Due to forecasted storms, free sand for sandbags is now available on a first-come, first-serve basis at nine City of Phoenix parks.
Partner with a Principal
Each fall, local business and community leaders return to school for a day through our Partner with a Principal program. By walking alongside principals, they gain real-world insight and begin conversations that lead to meaningful, long-term collaborations supporting education and workforce readiness.
Interested in future Partner with a Principal programs?
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Program at at Glance
Insight Exchange: Business and community leaders gain firsthand experience but working alongside of school principals. This exchange of perspective helps them understand the challenges and opportunities in education.
Collaboration: The program encourages collaboration between schools and businesses by fostering partnerships, they can jointly address education needs and enhance programs.
Quality Improvement: Principals and executives discuss ways to improve education quality, workplace readiness, and leadership development. Their insights lead to positive change in schools.
Community Engagement: Engaging community leaders in schools strengthens ties between education institutions and community leaders, organizations and businesses creating a more supportive environment for students.
Application Period – August
Business and community leaders submit their interest to participate in the program.
School Visit Day – Mid‑September through Late October
Participants spend a day with a principal, gaining firsthand insight into school leadership and exploring opportunities to support student success.
Partnership Development
Principals and leaders meet to discuss ways to collaborate on education quality, workplace readiness, and leadership development.
Celebration Luncheon – Late Fall
The program concludes with a luncheon recognizing the partnerships formed and the positive impact of the experience.
2025 Partner Highlight
Partnership Spotlights
2024: Partnership Spotlight: STIIX
2023: Partnership Spotlight: Partner with a Principal Program on Valley of the Sun United Way
At GCU we are always looking at ways to provide outreach to our community, so we jumped right on board when we heard about the 'Partner with a Principal'
In 2024, 65 partnerships were developed and as a part of this program, staff from Grand Canyon University (GCU) partnered with school administration at Bernard Black Entrepreneur Academy and Tomahawk Elementary School, “At GCU we are always looking at ways to provide outreach to our community, so we jumped right on board when we heard about the 'Partner with a Principal' program," Dr. Carol Lippert, asst. vice president at GCU said. “It was a way for us to get individuals from GCU who maybe aren't as familiar with how K-12 schools work and operate on a regular basis, and to also explore ways for us to partner with those schools into the future."
Laveen School District also partnered with the Chasse Building Team and Vulcan Materials Company. Dr. Jeff Sprout, superintendent of Laveen District says, “The keyword in our relationship with Vulcan and Chasse is “evolving." The greatest aspect of these relationships is they evolve with the needs of the district, but also throughout that relationship, we hear about their needs as well and so that helps us to equip our students to be their future workforce."