Every Student Deserves a Strong Start: How You Can Help Phoenix Youth This Back-to-School Season 

Youth selecting essential items during our Back to School Celebration on 2025

Phoenix, AZ – May 27, 2026

As summer settles in across the Valley, families everywhere are beginning to think ahead — new routines, new teachers, new possibilities. At New Pathways for Youth, we are already looking toward the new school year and the opportunities it will bring for the young people we serve right here in Phoenix. 

Our Annual Back-to-School Drive is one of the ways we make sure those opportunities feel real and within reach for every student. 

More Than School Supplies 

For many Phoenix youth, back-to-school essentials are not a given. A new backpack, a notebook, a pair of shoes — these things might seem small, but for a student who doesn’t have them, they can make the difference between walking into a classroom feeling ready or feeling left behind. 

Students browse colorful school supplies and lunch bags during a back-to-school distribution event, selecting items to prepare for the upcoming school year.

This year, we are collecting: 

  • Backpacks 
  • Notebooks and folders 
  • Pens, pencils, and highlighters 
  • Hygiene products 
  • Water bottles
  • Gift cards for school clothing and shoes 

Your donation of school supplies helps ensure that students in our mentoring program start the year feeling confident, prepared, and supported. 

How You Can Help Phoenix Youth This School Year 

There are several ways to get involved before our one-day Back-to-School Drive event: 

  • Donate school supplies through Amazon, Target, or Walmart by July 13th and have items delivered directly to our center 
  • Share our drive with your friends, family, and network, even your company could make an internal drive. 
  • Organize supply drive at your office: Reach out to Margarita Mantussova from our Philanthropy Team, she’ll take care of all the details to make it easy for you.   

Investing in the Future of Phoenix Youth 

When our community comes together to support young people, the results are powerful:  

  • 95% of our youth graduate high school 
  • 75% of which are the first in their family to do so 
  • 80% go on to post-secondary education and training 

We know that youth in our program are building resilience, confidence, and the skills they need to thrive. A strong back-to-school season is one more building block in that journey. We are so grateful for your support in making this possible.

Thank you for investing in the future of our youth. Every backpack, every notebook, every small act of generosity sends a message to a young person that they matter.