The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust approved a $100,000 grant to the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation (the Foundation) to expand their education initiative, ElevateEdAZ. The Foundation launched the education initiative in March 2020 and has since partnered with 10 schools throughout the Greater Phoenix region. ElevateEdAZ impacts over 20,000 students and teachers per year by increasing awareness of and access to high-wage, high-demand career pathways, along with access to work-based learning engagements, such as job shadows, internships, externships, mock interviews, and more.
“Providing students with opportunities to obtain industry-recognized credentials and incorporating work-based experiences through internships and job shadows, ElevateEdAZ is able to impact students with meaningful pathways to high-wage, high-demand jobs needed to fill local demand,” said Todd Sanders, president and CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamber. “This grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust will give us additional resources to help expand our efforts to additional schools and increase our reach to more students.”
ElevateEdAZ has partnered with over 100 local businesses to provide internships, job shadows, mock interviews, and other career-connected learning to students and teachers in participating schools within Mesa Public Schools, Phoenix Union High School District, and Paradise Valley Unified School District. More students and teachers will be afforded access to these work-based learning activities promoted through the ElevateEdAZ initiative as it expands into more schools and school districts.
ElevateEdAZ is working with schools and school districts to:
- Increase the number of students completing high-wage, high-demand career pathways through stronger pathway articulation and career awareness activities.
- Increase attainment of industry-recognized credentials and early post-secondary credit by removing barriers to dual enrollment and incentivizing students and teachers for improved outcomes.
- Provide more students with work-based learning experience by applying academics through internships and job shadows.
- Empower educators to reimagine classroom learning through Educator Externships where teachers learn skillsets industry leaders are seeking in job candidates and can access pathways and support systems to integrate these skills into their curriculum.
“The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation’s ElevateEdAZ program aims to better connect business, education and community to prepare students for college and meaningful careers,” said Gene D’Adamo, president and CEO of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. “Nina Pulliam firmly believed that education is essential to reaching one’s full potential and that it could change families and communities. The Trust is proud to support ElevateEdAZ as they coach students along the education and workforce pathways to high-wage jobs in high-demand industries.”
Since the Trust began its grant-making in 1998, it has awarded nearly $364 million to 1,018 organizations in its home states of Arizona and Indiana. For more information about the Trust and its programs, visit
Launched in 2020, ElevateEdAZ prepares individuals for college and career through stronger alignment between education, business, and the community. ElevateEdAZ is focused on increasing the number of students completing high-quality education to workforce learning pathways that align with the needs of the industry and supports students in achieving industry-recognized credentials, attaining early post-secondary credit, and participating in capstone work-based learning experiences, such as internships and job shadows.
