The Ellis Center Invests $1.5M to Strengthen Education in Arizona
To boost educational outcomes and attainment, The Ellis Center for Educational Excellence, a supporting organization of the Arizona Community Foundation, has committed more than $1.5 million in grants over the next three years to support three nonprofit programs across Arizona.
The Ellis Center is focused on advancing educational success for all Arizona students, from kindergarten through college.
“We are honored to support organizations that are focused on improving education in Arizona with grants from the Ellis Center,” said Lorenzo Chavez, executive director of education and scholarships at the Arizona Community Foundation. “All grantees exemplify a commitment to utilizing education to improve the lives of Arizonans through collaboration and continuous improvement.”
The following organizations were selected to receive three-year grant funding:
- The New Teacher Project will receive $400,000 in grants to support Phoenix Elementary School District’s efforts to improve literacy and improve student success. This grant will help align district policy, classroom practices and family engagement to strengthen early literacy outcomes.
- Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation will be awarded $800,000 in grant funding to expand the district-wide “Empowered for Student Success: Maricopa College Promise and Student Supports” program. The funding will broaden access to scholarship support for Arizona’s most underfunded students, while also covering essential needs like food, housing and technology.
- All In Education will receive $350,000 over three years to grow its Cultivating Sustainable Leadership in Education program in partnership with Northern Arizona University and Roosevelt Elementary School District. The program prepares paraprofessionals to support early literacy and expands the Parent Educator Academy, which equips parents with knowledge of education policy and advocacy.
With this latest round of grants, The Ellis Center for Educational Excellence continues its mission to ensure that all Arizona students have the opportunity to learn, thrive and succeed. For more behind this Frontdoor, visit azfoundation.org.
Karen Werner is the editor of Frontdoors Media. She is a writer, editor and media consultant. She has interned at The New Yorker, worked at Parents Magazine, edited five books and founded several local magazines. Her work has appeared in Sunset, Mental Floss and the Saturday Evening Post.
