Award-Winning AAA Cares Graduates Second Year Students
Phoenix, Ariz. April 11, 2008 – Tuesday, April 15, 16 west valley students will graduate from AAA’s award-winning volunteer mentoring program, AAA Cares.
The free after school program, now completing its second year, offers students a chance to learn about basic business practices during a 20-week course. The graduation ceremony will be held at the AAA Operations Center at 5353 W. Bell Road from 5:30-8:00 p.m. and will include a presentation of the final class projects. Students will receive their diplomas and awards during the ceremony, and the two students selected for the summer internship will be announced.
“AAA Cares is about reaching out to students who may not otherwise have an opportunity to learn how to interact in a business environment,” said Kathy Rogers, director of AAA’s resource services and executive sponsor of the program. “It’s amazing to see how the students change and grow over the course of the program.”
This year, AAA Cares invited select students from both the Glendale Union and Deer Valley Unified School Districts. At the graduation ceremony, two students will be selected for a summer internship with AAA. Aspiring students are matched with workforce professionals to demonstrate how to participate successfully in a working environment.
Course lessons include collaboration and team building, business dress, oral and written communication, computer training, and interviewing skills. All students will be given laptops and trained in standard Microsoft Office software, including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
“Being involved in AAA Cares helped me see that there are other options out there,” said Justine Clure, past participant. “After completing the program, I felt more prepared when I applied for my job, and the best part was having someone to go to for advice and support. I think that students really benefit from the mentoring part of the program.” Justine was awarded the AAA Cares summer internship in 2007 and is now attending Glendale Community College and is also a full-time employee with AAA.
Last year, AAA Cares received an ASPRA*tions Award in the category of Business, Foundation, or Civic/Community Organization for Contributions to Public Education from the Arizona School Public Relations Association (ASPRA). These awards recognize standards of excellence in school public relations.
All program classes are held at the AAA Operations Center and dinner is provided. Mentors are selected from staff within AAA, and are screened by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona (BBBSAZ), which provides oversight to ensure that programs comply with BBBSAZ standards for one-to-one practice and also trains volunteers and assists with school relationships. The program has received additional support from AT&T, Cognizant, Microsoft and Oracle, who have all donated valuable resources to support this effort.
“It’s a great way for AAA to give back to the community,” said Rogers. “Every one of our employees involved sees how important AAA Cares is to the students. It’s very rewarding to see them complete the program.”
AAA Club Affiliates is a member club of AAA, with five partner clubs serving over 6 million AAA members in ten states. Partner clubs are AAA Arizona, California State Automobile Association, AAA MountainWest, AAA Oklahoma and AAA Hoosier.
###
NOTE: Media is invited to attend the AAA Cares Graduation ceremony. Please call AAA Public Affairs prior to the event to arrange interviews with students or mentors. |
