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Community partners detail youth programs, internships and prevention work for Sunnyside students
Summary
Nonprofits Amistad and LPKNC presented partnerships with Sunnyside schools covering environmental education, nutrition, tree planting, women-in‑STEM internships and prevention programs; LPKNC reported metrics showing program reach and behavior-change gains.
District staff introduced community partners who described a range of programs serving Sunnyside students.
A presenter from Amistad (Speaker 24) described multiple initiatives: Nopal Kitchen (nutrition and food education at Apollo Middle School), Raices Vivas (tree-planting), intergenerational Familia Adelante and Padres con Prometios (family engagement), a visibility-and-skill‑building pilot with NAU that compensates participating families, Pioneras in STEM (women-focused STEM curriculum and $50 participation stipends), and a recent community health fair in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield that provided free sports physicals, dental services and hygiene/food supplies for attendees. Amistad said it is pursuing grant funding to create a paid internship partnership with the University of Arizona Cancer Center that would prioritize Sunnyside students and could include stipends and potential college credit if funded.
Jambal Givens (Speaker 23), president and CEO of LPKNC, summarized prevention and intervention work delivered in the district including Hold the Heat (violence-prevention), Young Men on the Rise (support for students with behavior/attendance/grade concerns), Words Matter (classroom discussions about language and respect), and a referral program for students caught on campus with substances that requires parent participation. Givens reported the Hold the Heat program has reached approximately 638 students and that pre/post assessments show improvements in attitudes about violence (about 15% improvement on one measure), a 10–14% increase in confidence in walking away, and that 76% of participating students reported likely use of healthier coping strategies. He said the referral program produced roughly 100 referrals so far this year (compared with about 240 last year) and emphasized that parental engagement is required for referrals.
Board members asked if prevention efforts should start earlier (sixth grade) rather than with high-school freshmen; Givens said the pilot focused on freshmen but the team will revisit timing and logistics for expansion. Members thanked the partners for the work and for supporting students, families and staff.
Separately, student Alejandro Vedante (Speaker 2) used the public-comment period to urge the board to expand student voice and proposed a college-preparation course that could provide college credit and better prepare students for life after graduation; he said he has discussed the idea with school administration and will continue to work on the concept.
Presenters asked district staff to coordinate next steps for pilots and funding opportunities; several partnerships noted they will return with details if grant proposals are approved.
