Education Forward Arizona recognized Arizona’s innovative education leaders and programs at a fundraising event Oct. 25 at the J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, 5402 E. Lincoln Drive.

Event Co-Chairs Chevy Humphrey, President and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and Richard Adkerson, Chairman and CEO of Freeport-McMoRan, joined Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs to kick off the second-annual event, An InspirED Evening, which brought together individuals from across the state to celebrate innovation and collaboration in education.

During the event, Education Forward Arizona honored: Tracy Bame, President of the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation and Director of Social Responsibility at Freeport-McMoRan, with a Luminary Award; Arizona Board of Regents, for its Promise Program, with a North Star Award; ALL in Education in Phoenix, for its Parent Educator Academy, with a North Star Award; and Arizona Western College in Yuma, for its Dual Enrollment Courses, with a North Star Award.

The awards were designed to acknowledge the individuals, organizations, and programs in Arizona that are making exceptional efforts to improve education in the state. Honorees were recognized for advancing the state’s education attainment goal and helping to make education after high school more accessible and affordable.

During the event, Adkerson and Bame also announced an additional investment from Freeport-McMoRan of $1.25 million to strengthen workforce development pipelines in communities in which the company operates.

“We chose Education Forward Arizona to help us create this pilot program because of their organization’s long history of delivering on their programmatic promises, and because of their deep commitment to bring businesses and educators together to increase attainment and create a highly skilled workforce,” said Adkerson. “We are thrilled to continue this work and are proud to partner with Education Forward Arizona as we move forward.”

In addition to hearing stories from each deserving award recipient, guests heard from Odalis Lopez, an Education Forward Arizona Scholar and Chevy Humphrey Women in Stem scholarship recipient. Lopez attends Arizona State University where she is pursuing a degree in Healthcare Administration and Policy. She hopes to become a doctor one day. She is part of Mayo Clinic’s Pre-Medical Scholars, which provides selected ASU pre-medical students interested in pursuing a career in medicine a multiyear program, exposing undergraduate students to all aspects of the practice of medicine.

“There is nothing more permanent than the gift of knowledge,” said Lopez. “When combining talent with opportunity and a fair shot, first-generation college students like me can contribute tremendously and fulfill our purpose in this life. We can develop ourselves to become more than a statistic. Using our education, we have everything to gain.”

Visit educationforwardarizona.org/everything-to-gain-2 for more information about Education Forward Arizona’s Everything to Gain campaign.

To make a donation to Education Forward Arizona’s mission, visit educationforwardarizona.org/engage/support-our-work.