The Arizona We Want The Arizona We Want in Action

The Arizona We Want in Action

Explore and share stories of the people and efforts
building a stronger, brighter future for all

Arizonans across the state—in our cities, towns, and rural communities— are working together to create The Arizona We Want. Achieving this shared vision of success requires an investment in progress, a willingness to listen and collaborate, and to consider what could be instead of what’s been done. Everyone has the power to contribute to incremental but profoundly rewarding outcomes for all. Each success along the way builds on the one before it, inspires others, and deserves to be celebrated. Do you have a story to share? Let us know!

Latest Stories of Impact

2025 Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy Fellows Named

Navajo County Teens Empowered Through CFA’s Virtual Internship Program to Create Youth-Driven

Center for the Future of Arizona to Launch Arizona Media Institute Powered by Visionary Investment from Don Budinger

2024 In Review: Bridging Gaps Through Collaboration - Expanding Career Pathways and Building Arizona's Healthcare Workforce

2024 in Review: Strengthening Arizona’s Civic Health

2024 in Review: Empowering a Competitive Workforce for Arizona

The Center for the Future of Arizona reflects on its 2024 workforce initiatives, highlighting key partnerships, innovative training programs, and civic engagement efforts that drive economic growth and empower Arizonans with career opportunities.

Providing Value to Arizonans: The Thomas R. Brown Family Private Foundation Invests in Opportunities

The Thomas R. Brown Family Private Foundation partners with the Center for the Future of Arizona to drive meaningful change in Southern Arizona, supporting education, workforce development, and civic engagement to create a thriving future for all Arizonans.

Queen Creek Students Lead Real Change at Their Schools, Spark a Lifetime of Civic Engagement

Sophomore Rylan Christian channels her school spirit into action through Eastmark High School’s Lead Out Loud Club, participating in School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) to engage students in democratic decision-making for campus improvements.

Arizona Horizon: Arizona Shared Public Values - Health & Wellbeing

Arizona Horizon covers Health & Wellbeing as one of Center for the Future of Arizona's identified Arizona Shared Public Values. Shared Public Values are defined as issues on which at least 70% or more of Arizonans agree according to our Gallup Arizona Surveys — regardless of geography, income, education level, political party affiliation, race or ethnicity.

Arizona Horizon: Arizona Shared Public Values - Fair, Just, And Equitable Systems

Arizona Horizon covers Fair, Just, And Equitable Systems as one of Center for the Future of Arizona's identified Arizona Shared Public Values. Shared Public Values are defined as issues on which at least 70% or more of Arizonans agree according to our Gallup Arizona Surveys — regardless of geography, income, education level, political party affiliation, race or ethnicity.

Arizona Horizon: Arizona Shared Public Values - Civic Engagement and Leadership

Arizona Horizon covers Civic Engagement and Leadership as one of Center for the Future of Arizona's identified Arizona Shared Public Values. Shared Public Values are defined as issues on which at least 70% or more of Arizonans agree according to our Gallup Arizona Surveys — regardless of geography, income, education level, political party affiliation, race or ethnicity.

Center for the Future of Arizona Announces Support for Make Elections Fair Ballot Initiative

This initiative aims to create a more inclusive and representative election process in Arizona by establishing a single, open primary system that allows all voters, regardless of party affiliation, to participate equally in primary elections.

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Arizona Horizon: Arizona Shared Public Values - Immigration Reform

Arizona Horizon covers Immigration Reform as one of Center for the Future of Arizona's identified Arizona Shared Public Values.

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Arizona Horizon: Arizona Shared Public Values - Environment and Sustainable Future

Arizona Horizon covers Environment and Sustainable Future as one of Center for the Future of Arizona's identified Arizona Shared Public Values. Shared Public Values are defined as issues on which at least 70% or more of Arizonans agree according to our Gallup Arizona Surveys — regardless of geography, income, education level, political party affiliation, race or ethnicity.

Arizona’s Record-Breaking Summer and the Urgent Call for Action

Rising temperatures are not only an environmental crisis but also a pressing issue for residents, and Arizonans understand that tackling these challenges is an urgent priority.

Powering the Future: Educators Connect Classroom to Careers at Palo Verde Externship Day

The Palo Verde Teacher Externship Day– the first in-person externship event held by Palo Verde since the pandemic– welcomed 35 educators from various schools across the Valley.

Arizona Horizon: Arizona Shared Public Values - Education

Arizona Horizon covers Education as one of Center for the Future of Arizona's identified Arizona Shared Public Values. Shared Public Values are defined as issues on which at least 70% or more of Arizonans agree according to our Gallup Arizona Surveys — regardless of geography, income, education level, political party affiliation, race or ethnicity.

High-schoolers help Flagstaff Unified School District decide how to use vaping settlement funds

Students from FHS and CHS developed proposals for how to use the funds to improve their schools -- which were then voted on by the entire student body.

Center for the Future of Arizona Forges Partnerships to Empower Peoria Students in Expanded Career and Technical Education

More students are gaining diverse experiences to propel their educational & career journeys through a partnership between Peoria Unified (PUSD), the City of Peoria, and Center for the Future of Arizona’s Arizona Pathways to Prosperity initiative.

Bringing a Flowing Stream Back to Superior

Superior won a two point two five-million-dollar grant via EI to help restore Queen Creek and get the water flowing past fractures and fissures that have diverted the water out of the stream near a shuttered mine.

Communities Building a Sustainable Future: A Spotlight on Rainwater Harvesting

Organizations in southern Arizona expand rainwater harvesting program. They are finding that seizing rainfall can help reduce the urban heat island when it’s utilized to increase the presence of plants and trees.

How 2023 Paved the Way for Another Year of Innovation in Arizona

Center for the Future of Arizona shares highlights from 2023 that encapsulate our dedication to growth, innovation, and making a lasting impact on the vibrant state we call home.

KJZZ 91.5: Polls show Arizonans agree on most big issues. The politicians who represent them don't

Sybil Francis, Ph.D., Chair, President & CEO, Center for the Future of Arizona, discusses that Arizonans generally agree on most of the big issues in the state — but that doesn’t usually translate to what politicians do in office here.

250+ U.S. Educators, Leaders Gather in Arizona to Accelerate Adoption of Personalized, Competency-Based Learning

More than 250 educators from across Arizona and the country gathered on January 8-9, 2024, at Rio Rico High School, 590 Camino Lito Galindo, Rio Rico, AZ, in an effort to scale and spread personalized learning practices.

Arizona students are helping to decide school budgets. In the process, they are learning about democracy

Ed and Verma Pastor Elementary School is one of dozens of schools across Arizona implementing school participatory budgeting, where students vote on how to spend funds to improve their school.

Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy Closes with Actionable Solutions

Competitive cohort presents ideas aimed at resolving local workforce development challenges.

Statewide Consensus Fuels Drive for Arizona Leaders to Forge a Sustainable Future

Center for the Future of Arizona welcomed some of Arizona’s most thoughtful business, government, and community leaders for a pre-conference session at the August 2023 League of Arizona Cities and Towns annual gathering in Tucson.

School Participatory Budgeting Empowers Future Generation of Arizonans

Chandler High students participated in Vote Day, an opportunity for students to decide how the school would spend almost $15,000 on a campus improvement project.

Center for the Future of Arizona Names Recipients of 2023 Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards

Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) announces the 2023 recipients of the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards at an annual ceremony at the Arizona City and County Management Association (ACMA) conference in Tucson.

Arizona Capitol Times: Voters Agree Sustainability is Key to Our Future

As we celebrate Earth Month, Arizona enjoys — despite an era of perceived partisan division across the country — remarkable consensus about the need to prioritize the environment and create a sustainable future.

How Standards-Based Grading Is Empowering Arizona Students to Own Their Education

The move towards personalized, competency-based learning in Arizona’s Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District (SCVUSD) began with a very basic question — “Are we doing what is best for our kids?”

Center for the Future of Arizona Introduces 2023 Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy Fellows

Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) announces the Fellows selected for its Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy, a 10-month professional development program provided in partnership with Pima Community College and the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program.

Tucson Students Inform Community Action

Involvement inspires investment. Students at Tucson’s Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD) can attest to that truth after learning how democracy works by taking part in CFA’s ongoing School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) initiative with the district.

Changing What Learning Looks Like: Santa Cruz Unified School District Demonstrates the Possibilities and Positive Impact of Student-Centered Approaches

Our partners at Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District (SCVUSD) held an eventful and eye-opening Inquiry Lab in Rio Rico, Ariz., on Feb. 14-16.

Tucson Metro Chamber and Center for the Future of Arizona Collaborate to Launch Workforce Initiative at Sunnyside Unified School District’s Middle Schools

Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) has made substantial progress in implementing the Greater Tucson Career Literacy Initiative strategy with the rollout of a comprehensive career exploration and action plan program at Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD).

Why voters aren’t as polarized as they seem

Arizona voters say they’re flustered with the narrative of the state being polarized and divided. Recent polls show voters want candidates who are willing to compromise.

What matters to Arizona voters might surprise you

It's not "the wall." It's not tax cuts. The new Arizona Voters' Agenda spotlights several vital state issues on which broad majorities of voters agree.

Innovating Arizona’s Education Model to Meet the Needs of Individual Students

Recent legislation has supported efforts to advance student-centered learning in Arizona.

Supporter Spotlight: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

An Arizona Champion, SRPMIC has consistently invested in CFA’s Beat the Odds School Leadership Academy for 16+ years totaling over $1 million in support.

CFA To Bring High Impact Civic Education Initiative to Students Statewide Thanks to Support from The Steele Foundation

Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) was recently awarded $150,000 for the School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) program by The Steele Foundation–the philanthropic organization committed to helping children develop into confident, happy, and healthy human beings.

Actions Advancing The Arizona We Want

Since launching the Action Agenda for Arizona’s Future nearly one year ago to help the community act on the data, many meaningful advances and systematic shifts across the state have delivered on key actions Arizonans want.

Strengthening Arizona’s Workforce to Build The Arizona We Want

In partnership with The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) and with the support of Walmart, Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) successfully launched our first-ever Greater Phoenix Workforce Leadership Academy (Academy).

Arizona Healthcare Leaders Collaborate To Address Workforce Needs

Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) hosted the 2nd Annual Arizona Healthcare Workforce Summit in collaboration with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, Banner Plans & Network, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and Pipeline AZ.