(Phoenix) – Arizona-based real estate investment and development company Harvard Investments at its newest community, Cadence at Gateway (http://cadenceaz.com/) and East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), are launching a 12-month program that provides EVIT high school students unprecedented exposure to, and understanding of the entire process for building a large scale, master-planned community. The program launches Fall 2016 and will be the first of its kind in the nation allowing students to track Cadence’s development as it happens – from groundbreaking to doors opening.

“Our intent is that when a student completes this 12-month study, she or he will have unprecedented knowledge about each step in building a community that will serve 1,700 families as well as businesses, schools, retail and more,” said Craig Krumwiede, president of Harvard Investments. “It puts a young person that much closer to understanding career options within this great industry.  It provides first-hand access to watching a community be built - linking them to the best professionals in the industry and encouraging next steps in their career path.”

The partnership will impact nearly 100 local high school students in the construction, engineering and design programs at EVIT, one of Arizona’s most successful career and technical high schools. The in-depth curriculum includes what a developer considers in identifying viable land, assemblage and acquisition, working with government entities on zoning entitlements, financing, buyer research, land planning, architecture, interior space planning and design, home building, branding and project marketing, and how it all fits together from 30,000 feet.

“We have strong partners in this industry and one of the most successful construction programs in the state,” said EVIT Superintendent Sally Downey. “But the opportunity for students to see the inside workings of developing a large master-planned community from start to finish is unprecedented. Their outcomes will be knowledge, experience and a better understanding of the many partners and pieces that it takes to create something of this magnitude. We believe it will help them identify which aspects resonate with them, better guiding career choices. It’s  very exciting for us at EVIT. We are gratified that Harvard Investments and its partners will invest such significant time into our students’ education.

EVIT students will attend a classroom based, interactive lecture series with industry leaders such as award-winning land planner and landscape architect Wendell Pickett of Greey/Pickett, architect Bing Hu of H&S International, Silverfern executive and land development expert John Fortini, interior designer Kim Anderson and Claudia Sieb of The Sieb Organization for branding and marketing. There will also be hands-on field trips to the project site. It is hoped this exposure will open up opportunities for students’ to seek summer internships and potentially future employment in the industry.

“What better way to invest in our community than through the education and partnership of local students who have the affinity and aptitude to positively impact our industry in the future," said Craig Krumwiede. “Training high-school students and then retaining our talented youth through exciting career opportunities and valuable mentorship is the right thing to do from a community and economic standpoint, and speaks to Harvard Investment’s larger commitment to the region.”

Find out more about Cadence at Gateway and what makes it the premier residential project in Arizona by visiting (http://cadenceaz.com/) Or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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About Harvard Investments

Harvard Investments, Inc. is a real estate investment and development company with real estate holdings throughout the western United States. Harvard combines experience, integrity, and financial stability to create high quality, environmentally sensitive, profitable communities. Harvard’s Canadian parent, the Hill Companies, is a privately held diversified company involved in real estate development, oil and gas production and distribution, broadcasting, surety bonding, and life insurance. The Hill Companies celebrated its 100th year of continuous family ownership and operation in 2003. To learn more visit http://www.harvardinvestments.com/.

About East Valley Institute of Technology

The East Valley Institute of Technology offers about 40 CTE programs tuition-free for high school students who reside in 10 East Valley districts – Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Higley, Apache Junction, Fountain Hills, Queen Creek and J.O. Combs. Students spend a half-day at EVIT and a half-day at their high school. School districts provide transportation to EVIT for most students.

EVIT students have a 96 percent high school graduation rate, two out of three go on to college; and 87 percent are in jobs, college or the military within one year of completing their CTE training. In 2015, EVIT was named an A+ School of Excellence by the Arizona Educational Foundation, and readers of the East Valley Tribune voted EVIT as Best Public School in Mesa. To learn more visit http://www.evit.com.

Websites Referenced in this Document

1.     http://cadenceaz.com/

2.     http://www.harvardinvestments.com/

3.     http://www.evit.com/