NARBHA grant provides ‘Golden Ticket’ to CCC for KinderCamp grads.
“As you know, United Way of Northern Arizona has big, bold goals for our youth and our community,” said UWNA President and CEO Liz Archuleta. “Today, I am proud to announce that these partnerships will provide additional opportunities and capacity to our KinderCamp program and our efforts to step up for our youth.”
The majority of the funding from The NARBHA Institute will be used to expand the KinderCamp program to rural communities in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties.
The targeted intervention program, provided free to families, is a signature early education initiative coordinated by United Way of Northern Arizona with local school districts. It is held during the month of June and facilitates successful transition for students going into kindergarten who have minimal preschool experience.
Meanwhile, KinderCamp graduates will have the opportunity to go to Coconino Community College for free.
CCC President Eric Heiser announced that each student who attends the program will receive a “golden ticket” that they can redeem when they graduate from high school. “We want to get them excited about going to college early on. We want them to know there is a place for them at CCC.”
During the luncheon, there was a roundtable discussion about the impact of KinderCamp featuring the program’s coordinator, Sara Owen, teachers Crystal Busath and Jodi Hunt, and parent Wendy Price and her daughter, Riley, who is a KinderCamp graduate.
Two high schoolers were also recognized for their efforts to step up for their peers. Tyra Dixon of Joseph City High School and Bobbi Seaton of Holbrook High School participated in an internship that involved analyzing the issues facing youth in northeast Arizona.
According to a survey they conducted of their fellow students, a majority indicated they frequently feel anxious and under pressure in school and work. The two students were drawn to the internship because they knew people who had turned to substance abuse as a way of coping with stress and anxiety. The interns recommended a youth center with afterschool and weekend programs that could help give teens a sense of belonging and inclusion.
The meeting also included a progress report on this year’s Annual Campaign. Campaign Co- Chairs Dan and Kim Musselman reported that just over $1 million has been raised thus far but noted that contributions are still coming in from workplace campaigns.
UWNA presented several awards during the luncheon, including:
- The Community Builder Award to The NARBHA Institute
- The Helping Hands Award to Kinney Construction Services
- The 2023 UWNA Board Chair’s Corporate Partner Award to W.L. Gore & Associates
- Campaign Growth Awards to the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County
Additionally, UWNA honored the workplace campaign coordinators who volunteer to share UWNA’s message in workplace-based campaigns that generate a significant amount of the funds raised during the annual campaign. Representatives were recognized from APS, City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, Flagstaff Unified School District, Kinney Construction Services, Lowell Observatory, Navajo County, Nestle Purina PetCare, Northern Arizona University, Tucson Electric Power and W.L. Gore & Associates. FBN
By Cindy May, FBN
For more about UWNA and its program, visit www.nazunitedway.org.