Helios Education Foundation - Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits

Helios Education Foundation
Julie Norwood, Program Specialist,
Community Impact Center of Excellence
December 3, 2013
About Helios Education
Foundation
• Created through the sale of Southwest Student
Services, a student loan services company
• Established in 2004
• Philanthropic organization focused exclusively on
education
• Serves Arizona and Florida
• More than $130 million invested in educationrelated programs and initiatives across the two
states
Mission
To enrich the lives of individuals in Arizona
and Florida by creating opportunities for
success in postsecondary education.
Our Focus
• Early Childhood Education
• Transition Years
• Postsecondary Success
Helios’ Education Impact
Continuum
Early Childhood
Education
Children enter school
ready to succeed
Pre-Kindergarten
Transition Years
Youth successfully transition
and graduate prepared
Elementary
School
Middle
School
High School
School
Postsecondary
Success
Young adults
complete
postsecondary
education
Higher Education and
Vocational Training
Adults are equipped with skills and knowledge to compete
in a global economy and enjoy improved quality of life
Early Childhood
Education
Ensuring children, ages birth to 5, enter school
prepared to learn and succeed.
– Improving early childhood teacher quality
– Integrating emergent literacy and language
curriculum into postsecondary programs
– Bridging early childhood and K-3 education
Transition Years
Helping youth stay in school, transition
between the various stages of education
and graduate academically prepared for
postsecondary education.
• Emphasis on STEM education and quality STEM
educators
• Foster students’ personal growth, character
development and college readiness
• Improve family and community engagement
in student success
Postsecondary
Success
Providing young adults with the financial, academic
and personal support they need to succeed in
postsecondary education.
– Increase access for underserved populations
– Create a pipeline of students and educators
focused on STEM education
– Cultivate early childhood education teachers and
practitioners
Partnering with Helios
Education Foundation
• Our approach to impacting education is different:
– Educating
– Partnering
– Leading
– Investing
– Convening
– Engaging
Helios Education Foundation accepts only
solicited requests for funding.
Ready Now Yuma: A Demonstration
of a Whole District Transformation
A bold new initiative that is working to ensure every
student in YUHSD graduates prepared to succeed in
college and career.
• Graduating every YUHSD student prepared to
succeed in college and career;
• Embedding a college-going culture within YUHSD;
• Increasing the number of YUHSD students
entering and succeeding in postsecondary
education.
Early Literacy Collaborative
Helios funded, community solution action plans to
address literacy challenges such as school
readiness, summer learning loss and chronic
school absenteeism.
Tucson
Questions