Regional Coalitions

Sonoran Alliance

Sonoran Alliance for Youth, Pima County
Marie Benson / 520.749.0147 / marie@tvecp.org

The Sonoran Alliance for Youth includes local school districts, local parks and recreation departments and private non-profits. Additionally, there are a number of retired afterschool professionals who still donate countless hours of their time because they’re so committed to the cause. SAY partners with the Youth Development Coalition, founded by the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, to advocate for quality out-of-school time programs in Pima County.

Get involved in the activities of the Pima County regional coalition, the Sonoran Alliance for Youth (SAY).  

Meetings are held the first Monday of each month throughout the school year.  Locations will vary; however, meeting sites will be posted on the Center’s website as they are determined.

Sonoran Alliance for Youth Awards Mini-Grants

January 2007 Mini-Grants Funded by the ArizonaCenter for Afterschool Excellence

At the 2007 SAY Conference in January, Sonoran Alliance for Youth awarded mini-grants to five PimaCounty programs for scholarships to the National AfterSchool Association Conference in Phoenix . The programs decided who to send, and scholarship winners will report back on what they learn and how they will use the information (number reflects the number of scholarships per program).

Catalina Foothills CARE Program (4)

VailSchool District (3)

Tanque Verde Extended Care Program (2)

Happy Hours (3)

MaranaParks and Recreation (2)

January 2006 Mini-Grants Funded by the Arizona School-Age Coalition

Jaime Listzwan, Happy Hours: Tool box kits for Carpentry

Vanessa Whitelaw, Happy Hours: Scrapbooking Supplies

Jennifer Enquist, CEP- Amphitheater: Digital photography and computer editing to encourage interaction with peers

Sabrina Corrie, CEP- Amphitheater: Sports for All Equipment/Acitivity Guides

Teresa Bayze, CARE - Catalina Foothills: Convection Oven

Katie Gardner, CARE - Catalina Foothills: Mosaics for building

Tori Colbert, CARE - Catalina Foothills: Adopt- a – Raptor

Marie Cline, VailCommunitySchools : Digital camera to document successes

Penny Weatherford, VailCommunitySchools : Gardening/Native Plants

Adam Alvarez, YES- Flowing Wells: Aeronautics building activities

Leigh Medina - YES- Flowing Wells - Yard Tools to Beautify Neighborhood

January 2006 Community Service Projects Funded by United Way

Mamie Spillane, PrinceElementary School : Newcomers Intervention Program - extracurricular activities for refugees

Daphne Madison, TucsonParks and Recreation: Create pottery wind chimes to hang in walking path (pre-teens and teens)

Alfonso Campos, TucsonParks and Recreation: Tile bench created and built by teen for Santa RosaNeighborhoodCenter

Liz Baechler, TucsonParks and Recreation: Park clean up, bench and plaque

January 2005 Mini-Grants Funded by the Arizona School-Age Coalition

At its annual school-age conference in January 2005, the Sonoran Alliance for Youth (SAY) awarded mini-grants to programs for special projects. Grants which were in amounts up to $250 were awarded to the following individuals/programs:

Bonnie Shaw, Arts for All: Digital Camera

Debbie Tobin, CARE (CatalinaFoothillsSchool District): Masks Around the World

Lori LaRussa, CARE (CatalinaFoothillsSchool District): DesertMuseum Visit

Angela Calderon, CARE (CatalinaFoothillsSchool District): Gardening

Tricia Wilt, El Rio Daycare: Center Area

Kira Ferguson, Small World Preschool II: Reference Books and Software

Mary Dee Miller, Tanque Verde Extended Care Program: Soft Hockey Equipment

Tara Epperson, Vail Community Services: Convection Oven and Utensils

Penny Weatherford, Vail Community Services: Cultural Activities