“Thanks to Thunderbirds Charities’ generous investment, Year Up Arizona will further our mission to close the Opportunity Divide for young adults in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. By combining hard and soft skill development, an authentic work experience, and wraparound support services, Year Up positions students for success in the classroom, in the workplace, and in the community,” says Kimberly Allen, Site Director, Year Up Arizona.
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of our world, and Year Up Arizona (YUAZ) is working tirelessly to ensure vulnerable young adults in Maricopa County are not left further behind as inequality deepens and as it becomes even more challenging to secure living wage employment. This investment by Thunderbirds Charities will be channeled to support all aspects of Year Up Arizona’s workforce development over the next year as we serve 240 young adults at YUAZ (Mesa/SNHU and PHX sites), which includes ensuring we are able to respond to the shifting needs of our students and emergent challenges throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
Prior to COVID-19, the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area was home to 70,300 young adults who were out of school and work. Called Opportunity Youth (OY), these individuals have been systematically disconnected from living-wage careers and higher education pathways-a result of policies and systems that perpetuate racial and economic inequities. Now, low-income individuals and communities of color are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, there are even more barriers preventing OY from achieving financial security. Year Up is committed to ensuring OY are not left out of the crisis recovery and have access to economic opportunity. The investment from Thunderbirds Charities enables us to continuously deliver a high-quality program throughout this pandemic.
This grant is part of the Fall 2020 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.