Outreach

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The Foster Care Summit on Thursday at Grand Canyon University offered networking among child welfare professionals in Arizona to find and share resources for their important work. Arizona first lady Angela Ducey and Director of Arizona Department of Child Safety Mike Faust joined GCU leaders, such as Dr. Sherman Elliott, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), and Dr. Kathleen Downey, Assistant Dean of Behavioral Health in CHSS, in leading the group toward solutions to challenges of children in foster care. GCU faculty and alumni were well represented, including Dr. Carlton Huff, Makisha Gunty and Dr. Julie Orme of CHSS, and 1976 alum Dr. Carlian Dawson, a board member of the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation.

A diverse group of child welfare professionals from across Arizona tackled goals to improve foster care in Arizona on Thursday at the Foster Care Summit at GCU. Arizona first lady Angela Ducey and Director of the Department of Child Safety Mike Faust challenged the group, with representatives from nonprofits, churches and government agencies, to place more children with kin. ““The state does not make good parents,” Ducey said.

This week’s announcement of changes at the top of GCU’s academic leadership was a continuation of the big news across campus during the 2021-22 academic year. The GCU CityServe warehouse got up and running (and running and running), the L.O.P.E.S. Academy at the Cardon Center celebrated a productive first year, the Fostering Futures Scholarships for foster children were announced, and the makeup Commencements last fall were well received and well attended. Through it all, there was one consistent theme for students: They turned out in big numbers for campus events.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU Magazine Grand Canyon University students practiced their faith in huge numbers during the 2021-22 academic year at on-campus worship services such as Chapel and The Gathering, in the new spiritual formation workshops and in nearby churches, such as New City Church, where some of them also were baptized. Here’s the story.

Remember the last big-name public concerts in GCU Arena? They were in late September and early October of 2019, when first Lauren Daigle and then Newsboys performed there. For King & Country arrives Thursday for the first post-pandemic show, and it’s sold out. The Christian group is expected to play a stunning rendition of “Little Drummer Boy” that it filmed at GCU in its last visit.

Churches all over the Valley have benefited from the presence of GCU students eager to practice their faith. The lead pastors at New City Church and Living Streams Church say it’s heartening for older members of their congregations who are bombarded with news stories declaring that young people no longer care about going to church. Worship also is going strong on campus with Chapel, The Gathering, Sanctuary and the new spiritual formation workshops.

Cassidy Alexander’s people skills and tenacity earned her the opportunity to be the student speaker in the Friday afternoon ceremony of Spring Commencement. She likes being on campus so much, she’s going to continue working in the Canyon Ventures Center. “I really like the community here. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” she said.

Chloe Childerston has experienced a lot more chaos than the average graduate. Maybe that’s to be expected when your chosen field is to be a missionary and you travel abroad a lot. But the way she has handled her adventures is a lesson for anyone who has faced some challenges — or gone on a trip where everything seemed to go wrong.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau Twenty-two students were surprised Tuesday with the news that they had earned Grand Canyon University’s Students Inspiring Students scholarship. It was the second round of announcements this spring. Here’s the story.  

Gilberto Alvarez Jr. pushed his aunt in her wheelchair into the classroom, opened a congratulations letter and rolled right into a bright future. Alvarez won a Students Inspiring Students scholarship on Tuesday, one of 22 to be surprised with the news in the second round of announcements this spring. Alvarez is his aunt’s caretaker, and she was very proud. “It’s big for us, really big for us,” he said.