Team Phoenix, a youth basketball program in Ahwatukee Foothills, will have a Family Fun Movie Night and Raffle Fundraiser on Friday at the AMC Ahwatukee 24, 4915 E. Ray Road.

In the United States the average kid (age 8-18) spends 7.5 hours a day in front of a screen or on the phone. To counter sedentary living patterns, national physical activity guidelines for youth have been developed. The guidelines call for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for children and teens. The guidelines are based on the amount of physical activity necessary to promote good fitness, health, and wellness. Only 29 percent of high school students meet the 60-minute daily guideline and 14 percent don’t do any physical activity that causes them to breathe hard or that increases heart rate on any day during the week.

The Desert Visa softball team was having an easy time with Mesa on Monday after a 12-run first inning on the way to a 20-0 five-inning win.

Ahwatukee Children’s Theater

Next week, we observe Earth Day. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day has grown into an international movement whose goal is to raise awareness of the need to take action to sustain a healthy, sustainable environment. You can do your part through recycling and other measures, but you can also apply some of the lessons of Earth Day to your financial situation — and, in particular, to your approach to investing.

Traveling to countries around the world like Israel, Japan, Mexico and Taiwan, a group of Ahwatukee students have been chosen as youth ambassadors for the city of Phoenix’s Youth Ambassador Exchange program.

An evening of snazzy clothes, cocktails, art, music and fine dining could be fun for you — but crucial for some of Arizona’s struggling men, women and children.

The Arizona Board of Regents has approved tuition increases at the state’s three public universities.

Athletes of all ages have become more specialized.

Joining the ranks of other popular summer camps at the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA, a program set out to train young lifeguards is making a debut at the Y this summer.

Ahwatukee Foothills kids and parents can rejoice as a variety of summer camps and activities continue to be offered this year by area churches.

According to the Government Accountability Office, the federal government operates 50 different programs for the homeless. There are 23 programs in housing, 26 for food and nutrition, 130 for at-risk youth. They also operate an astounding 342 programs for economic development, which government is notoriously bad at anyway.

Packed into the Tempe Center for the Arts, local teachers, students and school leaders gathered Thursday night for the Excellence in Education Awards, and many in Ahwatukee came out winners.

Lane Change is practicing a new song for its set list, Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me.” The manager is coaching the vocalists on the harmonies: “This note needs to be higher.” “This part is too early.” “Let’s start from this part.” Then they start at the recognizable chorus.

With a little bit of a lull during spring break, I had a chance to get some down time and poke around about several topics.

Nothing signals warm weather like a carnival. One will be popping up at Freestone Park this weekend and will include rides, games, food trucks and a craft fair. Proceeds benefit Rise Athletics Youth Programs.

The Valley of the Sun YMCA has just completed a record year of participants in its winter sports program. This stellar year comes after the recent addition of the YMCA Adult Basketball League (YABL), and the expansion of youth sports programs late last year.

When the (Kyrene School District Governing Board) decided to go to the 68-minute class schedule (3 to 2 vote), it was justified by statistics from an outside group the former superintendent brought in. Their claim was in order to compete with other districts, the students needed more academic time.

Residents 18 years and older are invited to attend an orientation session on the city’s Blight Buster Volunteer Program from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Neighborhood Services Department’s west facility, 3325 W. Flower St.

Nicole Kazan, a 2012 graduate of Desert Vista High School and current Arizona State University freshman, has been chosen as a state finalist in the National American Miss Arizona Pageant, which will take place June 29. The winner of the pageant will receive a cash award, official crown and banner and air transportation to compete in the National Pageant in California where she will receive a tour of Hollywood and two complimentary tickets to Disneyland. Emphasis is put on the importance of developing self-confidence, learning good sportsmanship as well as setting and achieving personal goals.

Hosted for the second year at the Ahwatukee Recreation Center, the American Legion invites the community to the state finals for an oratorical speech contest on the Constitution tomorrow.

Phoenix-based PetSmart, Inc. has renewed its commitment to provide financial and material support for the Maricopa County Attorney’s K-9 Victim Support Program. Grant monies and merchandise provided by PetSmart will be used to support Sam, a specially trained service dog who provides comfort and assistance to crime victims and their families throughout the criminal justice process.

The track and field season for the Ahwatukee area tends to bring in a boatload of success stories and along with it medals galore.

Fourteen local restaurants are coming together on Saturday to help raise money for Mountain View Lutheran’s youth ministries and to give guests a taste of Ahwatukee.

Packed inside Kyrene de la Sierra’s multipurpose room, hundreds of first- through fifth-grade students raised their right hands and patted themselves on the backs and collectively said to themselves, “Good job.”