The Tucson Community Conversation on Water on Oct. 26, 2007 attracted nearly 300 participants to spend virtually an entire day discussing water. The “conversation” began with informational presentations on water policy and management in Southern Arizona, but then the forum quickly moved into considering the relationship between water and growth. Experts generally agreed that Tucson has sufficient water to perhaps double its population, but there was a caution that the possibility of a decades-long drought is alarming. Read news stories and editorials about the Conversation on Water here.

The Tucson Region Literacy Initiative, sponsored by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, attracted nearly 125 Tucsonans on Nov. 13, 2007, to discuss creating a culture of literacy. Participants were told by Foundation CEO Steve Alley that illiteracy is not just an educational issue, but a community issue. “And it takes a community solution,” he added. Read the Tucson Citizen news story here.

The Tucson Community Conversation on Arts & Culture on March 12, 2008, attracted 150 participants who wanted to assure that Tucson's arts community thrives. There is "a great spirit of cooperation in this room, and a tremendous amount of passion," said Roberto Bedoya, the Tucson Pima Arts Council executive director. Read news stories and editorials about the Conversation on Arts & Culture here.

K-12 Education Recommendations: The Pima County Business and Education Roundtable is working on a follow-up meeting on K-12 education recommendations. 

Other follow-up meetings are in the planning stages. Information will be posted as the meetings are formalized.

More than 400 attend 'remarkable'  Community Conversation on Early Childhood Education 

More than 400 Southern Arizonans attended the Community Conversation on Early Childhood Education May 20, 2008 at the Tucson Convention Center.

"If we don't get early childhood education right," said Peter Likins, chairman of the Tucson Regional Town Hall, in opening comments, "then we can't get anything right." Likins encouraged participants to view the day as not the end, but the beginning, of a journey to improve early childhood education.

"This community forum is quite remarkable," said speaker Jane Henderson, a board member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. "I haven't seen anything like this." 

The fourth in a series of Town Hall follow-up meetings, the "conversation" was sponsored by United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, the Tucson Regional Town Hall, Southern Arizona Leadership Council and First Things First. 

Previous Town Hall follow-up meetings have considered water, literacy and arts and culture. More details on them are available here.

For a copy of the flyer advertising the meeting, click here.

Tucsonans strongly support early childhood education. Read the results of a Community Voices survey here.