,
| CHANGE
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., May 15, 2015 –Twenty-four Phoenix-area high school students have laid the groundwork for their career success through hands-on experience in business and computer skills, thanks to a group of volunteers from CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer.
Now in its ninth year, the 17-week mentoring program offers students a supportive environment to develop business proficiency. Each session provides training in interviewing, public speaking, working with business technologies, and learning basic business skills that will allow them to make important contributions on the job.
The 2015 program graduation was May 12. Participating students received school credit for completing the program, as well as laptops, graduation certificates and awards. Some may have the opportunity for a paid internship or employment at CSAA Insurance Group.
“Watching the students grow throughout the program is amazing, and seeing them on graduation day -- applying what they’ve learned – is so inspirational,” said employee Angie Jones, co-leader of the program. “We believe the program has a positive impact on participants’ futures. We’ve followed many of our students and we’ve seen it work for nine years.”
Students currently enrolled in an alternative high school are recommended for the mentorship program through a partnership with Deer Valley and Glendale Union High School districts. Priority is given to students unlikely to have the skills offered by the program. Each student is assigned a volunteer mentor who provides technical support, as well as words of wisdom and encouragement.
Program co-founder Suzanne Eden said, “Many of our students are dealing with challenging issues in their personal lives. Both students and mentors have truly been transformed through this program.”
The mentoring program was created by IT professionals at CSAA Insurance Group. They recognized the importance of teaching young people foundational business skills. They particularly wanted to reach out to students who may be coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Mentors are screened by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona to ensure the program complies with their standards. The non-profit also trains program volunteers and works closely with participating students. AT&T, Avaya Inc., EMC, Axiom, More Direct, Nice Systems, HP, Cognizant, Microsoft and Oracle have also donated valuable resources.
CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, offers automobile, homeowners, and other personal lines of insurance to AAA members through partnerships with AAA clubs in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Founded in 1914, CSAA Insurance Group is rated A+ by A.M. Best and is one of the top 20 personal lines property casualty insurance groups in the United States according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The company was recently named to the Civic 50 -- one of the 50 most community-minded companies in America -- by Points of Light.