Metropolitan Education Commission

MEC HAD VARIOUS PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDING REGIONAL COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS CENTER, YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL PROGRAM, TEEN TOWN HALL, AND THE CRYSTAL APPLE AWARDS.***********************************************************************HIGHER EDUCATION PATHWAYS PLANNING: REGIONAL COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS CENTER THE RCCAC SERVES STUDENTS ACROSS TUCSON AND PIMA COUNTY THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC AND CALENDAR YEAR. RCCAC STAFF, AMERICORPS PEER COACHES, AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE PROVIDED COLLEGE AND CAREER SUPPORT TO OVER 4,721 STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND COUNSELORS. WE GREATLY EXPANDED OUR PRESENTATION AND EVENT OFFERINGS, AVAILABLE TO ALL COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND SCHOOL SITES. WITH THE HELP OF MEC STAFF, THE MAJORITY OF THESE OFFERINGS WERE MADE AVAILABLE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. RCCAC NETWORK MEETINGS WERE HOSTED QUARTERLY, BRINGING TOGETHER OUR COUNSELORS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND ARIZONA COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVES TO SHARE RELEVANT INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS OF OUR TUCSON AND PIMA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH. A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FLINN SCHOLARSHIP, JA INSPIRE, ABOR, ASK BENJI, SUPERINTENDENT DUSTIN WILLIAMS, UARIZONA'S KEYS RESEARCH INTERNSHIP, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, PIMA COUNTY ONE STOP EMPLOYMENT CENTER, AND THE MARGE CHRISTENSEN GOULD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR PRESENTING TO THE NETWORK! ON SATURDAY MAY 6, 2023, THE RCAC HOSTED THE FINAL PEER COACH PROGRAM TEAM MEETING. THE MAY TEAM MEETING IS RESERVED TO CELEBRATE THE UPCOMING GRADUATION AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PEER COACH COHORT. ALL 22 COHORT MEMBERS WHO BEGAN THE RCAC-AMERICORPS PEER COACH PROGRAM IN JULY 2022 COMPLETED THEIR 300 HOURS OF AMERICORPS NATIONAL SERVICE AND GRADUATED FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS TUCSON AND PIMA COUNTY THE WEEK OF MAY 22, 2023. THESE RECENTLY GRADUATED STUDENTS HAVE PLANS TO ATTEND THE FOLLOWING COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, HOWARD UNIVERSITY, BARNARD UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, AND BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY. COLLECTIVELY, THIS GROUP OF YOUTH LEADERS COMPLETED OVER 7,000 HOURS OF AMERICORPS SERVICE THIS YEAR, SUPPORTING THEIR PEERS IN THEIR COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING. THEY HOSTED ONE-ON-ONE POSTSECONDARY PATHWAY CONSULTATIONS WITH THEIR PEERS, HOSTED FAFSA NIGHTS AT THEIR SCHOOL CAMPUSES, FACILITATED CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS AROUND COLLEGE AND CAREER TOPICS, ATTENDED COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENTS, AND OVERALL INCREASED THE COLLEGE AND CAREER GOING CULTURE AT THEIR SCHOOLS. THESE STUDENTS ALSO TOOK PART IN THREE PERSONAL FINANCE MODULES, OFFERED BY UARIZONA'S TAKECHARGE CATS.***********************************************************************YOUTH LEADERSHIP, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, & EDUCATION ADVOCACY: YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL COMPOSED OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT PIMA COUNTY, THE YAC/TTC SERVES AS A YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL AND SOUNDING BOARD TO THE MEC, COUNTY AND CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. TWO MEMBERS OF THE YAC SERVE AS MEC YOUTH COMMISSIONERS TO ENSURE THE YOUTH VOICE IS REPRESENTED ON THE 34-MEMBER COMMISSION. THIS ENERGETIC TEEN GROUP COLLABORATES WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BY PARTICIPATING IN THE PLANNING OF EVENTS SUCH AS THE CITY-WIDE YOUTH AND PEACE CONFERENCE AND SERVING ON THE CRYSTAL APPLE AWARDS SELECTION COMMITTEE. THEY ALSO ORGANIZE THE ANNUAL TEEN TOWN HALL AND PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DAY.***********************************************************************YOUTH WORKFORCE: THE KEY TO EMPLOYMENT THE METROPOLITAN EDUCATION COMMISSION PARTNERED WITH PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO CO-SPONSOR THE KEY TO EMPLOYMENT EVENT. SINCE THE PANDEMIC HAS ENTERED OUR LIVES, KEY TO EMPLOYMENT HAD NOT OCCURRED IN PERSON. THE 24TH ANNUAL KEY TO EMPLOYMENT SYMPOSIUM WAS HELD ON TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2023 FROM 8AM-NOON AT THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, UTILIZING THE AMETHYST ROOM, CLASSROOMS, AND OUTSIDE PAVILION. OVER 50 EXHIBITORS PARTICIPATED, INCLUDING VARIOUS HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND STEM DISCIPLINES. 150 YOUTH PARTICIPATED FROM 5 DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS (ANDRADA HIGH SCHOOL, CATALINA HIGH SCHOOL, MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, AND SUNNYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL) AND NOTED THESE HIGHLIGHTS: PCC CAMPUS TOUR, STUDENTS LEARNING ABOUT HOSPITALITY, HEALTH CARE, AND EMT THROUGH CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS.***********************************************************************COMMUNITY RECOGNITION: CRYSTAL APPLE AWARDS EVERY SPRING, THE MEC RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS WHO STRENGTHEN THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF TUCSON AND PIMA COUNTY. NOMINATIONS ARE RECEIVED, REVIEWED, AND EVALUATED BY A COMMITTEE OF MEC COMMISSIONERS AND YAC STUDENT LEADERS. THE AWARD CATEGORIES INCLUDE: OUTSTANDING TEACHER, OUTSTANDING COUNSELOR, OUTSTANDING HIGHER EDUCATION ADVOCATE, OUTSTANDING EDUCATION ADVOCATE, OUTSTANDING YOUTH, OUTSTANDING STUDENT LEADER, OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY PARTNER, DR. JUNE WEBB-VIGNERY ADVOCATE AWARD, AND THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.***********************************************************************MEC COLLABORATIONS A. EDUCATION ADVOCACY - PRE-SCHOOL TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION-ACHIEVE 60 AZ-ARIZONA CENTER FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS-CENTER FOR COMMUNITY MEDIATION AND FACILITATION-CHILDREN'S ACTION ALLIANCE-COLLEGE SUCCESS ARIZONA-COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA-EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION - THE PRESCHOOL PROMISE TASKFORCE-EXPECT MORE AZ-HELIOS EDUCATION FOUNDATION -LEAGUE OF WOMEN'S VOTERS - YOUTH VOTER REGISTRATION INITIATIVES-PIMA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY-PIMA COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS OFFICE-PIMA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT'S COVID-19 WEEKLY MEETINGS-VIRTUAL STUDENT FORUM: THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON STUDENTS-WESTERN INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION (WICHE) -YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DAY MEETINGS WITH AZ LEGISLATORS-YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL *B. COLLEGE ACCESS-ACT PREP WORKSHOPS - COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL SITE LOCATIONS-ADELANTE CONFERENCE - TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT-ADVISE AZ AMERICORPS PROGRAM-AMERICORPS/AZ SERVE - RCAC COLLEGE COACH PEER-TO-PEER CAREER AND COLLEGE ADVISING PROGRAM-AMERICORPS/NAU COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS - AMERICORPS MEMBER-AMERICAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE FOCUS GROUP-AZ ACT COUNCIL-AZ COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK-AZ COMMISSION FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION-AZ GOVERNOR'S FAFSA CHALLENGE-ARIZONA SERVE-COLLEGE SUCCESS AZ COUNCIL-EARN TO LEARN-EDUCATION FORWARD'S ASK BENJI AND COLLEGE KNOWING AND GOING -EXPLORING COLLEGE OPTIONS: DUKE, GEORGETOWN, HARVARD, PENN, STANFORD-FLINN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM-FOCUS ON THE FUTURE FAMILY UNIVERSITY-HELIOS COLLEGE KNOWING AND GOING INITIATIVE -JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: CAREER READINESS AND FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS-NATIONAL COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (NCAN) HIGHER EDUCATION ADVOCACY PROJECT-NATIONAL COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (NCAN) FAFSA CHALLENGE GRANT PROJECT-PIMA COUNTY JTED-PIMA COUNTY LIBRARY COLLEGE DAY-PIMA COUNTY ONE STOP EMPLOYMENT CENTER-PIMA COUNTY PROSPERITY INITIATIVE-REGIONAL COLLEGE ACCESS CENTER (RCAC) NETWORKING GROUP-SANTA ROSA NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER-SCHOLARSHIPS A-Z-SUNNYSIDE AND DESERT VIEW COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIR -SOUTHERN ARIZONA IVY LEAGUE PROJECT-SOUTHERN ARIZONA AIDS FOUNDATION-TUCSON URBAN LEAGUE & TUSD AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT OUTREACH-UPWARD BOUND STUDENT AND PARENT FAFSA WORKSHOP- UNIDAS TEEN PHILANTHROPIC PROGRAM-UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL PARENT UNIVERSITY--UARIZONA'S ARIZONA ADMISSIONS, NEWSTART, AND TAKECHARGE CATS TEAMS-UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAM INTERNSHIPS-UARIZONA'S PROJECT OUTREACH FAMILIA-UARIZONA'S STEPS 2 STEM AND OLEH PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAMS-VAIL SCHOOL DISTRICT - COLLEGE ACCESS FOR ATHLETES -VAIL SCHOOL DISTRICT - SENIOR EXIT PROJECT VOLUNTEERS-VIRTUAL COLLEGE ADVISORS-YOUTH ON THEIR OWN*C. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES-ABOR FAFSA SUMMIT AT THE HELIOS CAMPUS IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA-ARIZONA STATEWIDE VIRTUAL FAFSA ASSISTANCE PROGRAM-CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DAY - YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETINGS WITH ARIZONA LEGISLATORS-PIMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETINGS-PIMA COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS-PIMA COUNTY YOUTH SUMMER PROGRAM - YAC/TTC INTERNSHIPS-SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS MEETINGS-SOUTHERN ARIZONA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ALLIANCE-TUCSON MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS MEETINGS-TUCSON YOUTH & PEACE CONFERENCE-YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL TEEN TOWN HALL