#EducateAZ Frequently Asked Questions:
We get a lot of questions, and hopefully we have answered them below. If not, please feel free to email us: [email protected]. These FAQs are under development, so please check back or email us if your question is not addressed below.
What is #EducateAZ?
#EducateAZ has been most commonly used to support various education-related initiatives. Our intent is to make the hashtag the most prominent hashtag for many people within the education ecosystem. #EducateAZ is not a non-profit, or a startup, or a movement and, to be honest, it isn’t even the point. Building Arizona’s education community and economy is the point. Making Arizona a better place to live for our children and our children’s children is the point. Taking pride in our cities and state is the point. #EducateAZ is just one of many vehicles to help focus us on the points that actually matter.
What is the Mission and Vision of #EducateAZ?
#EducateAZ seeks to elevate students in Arizona by connecting, showcasing, and unifying educators and their supporters. We do this 3 ways:
- The #EducateAZ hashtag unifies and amplifies the positive things happening in education across Arizona.
- The #EducateAZ Conference is the most interactive and positive convening of educators and their supporters in Arizona.
- The #EducateAZ Award invests in the ideas that elevate the student experience across Arizona.
Who is in charge of #EducateAZ?
Members and supporters of Arizona’s education community run this website, put on the #EducateAZ Conference every year, and make sure the #EducateAZ hashtag is used in accordance with the community-sourced Mission, Vision, and Values listed on this website. A list of our current volunteers will be found on the About Us page (coming soon).
How were the #EducateAZ Mission, Vision, and Values created?
In early 2017, several members of our education, business, non-profit, and philanthropic communities got together to determine what sorts of grassroots work could be done to affect positive outcomes for Arizona students.While the list of difficulties was long, every member agreed a place to convene, discuss, and lead efforts to improve Arizona’s educational system was needed – both on-line and off-line. The #EducateAZ hashtag had been used in several previous efforts to support education on social media, so we thought it made sense to keep utilizing the hashtag. At the same time, it was recognized that the technological revolution is well under way (and accelerating) so by utilizing best practices and methods for innovation we could affect the classroom experience and leverage several existing community partners to support education innovators – and the #EducateAZ Award was born.
As discussions evolved it made sense to do exactly what we were doing in meetings and coffee shops throughout the state: let’s get everyone together once a year to focus on the great things that are happening in Arizona – and double down on each one of those.
As discussions evolved and the #EducateAZ Steering Committee was built, we reached out to numerous members of the education community and asked for their feedback to help us build the Mission, Vision, and Values – a common practice in non-profit and philanthropic communities. With the help of Social Venture Partners, Ideas Collide, and the #EducateAZ Steering Committee the Mission, Vision, and Values were adopted in 2017.
Is #EducateAZ a political organization?
No. Our partners are non-political organizations that are looking to support the existing, working solutions in the community and are looking to promote individuals and organizations that have working solutions. While many of the topics we encounter can become politicized and we do ask politicians to support our Mission, we do not endorse candidates, we do not support or donate to political action committees, and we do not support or donate to individual political candidates or elected officials.
Occasionally, we may share an opinion from a Partner or Sponsor, or one of their affiliates, via our social media accounts or blog posts with the intent of elevating the discussion towards working solutions for the students of Arizona.
#EducateAZ supports all Arizona public schools, charter schools, and private schools, along with their teachers and administrators, that are striving to meet the goals of the Arizona Education Progress Meter.
Who are Social Venture Partners and how are they Affiliated?
Social Venture Partners (SVP) is an international network of engaged philanthropists who invest time, money, and professional expertise in nonprofits, education and social entrepreneurs. Their mission is to build the capacity of their Investees and strengthen their impact to create sustainable outcomes and positive social change.
SVP Arizona (SVPAZ) cultivates effective philanthropists, strengthens nonprofits, and invests in collaborative solutions – building powerful relationships to tackle our desert community’s social challenges.
Several of SVPAZ’s members are focused on education and have volunteered their time and talents to #EducateAZ. Also, for the 2018 #EducateAZ Conference, SVPAZ has graciously provided fiscal sponsorship to make the event tax-deductible to our Sponsors and Vendors.
Also, SVPAZ has taken on the #EducateAZ Award initiative in 2018, calling it Ed Pitch. More information can be found here. Applications are due on Monday, January 8, 2018.
To learn more about Social Venture Partners of Arizona, please go to: http://www.socialventurepartners.org/arizona/.
What is Ed Pitch?
Ed Pitch is a pitch event and award, organized by Social Venture Partners of Arizona (SVPAZ), to be held on Tuesday March 20, 2018.
#EducateAZ relies of collaborators and partners to support its Mission and Vision. Because SVPAZ had incredible success and experience with their Fast Pitch program in the past, it made sense for them to get involved in the #EducateAZ Award initiative, and Ed Pitch was born.
The 2018 Ed Pitch winners will be showcased at the 2018 #EducateAZ Conference. More information on Ed Pitch can be found here.
What are the Agenda, Speakers, and Registration details for the #EducateAZ Conference?
Agenda, Speakers, and Registration details are listed on the educatearizona.com front page and navigation menus, and an Overview is here: https://educatearizona.com/connectinspire-conference/. To obtain a conference registration code, email [email protected].
How do I get involved in the #EducateAZ Conference as a Sponsor or Vendor?
The #EducateAZ Packet contains the information and contact info you will need. Simply email [email protected] to sign up, or with any further questions, and someone from our team will respond to you as soon as possible.