News & Events Newsletter Archive Newsletter April 2025

April 2025

Empowering Arizona’s Future Workforce Through Virtual Cybersecurity Internships

With cybersecurity emerging as one of Arizona’s fastest-growing industries, expanding access to hands-on learning in this field is critical for students and the future of the state’s economy. Yet too many young people, particularly in rural communities, face barriers like limited industry exposure, limited transportation, and few local opportunities.

That’s why Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), through our Arizona Pathways to Prosperity initiative and in partnership with the Work-Based Learning Alliance, is proud to support high-quality paid virtual internships that prepare students for in-demand careers while closing opportunity gaps in work-based learning.

Student teams present the findings of their website vulnerability report to a cybersecurity professional and community members.

With support from a youth workforce development grant awarded to the SciTech Institute, 22 high school students from Navajo, Apache, Cochise, and Yuma counties recently completed a real-world cybersecurity project. Working in teams, students conducted website vulnerability assessments, developed professional recommendations, and presented their findings to mentors from the cybersecurity industry.

This experience provided more than technical training. Students strengthened key career skills like research, project management, and communication. Many earned their Cybersecurity Fundamentals badge through IBM SkillsBuild — enhancing their resumes and giving them a competitive edge.

CFA’s partnership with SciTech ensures these opportunities are equitable and scalable, offering industry partners a turnkey model for engaging diverse, motivated talent. For employers, it’s a win-win: they build industry awareness, engage fresh perspectives, and help shape Arizona’s future workforce. For students, it's a key step toward high-quality, high-wage careers, no matter where they live.

This spring, even more students are participating in similar virtual internships across the state, gaining valuable experience and building pathways to prosperity in fields central to Arizona’s growing future.

"Forging STEM Career Literacy and Pathways in Rural Arizona” is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor. A total of $1,998,968, or 100 percent of the Workforce Pathways for Youth award [23A60YP000003-01-01], is financed with Federal funds. The program is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Arizona Progress Meters Update: Civic Health

Civic Health Is the Foundation of a Strong Arizona. Here’s Where We Stand.

Civic health reflects the strength of our communities, how connected we are, how we solve problems together, and how we engage with institutions and each other. It’s about more than voting; it’s about volunteering, trust, collaboration, and participation in all aspects of community life. Civic health is the engine of a thriving democracy and a vital measure of Arizona’s long-term well-being.

The Arizona Civic Life Partnership — a collaboration between CFA and the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation — tracks key indicators through the Arizona Civic Health Progress Meters. This year’s updates show signs of momentum and a call to action:

More Arizonans are volunteering, giving their time to support community organizations and local causes
More Arizonans are working with their neighbors to do something positive for the community
Fewer are contacting public officials, signaling less engagement between the people and those in positions of power

To build a future where every Arizonan is empowered to shape their community, we need to understand how civic health shows up in all areas of life. That's why CFA has published additional, relevant data that explores connections with the workplace, social connectedness, and political participation.

Ultimately, data are just the beginning. The Arizona Civic Life Partnership is collaborating with leaders, communities, and organizations across the state to turn these insights into action, define clear, action-oriented goals for civic health, and build a more connected and engaged Arizona.

Explore the latest data and what it means for Arizona

CFA Joins Maricopa County Leaders to Increase Access to Dual Enrollment

CFA staff join partners from Helios Education Foundation, the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, Education Forward Arizona, along with community college and high school leaders at the Dual Enrollment Design Session.

CFA’s Arizona Pathways to Prosperity initiative joined over 100 education leaders & community partners at Maricopa County Community College District’s (MCCCD) Dual Enrollment Design Session last month. Attendees brainstormed actionable strategies to achieve MCCCD’s vision of high school students earning 12 college credits before graduation. Students who complete early college programs, like earning college credit in high school (dual enrollment), are more likely to pursue further education and training after graduation.

CFA’s Director of College and Career Pathways Cindy Erwin, Project Manager for College and Career Pathways in Western Maricopa County Erin McGehean, and Senior Project Manager Mel Baca shared insights into what students see as dual enrollment barriers based on a forthcoming CFA report that includes responses from 2,000 10th-grade students. They also shared realistic and tested methods to increase dual enrollment access, like expanding course offerings. Supporting MCCCD’s dual enrollment goal through trusted data and researched strategies is just one way CFA’s work is improving educational outcomes for students across the state.

Celebrating Dr. Francis and Community Leaders Advancing Education in Arizona

CFA Board Members, staff, and partners from Helios Education Foundation & Education Forward Arizona join Dr. Francis to celebrate her Educational Diversity Award from the Pete C. Garcia Victoria Foundation.

The Pete C. Garcia Victoria Foundation’s Advocates for Education Awards recognize outstanding leadership in advancing academic achievement, equity, and opportunity for Arizona’s students. This year, CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis was honored with the Educational Diversity Award.

CFA is proud to be recognized alongside education leaders whose efforts are transforming the landscape for Arizona students: Stephanie Acosta, Dr. José Leyba, Dr. Gabriel Trujillo, and Debra Gomez. Together, the honorees exemplify the power of shared commitment to student-centered progress.

SRP Partners with CFA to Champion a More Vibrant and Resilient Arizona

SRP’s sponsorship of events like the 2024 LACT Pre-Conference Session and CFA’s 20th Anniversary Celebration bring Arizonans together to advance shared priorities.

From stewarding our natural resources to preparing young people for success, these priorities reflect what Arizonans agree is essential to a vibrant, resilient future. Salt River Project (SRP) has long embraced The Arizona We Want, partnering with CFA for over a decade to turn Arizona’s Shared Public Values into action and demonstrate what it means to be a future-focused organization invested in Arizona and its people.

"Arizona's success is our success," notes Alaina Chabrier, SRP Associate General Manager & Chief Communications Executive and CFA Future Maker. "SRP supports our communities, not just as a partner, but as a neighbor deeply invested in the state we all call home. We’re proud to support CFA’s vital work to strengthen quality of life and expand opportunity for Arizonans across the state for the long-term.”

SRP’s support has enabled CFA to expand opportunities for career-connected pathways, personalized learning, high-impact civic education, and countless other CFA initiatives that serve young people in urban and rural areas. SRP has also supported CFA’s efforts to equip municipal, county, tribal, and local leaders with data and insights to inform decision-making and advance the priorities that matter most to Arizonans.

We are proud to partner with SRP, whose deep roots in Arizona and forward-thinking leadership are driving investments in the people, places, and priorities that will shape a stronger and brighter future for our state.

SPB Vote Days 2025: Williams High School Students Lead Change Through School Participatory Budgeting

Williams High School students choose among ideas that will strengthen senior celebration at their Vote Day earlier this month.

Williams High School students recognized they needed to engage with and celebrate their seniors in a more meaningful way, so they used School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) to decide the best solution. Earlier this month, Williams High School in Coconino County culminated their SPB process with a Vote Day where students chose among proposals like a spirit shop, senior quilt, or mascot.

More than voting on projects, the students are learning about what it means to listen, collaborate, and lead. Through SPB, they’re building healthy habits for civic life: asking what their community needs, imagining solutions, and making decisions together. These experiences spark a lasting sense of belonging and responsibility.

Across Arizona, more than three-fourths of Arizonans want civics education to be a priority in K-12 education. Through SPB, we’re working to make that vision real, expanding high-impact civic education to all corners of Arizona, so every student has the tools and knowledge to be an active civic leader.

Arizona Town Hall Convenes Arizonans to Build a Stronger Workforce

Engaging the voices of all Arizonans is critical to building stronger solutions. Last week, Arizona Town Hall released the background report for their 117th topic: Building Arizona’s Workforce. Over the next year, the report will serve as the foundation for virtual and in-person conversations across the state. We look forward to these conversations to build understanding of how Arizonans want to meet workforce needs to sustain a vibrant economy now and into the future.

Join a conversation near you

Op-Ed: What Do Arizona Voters Want on Election Reform? We Asked.

CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis shares results from a recent survey that illuminate what Arizona voters really want when it comes to election results.

From Arizona Capitol Times

Arizona Students Speak Out: The Power of Personalized Learning

In an interview with CFA’s Senior Director of Education Peter Boyle, two middle school students share how they’re thriving in classrooms that prioritize personalized, competency-based learning. Educators can bring this impact to their classroom through the Arizona Personalized Learning Network’s free online resource.

From Consult4Ed Group

CFA and Pipeline Connects Provide Central Resource for Summer Learning Opportunities

Summer is quickly approaching, and there are endless opportunities for students to learn and grow. We’re excited to partner with Pipeline Connects again to provide a directory of immersive educational summer camps where students can explore future possibilities.

From Pipeline Connects

School Participatory Budgeting (PB) is an On-Ramp to Civic Education

ASU Participatory Governance Initiative (PGI) Senior Research Analyst Tara Bartlett describes the history of School PB in Arizona. CFA and PGI introduced the innovative civic learning process in 2016, and it has impacted over 70 schools since.

From Participatory Budgeting Project

University of Arizona Wins the 2025 Regents’ Cup

CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Francis served as a judge for the Arizona Board of Regents’ Regents Cup, a speech and debate competition. This annual collegiate competition demonstrates the importance of thoughtful dialogue and civil discourse.

From Arizona Board of Regents