Explore Class 4 Has Officially Launched!

Class 4 of VL’s Explore program has officially launched! The first program day is always a joyful and fun experience, bringing together the cohort for the first time, learning about Arizona’s history and water, and engaging in some nontraditional team-building experiences while learning more details about what to expect throughout the program.

This year’s cohort is made up of 12 individuals representing various industries and backgrounds. Watching the group discuss and share their expectations for how they will engage as they travel and learn together demonstrated that there is an easy alignment in the values of open-mindedness, curiosity, and kindness. The class agreements were a great start to the day and showed that the group is ready to travel to new places and learn from leadership across the state.

We were honored to have multiple speakers join us for the day. Marshall Shore, the Hip Historian, shared a unique perspective on history with little known tidbits about Arizona. We then were joined by Dorian Lenz from the Neighborhood Comedy Theater, who led the group in a series of improv games that highlighted leadership, listening, and interconnection. Finally, we were joined by Sarah Porter from ASU Kyl Center for Water Policy. Sarah shared extensive information about water policy, challenges, myths, and facts in Arizona. We were then joined by Terry Goddard, president of the Central Arizona Project Water Conservation District Board, who shared his experience and insight into water issues within the state.

The program day concluded with an overview of the program themes and five dimensions, elements that were developed to ensure the program experiences run smoothly and intentionally with a shared understanding and outcomes for the participants. We will head to Yuma and San Luis for the first travel experience in April and look forward to growing our knowledge with our fourth class of Explore!

Meet all of our Foundations Day partners: