The second year of VL’s Explore class has wrapped! The Class 2 Explore cohort gathered in mid June for a final reflection of the program and a celebratory dinner. The day was designed to create space for the group to get creative and connect over the shared experiences.
Explore’s final journey took the class from Flagstaff to Hard Rock, to Monument Valley and back down through Cameron Trading Post; 776 miles and over 13 hours of driving to visit just a few of the many assets that Navajo Nation has to offer. Read more about their final trip.
Explore Class 2 took the program’s 5th trip to Buckeye last week to learn more about economic development, local small business entrepreneurship, and all things sustainability.
Explore Class 2 recently traveled to Mesa, where participants had the chance to learn about the community’s focus on arts and culture, affordable housing efforts, economic development and immersive media experiences at the ASU MIX Center!
Explore Class 2 took the program’s first trip to South Phoenix last week for a day of farming and learning about the city’s education structures, economic development, and broad community outreach.
Explore’s second trip spent two days in Ambos Nogales (Spanish for “both Nogales”), which refers to the two cities with the same name: Nogales, Arizona, United States, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
Daisy Talavera, Valley Leadership’s new Director of Strategic Learning, dives into her experience with Explore Class 2 and their trip to Yuma! She describes learning about Yuma’s thriving agriculture industry, focus on education, widespread immigration and water issues, and community-oriented values.
Explore is the second of VL’s reimagined leadership development programs that will
Explore takes participants out of their comfort zones to get to know the great diversity of the state and how our most pressing issues show up in rural, urban, suburban and Native communities. If you are a VL Alumni with a passion for forging connections while experiencing Arizona’s many diverse communities, this program is for you! Learn more about what participants can expect.
National Native American Heritage Month starts on November 1st. It is a celebration of the resilience and achievements of the Native community. Listen to our conversation with Germaine Simonson, owner of Rocky Ridge Gas and Market in Navajo Nation, to learn more.
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