36 JUNE 2022 By Jennifer Marshall Before the advent of antibiotics, tuberculosis raged throughout the country. Due to Arizona’s dry climate, Phoenix became a mecca for those seeking relief and a cure for the infectious disease. To help with the influx of patients, care and support, 16 female volunteers with St. Luke’s Home – a hospital that served TB patients – created The Board of Friendly Visitors in 1908. “In 1915, the organization changed its name to The Board of Visitors,” said Publicity Chairwoman Laura Westfall. “Now, we focus on raising money to serve the healthcare needs of women, children and the elderly in our community. Since its inception, we have granted over 24 million dollars to deserving nonprofits in our community.” With 50 active members and 122 associate members, The Board of Visitors is Arizona’s oldest women’s charitable organization. This past April, they held their Board of Visitors Annual Charity Ball. According to Westfall, this is Arizona’s longest-running philanthropic event, having just celebrated their 107th gala in 2022. The black-tie soiree featured high school females, called Flower Girls, escorted by their father or another date. Following their presentation, the pairs perform a waltz before an evening of dinner and dancing. “Board of Visitors is amazing because there are so many girls from different schools, and everyone can experience the events together. It was so special to be with old friends and make new ones. It was also an amazing time with my family, and it will forever be one of my favorite high school memories,” Arcadia High senior Indy Clayton said. “I was so honored to be a Flower Girl for the Board of Visitors this past year. It was such an amazing experience, and I am so grateful to have made such great memories with my family and friends,” senior Kate Erblich said. Xavier senior Sophie Kolbe is a third- generation flower girl: “I was grateful for the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of my mom and older sister in being a Flower Girl with my twin sister this year. It was a fun night for a great cause,” Sophie said. In addition to the annual ball, the Board of Visitors holds two other major yearly fundraisers: Care Card, Arizona’s largest shopping fundraiser, and their Fashion Show Luncheon. boardofvisitors.org Board of Visitors holds 107th Charity Ball Sophie, David and Anna Kolbe. Cale and Belinda “Indy” Clayton. PHOTOS: SCOTT FOUST STUDIOS By Mallory Gleich Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish they would have taught us this in high school?” Usually, the words come to mind when writing out a budget, attempting to do taxes without a professional, learning how to invest or exploring a career change. While it may be too late for adults to go back and educate their 16-year-old selves, children in kindergarten through 12th grade now have a way to learn life management skills while going to school through a program called Junior Achievement. JA is a worldwide nonprofit dedicated to teaching students topics not typically learned in school. It was founded in 1919 in New England by Theodore Vale, President of American Telephone & Telegraph, Horace Moses, president of Strathmore Paper Co. and Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts. Over 100 years ago, these three visionaries had an idea to teach kids about business and how the United States economy functioned. It was first known as The Company Program and was offered as an after-school session for high school students. With help from business mentors, students set up their own businesses and then manufactured and sold products and services. In 1957, Junior Achievement opened in Arizona, launching its first office in Tucson. A few years later, in 1975, the organization began to offer classroom programs at all grade levels. The curriculum involves financial literacy, work readiness education and entrepreneurship training. In 2001, they launched JA BizTown (located in Tempe), and JA Finance Park began in 2009. These programs reach almost 90,000 primarily low-income students in Arizona each year. “We prepare kids to succeed in work and life. Each of our 45+ programs focuses on giving kids the skills to manage their money, thrive in their future careers and think entrepreneurially,” Vice President Anne Landers said. “Our programs offer a wide range of delivery models, engagement strategies and age-appropriate content so that we can meet the diverse needs of educators today and ultimately prepare students to succeed.” JA utilizes the help of thousands of volunteers who take lessons to schools. Programs range from a one-time pop-in lesson to a series of lectures in a single day or over several weeks to semester-long programs for high schoolers. “Many know of our program through JA BizTown, one of our flagship hands-on programs for fourth-sixth graders,” Landers said. “BizTown is run by students, for students. Have you ever seen the influence of a fifth-grade mayor? It’s a sight to see!” Before visiting BizTown, students learn about the economy, having a job, personal and business finances, marketing, civic duties, financial obstacles/opportunities, leadership and responsibility. Then, they put that knowledge to the test in the 12,000 square-foot student-sized towns. JA Finance Park is geared toward middle and high school students. They are given a real-life scenario and have to apply financial lessons from the classroom to make a balanced family budget. Landers explained that there is a career exploration component, where students learn about jobs that might interest them in the future. JA also serves students in non-traditional environments, such as partner community organizations, foster care programs, youth detention centers and opportunity youth. “To put it simply, we have a dream that all kids graduate prepared to navigate adulthood better, having received at least one, if not several, JA programs along their journey in youth,” Landers said. Junior Achievement partners with more than 400 schools across the state. In the past, they’ve partnered with Echo Canyon and are currently available to students at St. Theresa Catholic School, Biltmore Prep and Ingleside Middle School. Their most recently opened program is called JA Inspire; it focuses on career exploration and readiness for teens who can connect directly with more than 100 Arizona employers and explore future career paths. “Our programs correlate to state learning standards, are turn-key for teachers and help meet the needs of students today. JA Inspire bridges the gap from the classroom learning to the real world and reinforces the expertise and content teachers are providing,” Landers said. JA plans to expand its programs to reach more than 100,000 students a year in the future. jaaz.org Empowering the future, one classroom at a time A fifth grader and parent volunteer from Pensar Academy working together at JA BizTown. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNE LANDERS