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In this edition of ConnectED:
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Coca-Cola Donates Laptops to
Take Stock in Children Students in Honor of Black History Month
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Coca-Cola laptop presentation
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Coca-Cola Beverages Florida
celebrated
Black History Month
by supporting education. The local Coca-Cola bottler donated laptops to community partners across Florida, including
10
to Hillsborough Education Foundation's Take Stock in Children program.
Through the essay-selection process, 10 students were selected to receive the laptops. "I don't have any resource to work on other than the school computer that I can use during class or when I give up eating my lunch to go to the library. Winning a laptop would not only be a benefit for me, but also for my family... my parents work picking tomatoes which doesn't bring in that much money for us to spend," said Ahtziri Reyes, a junior at Durant High School.
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| Take Stock student, Ahtziri Reyes and College Success Coach, Marimar Velaz-Rivero |
In spite of their unique challenges, these students have demonstrated an unbelievable amount of determination to succeed. Erika Higgins, a sophomore at Alonso High School said, "C
urrently, to do my homework, I walk across the street to the library where I must trust that there is an open computer or that the library is even open...last year, I took 3 full-year online classes in the span of our two-month vacation, where I had to walk to the library almost every day to complete my assignments. I'm hoping to be able to take more online classes this upcoming summer to maintain my 5.0 GPA."
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| Erika Higgins holds up her new laptop |
The laptop winners were notified last week and our College Success Coaches are excited to continue delivering them over the coming weeks. Thank you Coke Florida for helping us provide these
deserving students
like Ahtziri and Erika, the hope of a brighter future!
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Governor DeSantis Makes Major Announcements About Education During Visits to Hillsborough County Public Schools
In February, Governor Ron DeSantis visited two Hillsborough County Public Schools to make major announcements pertaining to education.
On February 1st, the Governor met with students at Tampa Bay Technical High School and spoke with them about their involvement in career and technical programs and their plans post-graduation.
Glen Wester, a junior at the school shared his experience in the welding program, "
It's preparing me for the
work-field because its giving me training in my trade... I really enjoy the program, its definitely a privilege, and I'm honored to be here.
" The governor announced his executive order to audit Florida's career and technical programs to ensure that they are truly preparing students for the current demands of the workforce.
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| Tampa Bay Tech Junior Glenn Wester III Meets Governor DeSantis |
During his second visit on February 7th, the Governor visited Armwood High School to discuss his plan for a new teacher incentive program.
"What we're trying to do is identify those teachers that are rated 'highly effective' and that are helping their schools move forward, and when they're doing that, we think that they should be rewarded," said Governor DeSantis.
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Gov. DeSantis at Armwood High School
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Hillsborough Education Foundation is a proud supporter of
workforce development and recognizes teachers as the
backbone of student achievement. We are excited to see what the future holds for our amazing students and educators!
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Your Time Can Make a Difference for Achievement Schools
Sulphur Springs Elementary students at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center
At Hillsborough Education Foundation, we are proud to support our
Achievement Schools
, and what better way to show our support than to volunteer?
On
February 26th, students from
Sulphur Springs Elementary went on a field trip to the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center in Apollo Beach. Our Chief Advancement Officer,
Mike McCollum volunteered as a chaperone and had a great time kayaking with the students! Through this activity, the class had an opportunity to learn about the biology and ecosystem of the conservation area firsthand through a fun, hands-on experience. The overwhelming majority of these students had never been kayaking or participated in activities like this before. This trip allowed them to see parts of the world that they had never been exposed to.
There are always a variety of volunteering opportunities to help fill
gaps at schools where resources may not always be readily available. If you are i
nterested in volunteering at an
Achievement School
or in the
Teaching Tools Store
, contact Samantha Gray at
[email protected] or
(813) 574-0260.
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Regional STEM Fair Winners Prepare
for the State Fair
STEM projects on display at the Tampa Convention Center
On
February 6th, HEF hosted a
VIP Preview Breakfast and
student-led tours at the
Hillsborough Regional STEM Fair. During the preview session, attendees interacted with both current and past Fair participants while getting a close-up look at several of the projects.
The Fair, sponsored in part by
Bristol-Myers Squibb consisted of
1,479 projects displayed at the Tampa Convention Center.
Maggie Parrish
, former
STEM Fair Best of Show winner
said, "
This is the future right here, and it's incredible because you walk through and you see the most incredible projects and you just know the future is bright!
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Field Day at Bristol-Myers Squibb
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On
February 28th, Bristol-Myers Squibb hosted a
STEM Field Day for Hillsborough County students who were selected from the
regional STEM Fair to advance to the
state STEM Fair. BMS employees took of their time to coach the students on their presentation skills to prepare for the state competition.
Thank you to the sponsors of the
2019 Hillsborough Region STEM Fair
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Scholastic Art & Writing Awards -
Celebrating Local Student Talent
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From left to right: Cindy Helton, Jeff Eakins, Kendra Frourp, Chloe McLeod, Tamara P. Shamburger,
Karen Perez, Kim Jowell
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On
February 28th, regional and national award-winners were honored at the
2019 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Ceremony, presented by Suncoast Credit Union. The event included a reception at the University of Tampa's Scarfone/Hartley Gallery and an award-ceremony at the Falk Theater.
One student, Chloe McLeod won a $20,000 scholarship from the University of Tampa. She stated, "
I love art because it allows me to really get into this space of focus and think about something other than the stresses in my life... the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are a big motivation for me to produce work," said Chloe.
In addition, a select group of students will participate in the national competition. These National Medalists will be announced in March 2019 and Gold Medalists will be celebrated at the National Ceremony in New York City's Carnegie Hall in June.
The art and writing pieces created by all participating students from Thursday's ceremony will be featured at the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery through
March 8th.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday.
Click here to view the full album of the event on our Facebook page.
Thank you to the sponsors of the
2019 Hillsborough Region Scholastic Art &
Writing
Awards
Presenting Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
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Change a Life - Be a Mentor for a
Student in Need
Through our
Take Stock in Children program, we pair at-risk students with caring adults who serve as positive role-models to guide them while providing a listening ear. By becoming a mentor, you can
change a life by helping a child develop values, set goals and develop a good self-esteem. Please take a moment to watch the video below to see just one of many success stories and learn more about being a mentor.
"I feel that having had such a great mentor, it motivates me to go back and be a great mentor as well since I know firsthand the benefits of having one."
- Melkevia Ivey
Just one hour of your time per week can make a LIFETIME of difference! To get matched with a student for the 2018-2019 school year, contact Anna Laird at
[email protected]
or (813)463-4283.
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Joan Torres-Lopez | Teaching Tools Store Coordinator
Responsibilities include: Going through donations and restocking the store, setting up and supervising volunteer projects, checking teachers in and out during store hours.
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Ms. Justiniano, she made up songs to teach us anything we were struggling with to make it easier for us to learn.
What was your first job?
My first job was working as a museum educator.
If you could have a super power, what would it be?
If I could have a super power, it would be teleportation.
What was your most memorable vacation?
The first time I went to Universal Orlando.
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www.educationfoundation.com
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