Community Partnerships
Our partners’ support is invaluable and has a substantial impact on our students and the community.
Our Partners
We collaborate with local, regional, and national organizations to strategically create opportunities for students to enter high-demand careers and overcome barriers to achieving their educational goals. These partnerships highlight the essential role our partners play in strengthening Arizona’s economy and transforming lives through education. Below are a few of the partners who have made recent contributions.
APS, a partner with MCCF since 2011, has developed and provided funding for numerous efforts including professional programs, master teacher seminars, STEM educator workshops, scholarships, workforce development, and much more, including strong leadership on the MCCF Board.
The Arizona Community Foundation has joined initial seed funders to support the scaling of Promise Programs across the Maricopa Community Colleges District in order to make postsecondary education free for students in need across Maricopa County.
AZ Blue Health Choice and the AZ Blue Foundation support a scholarship program for several Maricopa Community Colleges healthcare programs including the Licensed Practical Nurse programs and the Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Health offered at South Mountain Community College. Thanks to a $200,000 grant, the scholarship program will serve up to 400 eligible, low-income students, providing $500 to cover tuition and fees.
The Blackstone Charitable Foundation has awarded Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation $1,038,485 as part of a $3 million grant to launch Blackstone Skilled Futures in partnership with Arizona State University, Maricopa Community Colleges, and local nonprofits. The program aims to increase access to high-quality training and workforce development, focusing on construction and advanced manufacturing in the Phoenix area
The Maricopa County Community College District Foundation is the recipient of a grant in the amount of $1,000,000 to expand the South Mountain Community College Behavioral Health Sciences Bachelors program. This program is designed to address the critical workforce shortage of behavioral health practitioners in our state and across the country.
The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation is helping to lead the charge to support workforce programs in nursing, allied health, behavioral health, cloud computing and construction trades, helping us strengthen communities by connecting students to meaningful careers and delivering economic mobility and prosperity across Maricopa County. Most recently, we received a generous grant to support Future48 Workforce Accelerator: Expanding Advanced Manufacturing and the Industrial Trades.
The Foundation and Maricopa Community Colleges are proud to be one of 11 community college recipients of the Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants in 2024. The $1 million grant will support the expansion of construction trades programs at Mesa Community College, Rio Salado College, and South Mountain Community College.
Longtime partner Helios Education Foundation recently provided a $2.2 million grant in support of expanding HSI ELEVATE, a student-centered program aimed at increasing college attainment across Arizona. The program, focused on serving first-generation college goers, was previously offered at six of the system’s 10 colleges. Thanks to their continued support, the program has expanded systemwide, helping open the doors to college completion and lifelong success. We are also grateful to Helios for providing seed funding to launch the first cohort of the Maricopa Promise Program providing low-income students at all 10 colleges financial and wraparound support services in order to pursue a postsecondary certificate or degree.
The specialized Microsoft Data Academy lab, equipment, and courses available at Estrella Mountain and Glendale Community Colleges will provide students with a cutting-edge, hands-on, one-of-a-kind experience. Microsoft’s year-over-year investment provides scholarships for students participating in the academy, builds digital skills, and provides career pathways for students in the growing IT sector and also funds equipment at the EMCC location. The partnership comes in conjunction with Microsoft’s new data centers in Goodyear and El Mirage, near the two colleges. Additionally, Microsoft has committed funding to support residents of Goodyear and El Mirage to participate in the Maricopa Promise Program.
QTS is a key partner in Arizona's growing digital infrastructure industry and has helped launch a new Data Center Operations Scholarship Fund at two Maricopa Community Colleges. Recipients take courses as part of a new Certificate of Completion in Data Center Operations, enabling them to serve in high-demand roles such as mechanical, electrical and controls technicians.
SRP has been a champion of educational platforms and has provided significant support to support multiple initiatives across the Maricopa Community Colleges including the Fast Track Certificate Program, Heroes of Education, Go Get IT, Maricopa Promise, and Be a Student's Hero day of giving. SRP has also taken an active role on the Foundation's Board of Directors.
Through a partnership with State Farm, we are expanding the technology workforce pipeline in critical national priority areas including: Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation. Students are eligible for scholarships to offset the cost of earning a degree and colleges utilize program support to host STEM/cybersecurity summer camps for high school students to inspire the next generation of talent.
State Farm’s partnership also supports workshops for parents/guardians of the Achieving A College Education (ACE) and Hoop of Learning programs. Scholarship support for Veterans, underserved and low-income students and funding for the student Emergency fund whereby students experiencing barriers to education can get financial help for gas, transportation, child-care, food needs and more.
TSMC is helping to strategically position our District to meet the shifting demands of our students, workforce and communities we serve. The Foundation has received funding to support students with scholarships to pursue semiconductor technician and related certificate and degree programs offered at multiple Maricopa Community Colleges
Venture Cafe
The Venture Café Phoenix and CEI partnership gives Arizona access to a global network and creates a weekly Thursday Gathering where a space for people of different industries, diverse backgrounds, and different views will have the opportunity to make meaningful connections, to share their expertise with others, and where all can learn. When you take part in a Venture Café event, you can meet hundreds of creative, resourceful people who are just as invested in improving life in Phoenix. Through the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, sponsors of the Thursday Gathering, connect creators, entrepreneurs, investors, coworkers, students and visionaries to build a strong, inclusive and equitable innovation ecosystem.
To learn more:
https://venturecafephoenix.org/
Ready To Become A Partner?
Interested in partnering with the Foundation? We want to speak with you.