JAG Insider News

In early October, Blessed Sacrament Church in Tolleson held its annual Fiesta de Amistad Parade, where the city’s JAG Works program participated in a float contest. Their “Somos Familia” float won first place in recognition of the hard work and collaboration that went into making the beautiful float.

Annually, JAG programs plan campus events to foster community relations and practice skills such as public speaking and event planning. Students organize JAG-A-Palooza to show their peers, families, and community members why JAG is important to them and their schools.

Each year, student leaders come together for a leadership conference where they attend workshops that prepare them for success in their roles. For this year’s conference, more than 200 leaders attended the conference and networked with community organizations at the career and resource fair afterward.

Five high school JAG programs attended the Diamondbacks games on September 13-18th, thanks to the generous ticket donations from Arizona Diamondbacks.

JAG Central Office welcomed a new programs manager to the team in September. As a former Sierra Linda JAG coordinator, Shiya Pillars will serve as a resource to high school program coordinators. We happily welcome High School Program Manager Shiya Pillars back to the JAG family!

On August 29, JAG attended a check presentation event with the City of Avondale council and staff to receive a grant award of $10,000. The City of Avondale awards grants of various amounts to nonprofits in the community that provide health and human services dedicated to improving the quality of life for Avondale residents.

This month, JAG students are touring college campuses in preparation for upcoming application deadlines and to explore their options for after graduation. Coolidge JAG students had the chance to visit Arizona Science Center to participate in hands-on STEM exhibits and tour GCU to learn about college life.

This month, JAG students are touring college campuses in preparation for upcoming application deadlines and to explore their options for after graduation. Copper Canyon JAG students toured NAU to learn more about their programs and student life on campus.

On August 15th, Wickenburg JAG students visited C&C’s Baking Studio to meet the owners and former Wickenburg HS alumni, Cheryl and Caitlin Kohnke. During their visit, they learned about how the owners turned their passion for baking into a small business, and they even decorated cookies to enjoy.

Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates’ (JAG) annual Celebration of Success Breakfast event was hosted at Paradise Valley High School’s Auditorium from 8-9:00 a.m. on August 23. The event provided an opportunity for administrators, educators, community leaders, board members, employer partners, volunteers, and donors to come together and kick-off the start of a new school year for statewide JAG programs.

In June, Thunderbirds Charities awarded $50,000 to JAG in support of our middle and high school leadership programs across the state. This generous award will ensure that leadership development opportunities for students continue to offer the resources they need to be successful.

Last month, two of our JAG coordinators were recognized by Jobs for America’s Graduates for their dedication to their programs. We sat down with one of those coordinators from Coronado HS to hear about her 11 years in the role and what she is looking forward to this year.

Last month, two of our JAG coordinators were recognized by Jobs for America’s Graduates for their dedication to their programs. We sat down with one of those coordinators from Coolidge HS to hear about her first year in the role.

The grant awarded by Dreams Foundation will be used toward strengthening JAG’s leadership and workforce development programs for middle and high school students and JAG Works participants.

2021-2022 VISTA Leader Deirdre Conroy had brought their passion for community empowerment and mental health awareness to our JAG team since 2020. In June, they completed their AmeriCorps VISTA service and are now focusing on their degree in mental health counseling.

After joining JAG to improve his social skills, City of Tolleson JAG Works Alum Angelo Cortina became program president in his senior year, and now works with Employer Partner, Credit Union West.

JAG’s Leadership 101 Camp held during the week of July 18th featured workshops on leadership, personality discovery, emotional intelligence, and stress management.

JAG’s AZ Adventure Day Camp held on July 21 joined a series of free leadership and career exploration camps this summer hosted by JAG Staff for current students and recent alumni. Attendees at the AZ Adventure College and Historical Sites Tour visited Northern Arizona University, Antelope Canyon, and Moenave Dinosaur Tracks.

Every year, JAG National hosts the National Training Seminar (NTS) to bring JAG State Affiliates from all across the nation together to recognize the efforts of each program for the past year and prepare for the upcoming school year through workshops and training.

Although Tempe JAG Alum Cindy Badillo joined in her final year of high school, her coordinator and the opportunities for employer engagement were instrumental in solidifying her career aspirations. Now attending ASU as a Criminal Justice major, Badillo shares the ways JAG supported her.