E-NEWSLETTER | AUGUST 2022
The Freeport-McMoRan Foundation recently expanded its Native American Scholarship program with Education Forward Arizona for a second time, providing an additional $3 million to create 100 scholarships in honor of the Navajo Code Talkers, with a goal of helping more Navajo students graduate with a higher education credential by 2026.

"The Navajo Code Talkers represent an important and proud part of both Navajo and American history -- and we are pleased to honor them with this named scholarship program that we hope will enable Navajo students to build a prosperous future for themselves, their families and their community through education," said Tracy Bame, Freeport-McMoRan Foundation President.

This academic year, Education Forward Arizona has awarded more than $1.3M in scholarship funds and will support more than 1,400 students, providing more than 700 of these students with one-on-one mentoring services. We know our wraparound services help students reach graduation and are continuously working to increase our impact by growing partnerships, including a $9M investment from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation.

This month, we celebrate our one-year anniversary and our vision to create a more robust education organization. We are proud of all we have accomplished and look forward to doing more great work to move education forward.

This fall, we invite the community to join us as we honor Benito Almanza, Arizona president of Bank of America, as our first Luminary Award recipient during our inaugural benefit dinner, An InspirED Evening on Oct. 20.

Almanza's life story illustrates how education can transform lives. From his humble beginnings as a farmworker in California's Central Valley to graduating from Stanford and serving as Bank of America's Arizona president for 21 years, education was critical to his success.



Prop. 308 will help more than 2,000 DACA and undocumented students each year pursue a degree and move the state closer to meeting the Achieve60AZ attainment goal.


Check out our summary of the 2022 legislative session and our Education Explainer on what ended up in this year's budget.

New school year, new Ask Benji Bot! We decided to give Benji, the artificial intelligence-powered Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) chatbot, a refresh.
 
Benji will still function the same, providing support to Arizona students, parents, and educators by responding to their questions about the FAFSA and applying for financial aid for college.

After a summer filled with less routine and scheduling, getting ready to start a new school year can take some work and may even come with anxiety for both kids and their parents.

Help put some of those jitters at ease and start the school year off right with a few helpful tips and advice from some experienced Arizona teachers and mentors.

Babies do not come with instruction manuals. That's why First Things First works to help families of young children feel confident in their role as their child's first and best teacher.

The early years are the best opportunity to develop the brain connections they need to be healthy, capable and successful later in school.

Do you or someone you know want to be part of making significant changes in Arizona education that benefit all students? We are hiring!
EDUCATION FORWARD ARIZONA
Our mission is to advocate for and act on education improvements that advance the quality of life for all Arizonans.