OUR EVENTS
In addition to our after-school programs, our year is full of wonderful and wide-ranging events that support our students and their families on their educational journeys.
BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE
Every August, we host a Back-to-School Drive to collect school supplies from the community and local organizations to support the families of Wakefield, C.E. Rose, Hollinger and Pueblo High School students. Check our social media for information on supplies needed for donation and drop-off locations.
THE LAPAN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
The Lapan Leadership Summit is a 3-day workshop designed to prepare our rising freshmen for college. Culminating with a showcase & mixer with the local business community, students emerge with essential knowledge, business connections and a wealth of resourcing to help navigate unique challenges first-generation, low-income students encounter in college. See the Lapan Sunshine Foundation website for more information.
OPEN HOUSE
Bi-annually in October, we invite the public to the LC3 Clubhouse for tours of our facilities and garden, and to learn more about our programs and our founder, Patricia Lapan. Listen to live music from our Lapan Rock Band, view art from the Lapan Art program students and meet and mingle with our Lapan alumni.
THANKSGIVING DRIVE
Each November, we create over 150 boxes full of ingredients to make a Thanksgiving meal for our families in need. Many of our students’ families reside in an extremely low-income area of Tucson, with a 96% Hispanic population and a median income for a family of 4 of just $12,280. We are grateful to be able to provide them with some sustenance during the holiday season.
The Lapan College & Career Club accepts donations of non-perishable items such as boxed stuffing, potatoes, canned veggies and jars of gravy.
CHRISTMAS DRIVE
Our December Christmas Drive follows on the heels of our Thanksgiving Drive to support our families in need during the holidays. We have collected over 800 toys from partners like Angel Charity Foundation and MVP Mortgage so that our students can wake up Christmas morning with a gift from Santa.
The Lapan College & Career Club accepts donations of toys, electronics, school necessities, clothing and home goods, for all ages ranging from 1st grade to college students.
COLLEGE ESSAY WORKSHOP
Every spring semester, the Lapan College & Career Club is joined by a top-level coach from the College Essay Guy for a 3 and a ½-day workshop where students develop a first draft of their college personal statements alongside a team of essay coaches. It is a truly transformative process for students and coaches alike, and students often surprise themselves with how inspired they are by words they’ve written during the weekend.
PROM DRIVE
Recognizing formal attire can be prohibitively expensive for our students, the Lapan College & Career Club has collected over 200 formal/cocktail dresses from the Tucson community so Lapan students can look and feel incredible on Prom night. On the day of the event, students pick out a dress, shoes, jewelry and accessories for their special day while getting hair and makeup tips and tricks from professional experts. Students are also entered to win raffle prizes for free hair, nail, makeup and beauty services. Lunch is provided.
The Lapan College & Career Club accepts donations for dresses, shoes, accessories, raffle prizes and monetary donations for food.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TRIP
Junior and Senior students interested in attending ASU are invited to join the LC3’s overnight trip to Tempe for 2 days of campus tours, academic advising, introductions to clubs and a Q&A with Lapan alumni attending ASU for college. Students are treated to an ASU Softball game, a meet & greet with the team and a “Life Post-High School” seminar with Tempe City Councilwoman Arlene Chin. We have found that our students who attend school outside the Tucson city limits develop a greater sense of independence and are more likely to graduate college; the ASU trip helps interested students alleviate their fears of leaving home and ease them in their college transition.
TOP 50 PARTY
A tradition started by Nana Pat, the Top 50 8th-grade students are invited to take the day off school to celebrate their accomplishments, with food, music, games, a water attraction and prizes. Each student is presented with a Certificate of Excellence with the amount of Lapan money they earned during middle school. The Top 50 are determined based on GPA, grades and Lapan money earned. It is a fun day we all look forward to and a grand, historic Lapan tradition.
