Saddle up for a school choice celebration like no other. More than 500 children, parents, and educators are expected to attend a celebration of educational opportunity at Rawhide Western Town & Event Center in the beautiful Sonoran Desert on Saturday, Jan. 22. The free event is the largest event taking place in Arizona during National School Choice Week.
The Western-themed celebration will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Special guest speakers — including Choose a School President Liz Dreckman, A for Arizona CEO Emily Anne Gullickson, and motivational education speaker Curtis Zimerman — will share information and inspiring stories with families about Arizona’s K-12 school options.
Later, families can explore booths featuring community schools and organizations, from public schools to private schools to the Girl Scouts. Children can also enjoy train rides, lawn games, face painting stations, magicians, a DJ, and more.
Attendees will receive one hotdog voucher per guest and can enjoy a free s’mores station, with additional food available for purchase. The festivities will wrap up with a fireworks display for families around 7 p.m.
Families can register for the free event. The event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2022, which will feature more than 26,000 school choice events across all 50 states.
“It is essential for all students to have the opportunity to be educated at a school of their choice, to enable them to meet their needs, so that they can soar and reach their highest potential,” said Barbara Duncan, Vice President of Quality Schools at Choose a School AZ. “National School Choice Week puts the spotlight on this essential right needed for all American students.”
The Rawhide school choice celebration is planned by Choose a School Arizona, which uses social media, strategic events, and one-on-one parent outreach to help families find the best education for their children and help quality schools tell their stories and find students.
Rawhide is located at 5700 West North Loop Rd.