AYA News

63 foster youth received $150 for back-to-school shopping while putting real-world budgeting skills into action.

On August 1, Aspiring Youth Academy joined the Phoenix 20-30 Club, Arizonans for Children, Fostering Heroes, and Boys & Girls Clubs for a special Back-to-School Shopping Event at Kohl’s.

From 7:00–9:00 a.m., young people had the opportunity to shop for new clothes and back-to-school essentials while connecting with caring adults and practicing skills they can carry with them far beyond the start of the school year.

63 Foster Youth Supported

This year’s event served 63 foster youth between the ages of 12 and 18, with the majority of participants between ages 14 and 17.

Thanks to the generosity of the Phoenix 20-30 Club, each foster youth received a $150 Kohl’s gift card to purchase the clothing and essentials they needed for the new school year.

The broader event also welcomed 50+ younger students from Boys & Girls Clubs, bringing the total number of young people supported through the morning’s activities to more than 110 youth.

Turning Back-to-School Shopping Into a Financial Literacy Experience

For AYA and Fostering Heroes, the event was also an opportunity to turn an everyday experience into a real-world financial literacy lesson.

Before and during their shopping experience, foster youth participated in a budgeting activity designed to help them think intentionally about how they would use their $150.

Students had the opportunity to practice skills including budgeting, comparing prices, prioritizing needs and wants, making trade-offs, and stretching a limited amount of money.

Instead of simply talking about budgeting in a classroom, students were able to immediately put those skills into action with real money and real purchasing decisions.

Collaboration Made It Possible

This event was truly a community effort.

The Phoenix 20-30 Club provided the generous shopping funds that made the experience possible. Arizonans for Children helped invite foster youth and families and supported check-in and check-out throughout the morning. Aspiring Youth Academy invited participants, coordinated volunteer support, and partnered with Fostering Heroes to lead the financial literacy and budgeting experience.

Together, our partners helped create a morning where young people could begin the school year with new clothes, greater confidence, and another opportunity to practice making decisions for their futures.

Thank You to Our Sponsors & Partners!

A huge THANK YOU to the Phoenix 20-30 Club for investing so generously in Arizona youth and making the back-to-school shopping experience possible, and to Arizonans for Children, Fostering Heroes, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, Kohl’s, and all of the sponsors, volunteers and supporters who helped make the morning a success.

When organizations come together around young people, we can provide more than resources, we can create experiences that help youth feel supported, capable, connected, and prepared for what comes next.

We are grateful to everyone who helped us send these students into the new school year ready to succeed!