Group awards $50,000 to benefit local education

Educational programs got a hefty donation from the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma, which awarded $50,000 to benefit local programs.

ACF of Yuma allotted $25,000 to Yuma School District One to begin the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college preparation program. The other $25,000 was awarded to Expect More Arizona, which is a statewide nonprofit organization that aims to advance education in Yuma County.

According to an ACF news release, 96 percent of students at Pecan Grove Elementary School live in poverty. Additionally, half of all the students at the school are learning English as their second language, with 26 percent of that population still classified as non-fluent for their grade.

AVID has a 35 year-history of providing instructional support meant to lead to college success for underserved students.

The AVID program has been implemented at Castle Dome Middle School, Fourth Avenue Middle School, Gila Vista Junior High, R. Pete Woodard Junior High, Ron Watson Middle School and Palmcroft Elementary School, the release states.

ACF officials say Expect More Arizona will use the $25,000 to provide administrative backing expertise on educational issues and policy, communication and marketing support and community outreach to raise awareness and move Yumans to take action.

ACF of Yuma notes that Expect More Arizona will serve Yuma County’s 38,000 students, of whom the majority, or 77 percent, are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.