What Arizona Educators Do on Summer Break Might Surprise You
Over 100 educators participated in externships with Arizona employers this summer, gaining firsthand insights they can bring back to their classrooms.
Over 100 educators participated in externships with Arizona employers this summer, gaining firsthand insights they can bring back to their classrooms.
Over 100 educators participated in externships with Arizona employers this summer, gaining firsthand insights they can bring back to their classrooms.
Over 100 educators participated in externships with Arizona employers this summer, gaining firsthand insights they can bring back to their classrooms.
Over 100 educators participated in externships with Arizona employers this summer, gaining firsthand insights they can bring back to their classrooms.
Over 100 educators participated in externships with Arizona employers this summer, gaining firsthand insights they can bring back to their classrooms.
Over 100 educators participated in externships with Arizona employers this summer, gaining firsthand insights they can bring back to their classrooms.
While students are on summer break, educators across Arizona are spending their time exploring growing industries and in-demand careers to help their students learn, grow, and shape their future.
This summer was a monumental success, marking the largest group of educators to date, thanks to funding from APS, Bank of America, and the U.S. Department of Labor. We've grown from reaching approximately 40 educators and a few externships to reaching over 100 educators and offering multiple paid externships across the state. As part of our Arizona Pathways to Prosperity initiative, we’ve partnered with local companies to support three unique externships this summer, including:
- Virtual STEM Externships – More than 80 educators from Apache, Cochise, Mohave, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma, and rural Maricopa County explored career pathways in healthcare, information technology and cybersecurity, energy, telecommunications, and Arizona Mining Technologies through virtual meetings, gaining firsthand insights from employers.
- Invenergy Energy Externship – In partnership with Invenergy and Northland Pioneer College, educators in Navajo county participated in a two-day externship, including industry presentations and tours of local solar and wind energy facilities.
- Bank of America Finance Externship – Held at Paradise Valley Community College, the event gave educators the opportunity to hear from college faculty about the pathway programs available to their students, learn about free career exploration resources, and engage with an industry panel featuring professionals from the business and finance sectors.
Now equipped with new insights, classroom resources, and employer connections. The externships' impact extends far beyond the externships themselves — reaching an estimated 40,000 students between all three externships this coming school year and inspiring career possibilities. Building on this summer’s success, additional externships are planned for the fall, including with Invenergy in partnership with KidWind, building pathways in career fields central to Arizona’s growing future.