Tempe leads education session for Arizona cities and towns

Tempe, Ariz. – For the second year, the City of Tempe will host a session at the Arizona League of Cities and Towns Conference designed to give municipalities tools for contributing to education in their communities.

“Cities and Towns: Engaging Our Schools,” will be Thursday, Aug. 21, from 8-9:30 a.m., at the Camelback Inn’s Town Hall Room. The hotel is located at 5402 E. Lincoln Drive, in Paradise Valley. Media may enter the conference free of charge, but they must register first at the conference’s Registration Desk.

Speakers at the session will be Tempe City Councilmember Onnie Shekerjian, who chaired the Council’s Education, Technology and Economic Development Committee for two years, and Andrew Moore, a Senior Fellow at the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families. A graduate of Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Moore creates programs and projects that help inspire collaboration among schools and municipalities around the country.

Following their remarks, small group discussions and a question-and-answer session will help representatives of Arizona communities discover how they can engage with local schools.

“The health and vitality of cities is directly linked to the health and vitality of our schools,” Shekerjian said. “Property values impact schools and dropout rates impact cities – and those are just two examples. We want to encourage Arizona communities to learn the tools they can use to foster strong relationships.”