Make Big Impact for Big Dreams
The success of Arizona’s students is critical for our state. That’s why, in partnership with The Renaissance Foundation, Stand for Children Arizona awarded $20,000 scholarships ($5,000 per year for four years) to five students who were the first in their family to attend college.
This is your chance to be a part of ensuring academic achievement for all students in Arizona. Your support will make a huge difference!
Expand High School Success
Students who finish 9th grade on track are 3 times more likely to graduate than their off-track peers. We are working to generate a long-term sustainable funding source in addition to securing a “stop-gap” for the 2026-2027 school year. We secured a $1 million investment in 9th Grade On-Track in both the 2023 and 2024 budgets. In 2025, we secured a huge victory: $3.4 million for 9th Grade On-Track grants and getting the program codified in statute. Now, 20,000 students are benefiting from this program.
Distraction Free Schools
We’ve heard from educators, families, and students alike who are concerned about how phones are a distraction in class and lead to a variety of discipline issues during the school day. Preliminary research from Angela Duckworth shows that the further the phone is from a student, the higher a student’s GPA – whether it’s stored in lockers, Yonder pouches, or collected some other way. The most important element is that students should not have access during passing periods, recess, or lunch.
Early Childhood
A strong future for Arizona starts with investing in our youngest residents today. A child tax credit, expanded child care subsidies, supporting early learning infrastructure, and adopting paid family leave are crucial tools that help working families both afford to work and build a brighter future. Our team is committed to building statewide support for these initiatives to reduce child poverty, enhance children’s well-being, and build a stronger economy, while finding sustainable, long-term ways to fund these essential programs.
Criminal Justice Reform
A stronger and more fair criminal justice system will help Arizonans get, keep, and succeed at a second chance by ending lifetime imprisonment for juveniles and reducing the fees associated with being arrested to strengthen public safety and families. In previous years, we have led the fight to eliminate fees on constitutional due process rights and $40 million of fines and fees for 110,000 kids.
Protect Education Funding
Arizona’s public schools are among the worst funded in the nation. School funding should not be political. Despite that, an outdated 1980s era law arbitrarily caps what schools can spend even if the legislature appropriates more funding. We must ensure that school districts are not plagued by funding cuts and achieve a long-term solution to this archaic Aggregate Expenditure Limit.
Elect Early Childhood Champions
Arizona grows when families grow. But between the rising cost of child care and everyday necessities, raising a family is unaffordable for many Arizonans, By voting for Early Childhood Champions, we can make our state more affordable so that Arizonans can afford to start or grow their families.
Meet our 2026 Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholars!
UNITE FOR LITERACY!
Stand for Children believes learning to read is one the most critical skills we can teach our students. And reading at grade level by the end of third grade is perhaps the single most essential educational milestone. So we’re partnering with Unite for Literacy to provide a FREE digital library.
