Arizona Academic Scholars Overview PP Presentation (2MB MS PowerPoint)

Arizona Academic Scholars Fact Sheet (112KB PDF)

Arizona Academic Scholars is an effort by area business and school volunteers to encourage students to complete challenging courses during high school that will prepare them for jobs or higher education after graduation. The Scholars Course of Study gives students the foundation they need to succeed in a technical school, community college, university, the military, or industry. With a Scholars background, a person is a more attractive job candidate and more likely to complete training or education that leads to better jobs and better pay.

Arizona Academics Scholars is a federally funded initiative of the United States Department of Education overseen by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) in Boulder, Colorado. Local endorsers include the Arizona Department of Education, the Arizona Board of Regents, Governor Janet Napolitano, the Arizona Community College System, and Arizona Business & Education Coalition.

State Scholars are high school students who have completed the Scholars Course of Study, a specific sequence of academic courses in math, science, language arts, and social studies. The Arizona Academic Scholars philosophy is based on the belief that it is better to pass an academically challenging course than to get a higher grade in an easier course.

There are currently nine communities implementing the Arizona Academic Scholars Initiative in their schools: Amphitheater, Apache Junction, Chandler, Flagstaff, Flowing Wells, Mesa, Payson, Peoria, and Snowflake. Over the past two years, over 6,000 students have received presentations and over 2,600 seniors have been recognized across the state as Arizona Academic Scholars.