection — someone who brings a fresh perspective, new resources, and a willingness to collaborate.
Partnerships are a game-changer for schools and industry leaders. In fact...
Research shows that schools with strong, long-term partnerships with their communities see higher student achievement and experience lower teacher turnover.
School Connect exists to spark these connections, which in turn build partnerships.
We`ve seen it work firsthand.
When educators and industry leaders work together, learning becomes more relevant, and students are better prepared for real careers. And employers? They get a stronger, more skilled workforce (and the satisfaction of giving back to their community!). It`s a win-win-win!
In partnership with Grand Canyon University and CHASSE Building Team, we`re bringing educators and industry leaders together to connect, listen, and build relationships that make a difference for kids.
Will you join us?
When: September 9th - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Where: Grand Canyon University
Who: Educators & Industry Leaders
RSVP: Reserve your spot (Link in bio)
