December 2008

Apollo Celebrates the Season for a Good Cause

The University of Phoenix Family Spreads the Gift of Giving

The Holidays Make Their Way to the Cardinal’s Academy Families

Angels Brightened the Holidays in Phoenix this December

Art for a Cause! University of Phoenix Sponsors Home for the Holidays

The Cardinal’s Academy Trade in their Books for Footballs

University of Phoenix Sponsors the 39th Annual Valley Forward Luncheon

University of Phoenix and Valley of the Sun United Way Help Bring the Light Rail to Phoenix

University Services Helps Children in Need in a BIG Way

The Community Relations Department Spends an Afternoon with Seniors

Instructional Design & Development Collects Toys this December

Western Washington Campus Volunteers at Santa’s Workshop

Apollo Celebrates the Season for a Good Cause

More then 2,000 Apollo employees got into the holiday spirit this December as they attended the annual holiday party held at the J. W. Marriott in Phoenix, Arizona. However, they weren’t just there to have a good time! During the Hollywood themed evening guests enjoyed performances by impersonators Bette Milder and Dolly Parton, mingled at the various game stations and contributed to the donations of thousands of dollars to three local Phoenix charities. The event invited employees to choose between three charities that they would like Apollo to make a donation to and based on their decisions the three charities received a generous donation from Apollo Group/University of Phoenix which included a $10,000 donation to the Arizona Humane Society, a $7,000 donation to the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance and a $5,000 donation to the Phoenix Public Library.

The University of Phoenix Family Spreads the Gift of Giving

The spirit of the season filled the University of Phoenix family this year as campuses and departments company-wide went above and beyond to give back in their local communities. From food drives, to clothing drives to adopt-a-families, employees went out of their way to spread the holiday cheer to those around them.

Thank you to the campuses and departments for giving back to those less fortunate this holiday season!

Adopt-a-Family – Birmingham
Adopt-a-Family – Connecticut
Coat Drive – Reno
Fairfax-Lee Chapter of Wounded Warrior Holiday Party – Northern VA
Flager Center Adopt-a-Family – Richmond
Food and Coat Drive – Maryland
Food Bank Donation – Central and Eastern North Carolina
Food Drive – Chicago
Food Drive – NW Indiana
Gateway Battered Women’s Shelter – Denver
Gift of Reading – Washington D.C.
Gifts from Home – North Carolina
Giving the Gift of Technology – Chicago
Giving the Gift of Technology – Louisville
HandsOn Jacksonville – Visit with St. Nick
New Leaf Adopt-a-Family – Online
Reno Family Shelter Decoration Party – Reno
Salvation Army Adopt-a-Family – Wisconsin
Salvation Army Angels – Indianapolis
Salvation Army Toy Shop – Central Florida
Salvation Army Virtual Bell – St. Louis
St. Joseph’s Hospital Toy Drive – University Services
Toys for Tots – Albuquerque, El Paso/Santa Teresa, San Antonio
Toys for Tots – Wisconsin
United Way Adopt-a-Family – St. Louis
Warming-up St. Louis Blanket and Coat Drive
Women’s Shelter of NW Indiana Shoe and Coat Drive – NW Indiana

The Holidays Make Their Way to the Cardinal’s Academy Families

In the spirit of the season, holiday cheer filled the hearts of Phoenix departments this season as they went out of their way to give back in the community. During the month of December, six deserving families from the Cardinal’s Academy were adopted by departments from University of Phoenix. From fundraising through bake sales and jeans days, departments worked all hours of the day to raise money in order to provide their families with a holiday to remember.

On December 11, departments filled the University of Phoenix van with bikes, toys, gift cards, clothing, shoes, coats and more to bring to the Cardinal’s Academy. During a morning filled with tears of happiness and excitement, the families received gifts that will not only help them through the holidays but well into the New Year!

A special thank you to the departments who adopted a Cardinal’s Academy family!

Corporate Accounting & Purchasing
Facilities
Human Resources
Institute for Professional Development
Online Mountain Plains
Online Southeast

Angels Brightened the Holidays in Phoenix this December

Employees in the Phoenix area made a difference in a big way through participating in this year’s Salvation Army Christmas Angels program. Each year the Salvation Army works with local communities to provide Christmas assistance to children and families who qualify. Many of the families live at the poverty level and have special hardships, and the Salvation Army recruits the community to work to provide clothes, toys and food to their neighbors in need. Apollo Group and its subsidiaries in Phoenix, Arizona provided toys, clothes, and other presents to an astounding 500 children this holiday season! On December 3rd truckloads of gifts were collected and taken to the Salvation Army, and it was amazing to see everything together. Thank you to our Phoenix employees who made this year’s Christmas Angels campaign a huge success and truly brightened the holidays for the Angels in our community.

Art for a Cause! University of Phoenix Sponsors Home for the Holidays

This December, University of Phoenix was a part of something truly special. The company sponsored the Center for Contemporary Art Sacramento’s Home for the Holidays event in Sacramento, California. Home for the Holidays is an exhibition highlighting the creative talents of eighty homeless children from Saint John’s Shelter in Sacramento. The houses were sold during the exhibition and all proceeds benefited the St. John’s Shelter Program for Women & Children. St. John’s mission is to support homeless women with children to advance from a point of crisis to a position of self-sufficiency. Since 1985 the program has provided a safe and supportive haven to more than 23,000 women and children, and University of Phoenix is proud to partner with the Center for Contemporary Art Sacramento in an effort to help continue St. John’s mission.

The Cardinal’s Academy Trade in their Books for Footballs

The Arizona Cardinals might want to watch out for the Cardinal’s Academy students! On December 1, students from the Arizona Cardinals Preparatory Academy put down their pencils and put their passing drills to the test during the 2nd Kids Camp hosted by University of Phoenix for the season. During the hour and a half camp, Cardinal’s players Alex Shore and Jerheme Urban, accompanied by their wives who volunteer at the Academy, taught the students how to ace the game of football through a variety of non-contact football drills. Big Red was no match for the enthusiasm that filled the children as they interacted with the Cardinals and enjoyed the beautiful December afternoon!

The Kids Camps are designed to provide children ages 6-14 with the opportunity to learn non-contact skills such as passing and catching through a five-station interactive set up.

University of Phoenix Sponsors the 39th Annual Valley Forward Luncheon

The Valley Forward Association in Phoenix, Arizona brings business and civic leaders together to discuss improving the environment and livability of Valley communities. On December 18th, University of Phoenix was proud to be a sponsor of the organization’s Annual Luncheon. The event brought together local business and political leaders for an afternoon of entertainment and environmental awareness. It was a day to remember, celebrating the many great things that Valley Forward has done for the Phoenix community.

University of Phoenix and Valley of the Sun United Way Help Bring the Light Rail to Phoenix

University of Phoenix joined forces with United Way in a big way this season! The Valley of the Sun United Way was been selected as the nonprofit partner with METRO Light Rail for their grand opening schedule of events on December 27-28. As a sponsor of Valley of the Sun United Way and the METRO Light Rail grand opening celebration, University of Phoenix is actively involved in ensuring that Arizona residents and visitors have a safe, fast, and environmentally-friendly way to get around town. University of Phoenix was excited to be a part of the METRO grand opening, a project that will bring new life into the Phoenix community.

University Services Helps Children in Need in a BIG Way

University Services in Phoenix, Arizona gave back in a big way this holiday season. Stacey Clark, an Admissions Evaluator in University Services, heard about a contest hosted by local radio station KEZ 99.9. Stacey thought her department could use a little holiday cheer, so she signed her office up for the contest, through which they would collect donations for patients on the pediatrics floor of St. Joseph’s hospital. Stacey was surprised one day when the radio station called her and let her know she had won! University Services stepped up to the challenge and collected over 500 toys to donate to the hospital. In return for their donation the department won a holiday party, gifts, and a live broadcast from their location! On December 9th, Marty Manning and KEZ 99.9 came to the Riverpoint location to broadcast live and promote the toy drive. The contest and toy drive was a great way for the entire department to get involved, share some smiles, and spread cheer amongst coworkers, radio listeners, and the young patients at St. Josephs. Great job University Services!

Volunteers from the Reno Campus Decked the Halls

When employees at the Reno, Nevada campus heard that a local family shelter was in need of something festive this holiday season, three employees jumped at the chance to help out. On December 5th, volunteers from the campus went to the Reno Family Shelter to throw a Decoration party for the children staying there. Volunteers at the Decoration party baked and brought in treats, decorated, and spent time with parents and children staying at the shelter. It was a great evening for all, followed closely by the toy drop off later in the month. The campus hosted a toy drive for the shelter in hopes of making the holidays brighter for everyone there, and it was a huge success. Thank you to the Reno campus for all of your hard work making your community a brighter place!

The Community Relations Department Spends an Afternoon with Seniors

This December, the Apollo Group Community Relations Department wanted to do something special to celebrate the holidays. As a group, the team visited East Valley Senior Services at the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center in Mesa, Arizona on the 15th. The Red Mountain Senior Center is a great place for seniors to meet friends, learn something new, get fit, or play cards and games. It is an integral part of keeping the communities seniors active and engaged, and provides all kinds of social services along with fun and socializing. The Community Relations department donned paper serving hats and helped deliver lunches and holiday treats to over 300 hungry seniors at the center. It was a great experience and the volunteers made new friends, had fun, and helped out at the same time.

Instructional Design & Development Collects Toys this December

The Instructional Design & Development Department wanted to give back this holiday season. After a lot of thought, they decided to participate in a toy drive benefiting the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. They collected toys going the patients in the pediatric unit in hopes of brightening their holidays. Their goal was smiles, and their method was toys. At the end of the drive, the department had collected over 150 toys for the children at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Thank you to the Instructional Design & Development team for setting a great example and making the holidays brighter for those who need it in your community.

Western Washington Campus Volunteers at Santa’s Workshop to Bring Joy to Children Enduring Hardship

They say the holidays are for kids, however for many children, it’s sometimes the saddest time of the year where wishes are forgotten and dreams of special surprises are set aside. This year, University of Phoenix – Western Washington campus enhanced the true spirit of the holidays through the gift of sharing with these children and their families. In partnership with Forgotten Children’s Fund, a local Seattle non-profit, the Western Washington campus dedicated themselves to ensuring children who are experiencing hardship due to income, illness, injury or disability, are given the unforgettable gift of generosity this season.

Working in “Santa’s workshop,” the Western Washington campus volunteered their time and efforts to wrap thousands of gifts that boarded Santa’s sleigh for delivery on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each selected child received special gifts, clothing and warm winter clothes.