The first business partner breakfast (BPB) of the 2026–2027 school year was recently hosted by Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD) and was an inspiring event full of collaboration and ideas. The BPB brings together schools, local businesses, and the greater community. This quarter’s breakfast was sponsored by Grace Design Studio, a longtime partner that has helped design schools and spaces for QCUSD.
Schools receive extra support and resources through partnerships with businesses, giving students and staff more opportunities. The impact is felt directly in schools, often down to individual teachers and students.
Vitalant, a blood provider for hospitals in Maricopa County, is another business that partners with QCUSD. “One in every 10” donations from blood drives come from teenage donors, so, as spokesperson Denise DeMarco explains, “High school students are very important to the blood supply right here in Arizona.”
Vitalant supports schools that partner with them “by providing scholarship money to high schools that host blood drives. We also give money back to elementary and middle schools that host blood drives.”
Branch Manager Cheryl Mangotich from First Credit Union explains that their business supports QCUSD because they “believe in financial education for all and in supporting our communities.” Students at QCUSD obtain a strong academic foundation, and part of that foundation is strengthened through financial literacy opportunities provided through partnerships with businesses such as First Credit Union.
“We believe in helping schools and students because it is the foundation for success in the future,” says Mangotich.
Through business partnerships with companies like Trafera, QCUSD provides a Chromebook to each student. Colleen Flannery, Trafera’s chief information/technology officer, states that helping schools and students “is my passion.”
Flannery worked in public education for 28 years and explains that Trafera “believes in the same values that I did during those 28 years. We’re here to support schools with their technology purchases.”
Each business partnership is vital to QCUSD and the success of its students. Local businesses provide crucial resources and educational experiences that enrich students’ academic journeys. If you or your business has a passion for supporting the education of future generations, contact us vial email for more information.