The Pima JTED Foundation has awarded $250,000 through its Direct Grant program to member districts across Southern Arizona to support the growth and strength of career and technical education (CTE) programs in the industrial trades. This marks the third consecutive year of the program, bringing the Foundation’s total investment to $750,000 since 2024.
Pima JTED member districts were invited to apply for funding for equipment, trainings and other
activities that support and grow industrial trades programs, with particular emphasis on programs
serving rural and low-income students. Applications were reviewed by a selection committee with
representatives from Pima Community College, Pima JTED and a CTE director from a local school district that did not apply for funding.
2026 Direct Grant Recipients
- Ajo Unified School District – $25,000 to continue building out the construction program at Ajo High School that launched with support from last year’s grant cycle.
- Baboquivari Unified School District – $50,000 to expand capacity in its electric vehicle
automotive program and provide equipment support for its agriscience program. - Mammoth-San Manuel Unified School District – $50,000 to install a permanent shade structure at San Manuel High School, expanding usable lab space for welding, cabinetmaking, agriscience and other programs.
- Sahuarita Unified School District – $25,000 to purchase industrial equipment to support its
aircraft mechanics program at Sahuarita High School. - Tanque Verde Unified School District – $50,000 to enhance the precision manufacturing
program at Tanque Verde High School. - Vail Unified School District – $50,000 to upgrade construction equipment at Cienega High
School.
Building on Three Years of Impact
The Direct Grant program has delivered outsized results for smaller and rural districts, where a single grant can mean the difference between expanding a program and launching one from scratch. Past awards have created a computer-aided design lab at San Manuel High School, added a welding component to the agriscience program at Rio Rico High School, established a construction program to complement the architectural drafting program at Ajo High School and funded a major equipment update for the automotive program at Flowing Wells High School.
Several of this year’s recipients are building directly on earlier awards. Ajo Unified and Baboquivari Unified have each received Direct Grant funding in all three years of the program, and Ajo’s 2026 award continues the growth of a construction program that did not exist two years ago.
“Our students deserve high quality, hands-on programs that prepare them for good local careers, no matter what zip code they live in,” said Merrill Kemp-Wilcox, Executive Director of the Pima JTED Foundation, “But those programs are expensive. Over three years, we’ve seen these grants turn into real welding booths, real construction labs and real opportunities for students in communities that often have the fewest resources. We’re proud to keep that momentum going.”
“Aircraft maintenance is a highly sought-after skill set that opens doors at businesses in our community like Bombardier, MHIRJ, Ascent, or the Airforce,” said Josh Fields, CTE Director for Sahuarita Unified School District. “Those are great career options. This award will let us immediately double the capacity for students to learn electrical skills in our existing program, getting more Sahuarita students ready to walk through those doors.”
About the Pima JTED Foundation
The Pima JTED Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports and enhances the CTE
students, teachers, programs, and pathways that are served by the JTED District. Pima JTED is the public Career and Technical Education District serving 14 member public school districts and more than 30,000 students across Pima, Santa Cruz and Pinal counties. The JTED Foundation works towards a thriving southern Arizona with a robust workforce and strong economic outcomes directly fed by relevant, innovative career and technical education programs.