Queen Creek Unified School District’s C.A.F.E. events, short for community and family engagement, are powerful gatherings where local businesses, faith leaders, parents, and volunteers come together with one shared goal: supporting students. These events create a space for collaboration, problem-solving, and relationship-building with school principals, ensuring that every student benefits from the strength of their community.
Mark Leonard, owner of Jeremiah’s Italian Ice of Queen Creek, described the experience as “electric.” He explained, “It is one of the few places where you could go as a business owner and a parent and be electrified by the excitement of how we can build better schools, better community, better connections for the best part of our culture, our kids.” Leonard shared how participants rallied around principals and PTOs, offering more ideas than could be used in one day. “It’s not about my business,” he emphasized. “It’s about helping one another. This is what the world needs right now.”
For community leaders like Kurt McReynolds, campus pastor at Christ Church in the Valley, C.A.F.E. is an opportunity to meet real needs. “Every time I come, it’s a great opportunity to connect with people and learn about the school,” McReynolds said. “When a principal says, ‘Here’s a big project we have,’ we can ask, ‘Can we help directly, or do we know someone who can jump in?’” He recalled a simple yet meaningful example from the day: filling a teacher resource center with snacks and beverages, a project multiple partners eagerly agreed to support.
Luis Guerrero, senior project engineer for McCarthy Building Companies, attended his first C.A.F.E. and walked away impressed. “It’s really cool how the district brings in industry and community partners to help out in building better schools,” he said. Guerrero’s team brainstormed ways to enrich Mountain Trail Academy’s new STEAM lab by introducing students to Building Information Modeling (BIM), giving them hands-on experiences in engineering and construction concepts.
At its heart, C.A.F.E. is about action. It bridges the gap between schools and the broader community, ensuring students see that countless people are invested in their success. From small acts like restocking teacher lounges to large projects like enhancing STEM education, these events show that when a community comes together, students thrive.