For women in the Valley ready for a fresh start, education and career training can open doors. Fresh Start Women’s Foundation is leading the way.
Founded in 1992, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation works across five key areas – Family Stability, Health & Well Being, Financial Management, Education & Training, and Careers to help women build a pathway to self-sufficiency.
While this reporting focuses on the Foundation’s education and career programs, those services represent just one part of Fresh Start’s broader support system. In the 2025 fiscal year, the organization served more than 5,400 women across its programs, with participants accessing more than 15,300 services in total.
Fresh Start partners with organizations such as East Valley Institute of Technology, Maricopa Community Colleges, and Arizona State University’s AZNEXT to provide a wide array of education and training opportunities.
“Education and career training are key drivers of long-term self-sufficiency,” Arroyo said. “By gaining in-demand skills aligned with Arizona’s fastest-growing industries … women can earn wages that allow them to support themselves and their children.
“When combined with coaching and wraparound support, education becomes a pathway to sustained economic independence rather than short-term employment.”
Women can access Fresh Start’s education and workforce training programs individually, though Adriana Arroyo, director of career, education and financial management, notes participants often succeed even more when they engage with additional support areas like family stability, health, and financial management.
For women building a pathway to self-sufficiency, gaining skills and training is a crucial step. In this realm, the Foundation offers workshops, workforce training opportunities, scholarships & funding opportunities, social work support and success coaching, as well as the Paradise Valley Community College Small Business Start-up Program.
Adriana Arroyo, Director of Career, Education and Financial Management at Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
(Fresh Start/Submitted)
Workshops
Workshops focus on personal development and accessing resources available through Fresh Start. Topics include funding opportunities, scholarship applications, succeeding as an adult learner, and developing your inner leader.
Fresh Start holds a workshop on career training and job search support once a week, which provides an overview of all Fresh Start education, career training, and workforce opportunities — helping women understand the range of programs available to determine which path best aligns with their goals.
There are also information sessions on the Helping Hands for Single Moms Scholarship held regularly throughout the year.
Through employer and education partnerships, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation connects Valley women with career and training opportunities like the Women in Finance Program, which prepares women to enter banking roles in just eight weeks.
(Fresh Start/Submitted)
Scholarships and funding opportunities
Beyond providing workshops on training and scholarship opportunities, Fresh Start also helps women access funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
Education Advisors guide eligible participants through enrolling in this federal workforce development program, which helps job-seekers gain the education and skills they need to secure employment. Through WIOA, participants can receive funding for things like tuition, career training, books, equipment and support services such as childcare or transportation.
The Fresh Start Women’s Foundation career fairs connect Arizona women with resources to further their path to self-sufficiency.
(Fresh Start/Submitted)
Workforce training opportunities
In addition to funding support, Fresh Start offers 12 free hands-on training programs, including options in banking, semiconductor manufacturing, computer technology, and automotive and diesel.
While in a career training program, participants receive personalized career support, direct connections with hiring employees, a network of other motivated women, and access to all other Fresh Start offerings across the Foundation’s five focus areas.
“Completing a program often marks a major turning point,” Arroyo said. “Women gain credentials, industry-recognized skills, and increased confidence that position them for higher-wage, more stable careers … Many Fresh Start women transition directly into employment or apprenticeships with employer partners, gaining not just a paycheck but access to career growth and long-term opportunity.”
Fresh Start’s Career Advisors play a vital role, providing resume writing support, mock interviews, job search guidance, and career development planning.
The Fresh Start Women’s Foundation career fairs connect Arizona women with resources to further their path to self-sufficiency.
(Vittoria Horne – Fresh Start/Submitted)
Social work support and success coaching
Additionally, serving as “something between a life coach and a mentor,” Fresh Start’s Social Work team provides ongoing, one-on-one support, helping women prioritize their needs, set achievable goals, track progress, tackle barriers and celebrate achievements.
“This support is especially important for women who are balancing parenting, employment, and recovery from trauma, and helps ensure they are not navigating these challenges alone as they move toward long-term economic stability,” Arroyo said.
Success coaching supports women across all areas of the Foundation’s programs, helping them stay on track and make meaningful progress toward their goals.
In the coaching program, women explore a range of personal and professional skills, including self-love, self-esteem, and self-care; setting and maintaining boundaries; establishing healthy routines and effective decision-making. Participants also focus on building safe communities, assertive communication and cultivating healthy relationships.
To support this growth and sustain accountability, women meet one-on-one with a Fresh Start coach each month to review progress toward their goals and identify areas for adjustment.
PVCC Program
For women pursuing entrepreneurship, Fresh Start offers programs such as the Paradise Valley Community College Small Business Start-Up Program and the DreamBuilder Certificate Program.
Through Fresh Start’s partnership with Paradise Valley Community College, women can earn 12 college credits in nine months. Saturday classes, held at Fresh Start, cover management, marketing, finance and business plan development.
Classes begin in September, and qualified participants may receive financial aid through Fresh Start’s Florine F. Jackson scholarship. Graduates earn a certificate of completion.
Supported by Freeport-McMoRan, the DreamBuilder Certificate is a free, 30-hour online program that introduces participants to core business concepts, from marketing and pricing to basic management. The program guides women through developing a customizable business plan they can continue refining beyond the course.
Participation in the DreamBuilder program is required to enroll in the Small Business Start-Up Program.
Through workshops, training programs, coaching and mentorship, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation continues to equip women with the tools, skills, and confidence to build a pathway to long-term self-sufficiency.
“The long-term goal is economic independence and stability,” Arroyo said. “Fresh Start aims to support women in building careers or businesses that offer living wages, growth potential, and long-term security. Beyond employment, the goal is for women to leave equipped with confidence, resilience, and the skills to adapt in a changing economy, creating a ripple effect that positively impacts their children, communities, and Arizona’s workforce.”