Western Arizona - AZPSS
Western Arizona
Welcome to Arizona's Desert Southwest
Western Arizona offers military-connected families a distinctive combination of military community, outdoor adventure, educational opportunity, agriculture, history, and Southwestern culture. Centered around Yuma and the lower Colorado River, the region is home to two important military installations: Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (MCAS Yuma) and the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG).
Yuma's location near the Colorado River and the borders of California and Mexico gives the community a character unlike anywhere else in Arizona. Military families become part of a region shaped by aviation, agriculture, military testing and training, international connections, and generations of families who call the desert Southwest home.
Outdoor recreation is part of life in Western Arizona. Families can explore the Colorado River, desert trails, Imperial Sand Dunes, nearby lakes and recreation areas, wildlife areas, historic sites, and wide-open desert landscapes. San Diego, Phoenix, Southern California, and destinations in Mexico are also within driving distance, giving families opportunities to explore the greater Southwest.
Military service is woven into the identity of the Yuma community. Arizona Purple Star Schools build upon that connection by intentionally welcoming military-connected students, supporting families during transitions and deployments, and strengthening partnerships among schools, military installations, families, and the community.
Why Military Families Enjoy Living in Western Arizona
Sunshine & Outdoor Adventure
Western Arizona's desert climate creates opportunities for outdoor recreation throughout much of the year. Families can enjoy the Colorado River, boating, fishing, hiking, off-road recreation, parks, sports, desert exploration, and nearby destinations including the Imperial Sand Dunes.
Connected School Communities
Yuma-area families have access to public district, public charter, private, online, homeschool, career and technical education, and postsecondary opportunities. Installation School Liaisons help military families understand these options and navigate educational transitions.
A Strong Military Community
MCAS Yuma and Yuma Proving Ground are important parts of the region's identity. Military members, civilian employees, veterans, Guard and Reserve members, and their families contribute to schools and communities throughout Western Arizona.
A Unique Southwestern Lifestyle
Yuma combines a close-knit community atmosphere with access to the Colorado River, desert recreation, agriculture, historic sites, local events, and convenient travel to Phoenix, San Diego, Southern California, and destinations throughout the Southwest.
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma is one of the defining institutions of Western Arizona. The installation supports Marine aviation training and operations and maintains a strong relationship with the surrounding Yuma community.
Military families stationed at MCAS Yuma live throughout the Yuma area and have access to multiple school districts, charter schools, private schools, homeschool options, youth programs, recreation, healthcare, shopping, and community resources.
The relationship between MCAS Yuma and local schools extends beyond enrollment. Installation and school partnerships help educators better understand military life while connecting military families with people and resources throughout the community.
MCAS Yuma School Liaison Support
Military families arriving at MCAS Yuma do not have to navigate a new education system alone. The MCAS Yuma School Liaison Program serves as an important connection among military families, installation leadership, schools, and community partners for PreK-12 education matters.
School Liaison Program Manager Candice Brown assists military families with educational questions and school transitions throughout the Yuma area.
School Liaison support may include:
- School enrollment and local school information
- School-choice and educational-option navigation
- PCS and student transition support
- Grade placement and credit-transfer questions
- Military Interstate Children's Compact considerations
- Special education and Section 504 navigation
- School transportation information
- Homeschool resources
- College and scholarship resources
- Connections among families, schools, commanders, and community partners
- Deployment and separation support resources
- Educational concerns affecting military-connected students
MCAS Yuma School Liaison Program
School Liaison Program Manager: Candice Brown
Phone: 928-269-5373
Email: [email protected]
Location: Building 693, 2654 Hart Street, Yuma, AZ 85365
Preparing for a School Move to Yuma
Changing schools can be one of the most significant parts of a PCS for children and teenagers. MCAS Yuma's School Liaison Program provides families with information designed specifically to make the transition into Yuma-area schools easier.
Families preparing for a move are encouraged to gather school records before leaving their current duty station, including:
- Report cards and unofficial transcripts
- Current class schedules and course descriptions
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), if applicable
- Section 504 Plans, if applicable
- Evaluations and eligibility documentation
- Immunization and health records
- Gifted education records
- Extracurricular and athletic participation information
- Graduation requirement and credit information for high school students
Families do not need to wait until they reach Yuma to begin planning for school. Connecting with the School Liaison before a PCS can help families research educational options, understand Arizona enrollment requirements, prepare school records, and identify questions before the first day of school.
Exceptional Family Member Program & Special Education Support
For families with medical, developmental, behavioral, or educational needs, relocating to a new duty station may require additional planning. The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) helps eligible military families coordinate support throughout the military life cycle and during assignment transitions.
The MCAS Yuma School Liaison can also help families understand the special education process, connect with local resources, and navigate educational concerns involving Individualized Education Programs, Section 504 Plans, evaluations, accommodations, and related services.
Preparing for a Special Education Transition
Families are encouraged to maintain a personal copy of important educational documents and communicate with both the losing and receiving school systems as early as possible.
- Current IEP or Section 504 Plan
- Most recent evaluations
- Eligibility documentation
- Progress reports
- Related-service information
- Behavior or accommodation plans
- Assistive technology information, when applicable
- Contact information for the student's current educational team
A PCS should not mean starting from zero. Bringing complete educational records and connecting with the installation School Liaison can help the receiving school understand the student's current services, strengths, accommodations, and educational needs.
More Support for MCAS Yuma Families
Marine Corps Community Services provides programs designed to help Marines and their families throughout military life. New families can connect with resources related to relocation, family readiness, childcare, youth programs, education, employment, recreation, and community integration.
Resources may include:
- Welcome Aboard and relocation assistance
- Child and Youth Programs
- School Liaison services
- Exceptional Family Member support
- Family readiness resources
- Employment and career assistance
- Personal financial resources
- Military and Family Life Counseling
- Youth activities and recreation
- Information and referral services
U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground
U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is one of the world's largest military installations and a major part of Western Arizona's military community. Located outside the City of Yuma, YPG provides the Army, Joint Services, and other partners with an exceptional environment for testing military equipment and systems under demanding desert conditions.
YPG encompasses an enormous desert testing area, yet families stationed there remain closely connected to the greater Yuma community. The installation and surrounding area provide access to schools, youth programs, recreation, family services, healthcare, and community resources.
For families new to YPG, Western Arizona offers a combination of military installation life and the amenities of the Yuma community, with the Colorado River and expansive Sonoran Desert providing a backdrop unlike most other duty stations.
Yuma Proving Ground School Liaison Support
School Liaison Program Manager Evelyn Alston supports military-connected students and families associated with Yuma Proving Ground and helps families navigate PreK-12 education and school transitions.
The School Liaison serves as a connection among the installation, military families, local schools, and community partners.
School Liaison support may include:
- School transition and PCS support
- Local school and educational-option information
- School enrollment navigation
- Military Interstate Children's Compact information
- Special education support and resources
- Deployment-cycle educational support
- Homeschool information
- Parent education resources
- School and installation communication
- Youth sponsorship and transition programs
- Connections with local schools and community resources
Yuma Proving Ground School Support Services
School Liaison Program Manager: Evelyn Alston
School Support Services: 928-328-3119
Email: [email protected]
Location: 301 C Street, Building 1105, Yuma, AZ 85365
Youth Sponsorship at Yuma Proving Ground
The Army Youth Sponsorship Program provides an additional transition resource for military-connected children and youth. The program can connect an incoming student with a peer who can help answer questions about the new school and community and provide a welcoming connection during the transition.
Youth sponsorship can help students:
- Connect with another student before or during a move
- Learn about their new school and community
- Become familiar with activities and extracurricular opportunities
- Build friendships more quickly
- Develop a stronger sense of belonging
- Reduce some of the uncertainty associated with changing schools
Students often have questions about a new school that adults cannot completely answer: Where do students sit at lunch? What activities are popular? What is the first day really like? Peer transition and youth sponsorship programs give students someone their own age who can help make the unfamiliar feel more familiar.
Special Education Support at Yuma Proving Ground
YPG School Support Services provides resources for military families with children receiving special education services. School Liaisons can help families understand educational processes, locate resources, and support continuity when students transition between school systems.
Families may also access Army-sponsored educational resources designed to help parents better understand special education requirements, Individualized Education Programs, eligibility, behavior supports, and other educational topics.
More Support for YPG Families
Yuma Proving Ground provides installation and family services to help service members and families adjust to life in Western Arizona.
Resources available on or through YPG may include:
- Child and Youth Services
- School Support Services
- Youth Sponsorship
- Newcomer information
- Military and Family Life Counseling
- Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs
- Fitness and recreation
- Education services
- Religious support
- Transition assistance
- Community and family resources
Yuma Proving Ground YPG Family & MWR
Finding Your Community in Western Arizona
A military move is more than a change of duty station. Families must find a home, select a school, establish healthcare and childcare, rebuild routines, make new friends, and learn an entirely new community.
Western Arizona's military community has an advantage: MCAS Yuma, Yuma Proving Ground, local schools, community organizations, and military families share a long history of working together.
Explore Western Arizona
Yuma
Yuma serves as the region's center for education, healthcare, shopping, dining, employment, recreation, and community activities. Families will find numerous school options and a community with longstanding connections to both MCAS Yuma and Yuma Proving Ground.
The Colorado River
The Colorado River is central to recreation and life in Western Arizona. Boating, fishing, parks, wildlife areas, camping, and water recreation provide families with opportunities to experience a very different side of Arizona's desert landscape.
The Desert Southwest
Western Arizona provides access to desert trails, Imperial Sand Dunes, historic sites, agricultural communities, wildlife areas, and destinations throughout Arizona, California, and the greater Southwest.
Education in the Yuma Community
Military-connected students in the Yuma area may attend schools across several public school districts as well as charter, private, online, and homeschool programs. High school students also have access to career and technical education and postsecondary pathways in the region.
Because educational options, attendance boundaries, transportation, programs, and student needs vary, families are encouraged to connect with their installation School Liaison when researching schools.
Purple Star Schools Make a Difference
Arizona Purple Star Schools provide another layer of support for military-connected students in Western Arizona. The designation identifies schools that have made a purposeful commitment to welcoming military-connected students and creating systems that support students through mobility, deployment, separation, and reintegration.
That commitment is especially meaningful in a community such as Yuma, where military-connected students are part of the fabric of local schools and the broader community.
Purple Star Schools help strengthen connections among:
- Students
- Families
- Schools
- School Liaisons
- Military installations
- Educators and counselors
- Community organizations
- Other highly mobile students
Whether your family is arriving for an assignment at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, serving at Yuma Proving Ground, or supporting military operations elsewhere in Western Arizona, Arizona is proud to welcome you to the Jewel of the Southwest.
Military Families Strengthen Western Arizona
Military-connected students bring resilience, adaptability, leadership, diverse experiences, and perspectives shaped by communities across the nation and around the world. Their families contribute to Western Arizona as neighbors, volunteers, educators, professionals, service members, and community leaders.
Arizona Purple Star Schools are committed to ensuring those students are not simply enrolled in a new school — they are welcomed into a community.
Resource Note: Military contacts, programs, office hours, telephone numbers, and links may change. Families should confirm current information directly with the installation or agency before visiting.