The Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth and Families (FMI) supports cutting edge, collaborative and innovative research aimed at improving the lives of children, youth and families, especially those from vulnerable and marginalized communities. FMI actively partners with community organizations, shares timely research findings with service providers and the community, and educates the next generation of engaged scholars and community leaders. The FMI mission is to build strong communities that promote family resilience so that all children and youth, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have the opportunity to thrive.
The Vision Awards were created to celebrate the legacy of Frances McClelland, who was a generous and tireless advocate for children, youth, and families, especially those experiencing adversity and injustice. Frances exemplified, supported, and celebrated resilience during her lifetime. The annual awards are given to those who share Frances’s and FMI’s vision of strong communities that support family resilience so that all children and youth, especially those who are most disadvantaged, and have the opportunity to thrive. This year, we are honoring the legacy of another visionary leader in our community, Richard Elías, a longtime community advocate and leader, who served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the FMI Advisory Council. This year, we recognized four outstanding individuals, a youth group, and a local Tucson community organization who are all working towards improving the well-being of children, youth, families, and community.
To learn more about this year's Vision Awards recipients please click here.
Award Categories:
The Frances McClelland Vision Award is given to honor a community leader who has made a lifelong commitment and significant contributions to the well-being of children, youth, and families. The community leader embodies the strength, dedication, vision and passion that Frances McClelland exhibited throughout her life. This award is for a community leader who has dedicated their life and work to helping Frances McClelland’s legacy and vision come to fruition for the people of Southern Arizona and the world.
The community leader should have at least 15 years of established commitment to Frances’ legacy and vision of improving the lives of children, youth and families in Southern Arizona and the world.
The Richard Elías Legacy Award is given to honor an individual who works with the Southern Arizona community to build resilience, work for justice, and honor the beauty and heritage for our community and for its members. This individual is a champion of our unique Sonoran desert and its people, and exemplifies many of the admirable qualities of Richard Elías: a person who is dedicated and willing to take risks, who is approachable and open to everyone in the community, and who promotes equity and opportunity. Nominations of DACA recipients are encouraged.
The Frances McClelland Youth Vision Award is given to honor a youth leader or group of leaders who are working towards improving the well-being of children, youth, families, and community. The youth embody the strength, dedication, vision and passion that Frances McClelland exhibited throughout her life and youth. This award is for a youth leader or a group of leaders who inspire hope for Arizona’s future. To learn more, please click here.
The Frances McClelland Spirit Organizational Award is given to a local organization that embodies the spirit, resilience, and legacy of Frances Helen McClelland. We are currently looking for a 501(c)3 nonprofit community organization that:
- Embodies Frances McClelland’s Spirit, Resilience, and Legacy.
- Supports and promotes community resiliency.
- Serves the community by offering support that addresses our community’s needs, specifically addressing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Basic needs, psychological needs, and self-actualization needs.
- Serves our most vulnerable community members.
- Serves our community across the life span, meaning from birth to old age and after.
About Frances McClelland
Frances Helen McClelland (1923-2005) was a business leader, community leader, and philanthropist. She was a Tucson native, the first child of Irish immigrants who founded Shamrock Dairy. A 1946 graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in accounting, Frances was stricken with polio at a young age and she grew to understand vulnerability in the lives of children and families. Committed to understanding ways to improve the lives of children and families, she believed, in particular, in human potential: that when opportunities are accessible – particularly to people who are vulnerable – all people can reach their potential for a productive future.
To learn more about Frances McClelland, please click here.
