Community Partnerships

Our partners’ support is invaluable and has a substantial impact on our students and the community.

Our Partners

We work with several local, regional and national organizations to strategically design opportunities for students to fill high demand jobs in the workforce. These partnerships demonstrate the vital role our partners play to strengthen Arizona’s economy and change lives through education.

Amazon

Amazon supports key programs all across our District that help strenghten the economy and change the lives of students. These include The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Academy, The Education Concierge Program and a Gold sponsorship of the 2023 Heroes of Education in which Amazon's contribution will support up to 200 students with food gift cards, stipends and scholarships.

Bank of America

Bank of America has partnered with the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCF) to help remove barriers to employment and boost opportunities for students in Phoenix. Recognizing the importance of ensuring that students from all backgrounds have access to career paths in fields such as information technology, cybersecurity, business, healthcare and advanced manufacturing, programs have been created to increase students’ success in degree and certification completion by providing a structured educational model for the Maricopa County Community College District.

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McCarthy Building Companies

The Construction Trades Institute at South Mountain Community College is supported by community partners looking to grow the trades workforce in Phoenix—where growth continues to surge and construction is in high demand. McCarthy Building Companies is a founding partner for the institute funding certifications, books, and student resources. South Mountain, Mesa Community College and Gateway have been working collaboratively to explore expansion of their programs regionally to accommodate industry demand for a skilled construction trade workforce.

PepsiCo and The PepsiCo Foundation

PepsiCo and its philanthropic arm, The PepsiCo Foundation, has awarded a $500,000 2-year grant to the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCF). The grant is part of the PepsiCo Foundation Community College Program to provide scholarship opportunities for Black and Hispanic students across the country. The Maricopa Community Colleges District (MCCCD) is one of 13 community college systems in the country to be added to this growing scholarship program.

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Helios Education Foundation

Helios Education Foundation is making new investments to improve Latino student success at colleges across in the Maricopa Community College District. The newest partnership is aimed at strengthening educational outcomes among Latino students at six Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) including GateWay Community College, Glendale Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College, Mesa Community College, Phoenix College and South Mountain Community College. This highly successful model utilizes mentors and coordinators to provide a holistic case-management approach in academic progress, degree completion, FAFSA completion, engagement, and participation towards completing a post-secondary education.

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Intel

In partnership with Intel, the Maricopa Community Colleges opened the first of its kind artificial intelligence (AI) incubation lab providing community college students in Arizona the opportunity to earn an associates degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning. In 2020, Intel launched the AI for Workforce Program across the U.S. Since then, 31 schools across 18 states have joined the program with Maricopa being the first to launch.

Microsoft Data Academy

The specialized Academy lab, equipment, and courses available at Estrella Mountain and Glendale Community Colleges will provide students with a cutting-edge, hands-on, one-of-a-kind experience. Microsoft’s investment provides scholarships for students participating in the academy, builds digital skills, and provides career pathways for students in the growing IT sector and also funds equipment at the EMCC location. The partnership comes in conjunction with Microsoft’s new data centers in Goodyear and El Mirage, near the two colleges.

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State Farm

Through a partnership with State Farm, we are expanding the technology workforce pipeline in critical national priority areas including: Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation. Students are eligible for scholarships to offset the cost of earning a degree and colleges utilize program support to host STEM/cybersecurity summer camps for high school students to inspire the next generation of talent.
State Farm’s partnership also supports workshops for parents/guardians of the Achieving A College Education (ACE) and Hoop of Learning programs. Scholarship support for Veterans, underserved and low-income students and funding for the student Emergency fund whereby students experiencing barriers to education can get financial help for gas, transportation, child-care, food needs and more.

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Venture Cafe

The Venture Café Phoenix and CEI partnership gives Arizona access to a global network and creates a weekly Thursday Gathering where a space for people of different industries, diverse backgrounds, and different views will have the opportunity to make meaningful connections, to share their expertise with others, and where all can learn. When you take part in a Venture Café event, you can meet hundreds of creative, resourceful people who are just as invested in improving life in Phoenix. Through the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, sponsors of the Thursday Gathering, connect creators, entrepreneurs, investors, coworkers, students and visionaries to build a strong, inclusive and equitable innovation ecosystem.
To learn more: https://venturecafephoenix.org/

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Verizon

One of only eight “Tech Workforce Development” grants awarded across the nation, the Verizon Foundation is working with the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation and the Maricopa Community Colleges to provide stipends to complete technology internships. Internships allow the student to gain real-world experience, develop the industry relationships that lead to employment, and to allow industry partners to “test the talent. Check out the video: https://www.flickr.com/photos/149679671@N07/50164528747/

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Wells Fargo

Advancing Entrepreneurship at the Maricopa Community Colleges focuses on uplifting economically disadvantaged and diverse-owned small businesses, as well as students of color pursuing business and entrepreneurial studies. Program provides scholarships and programming support to increase college enrollment and completion rates as well as provide funding to support business incubators, bootcamps, workshops and student pitch competitions. Small businesses can access capital, counseling and other services through the AZSBDC.

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