Summer of Success

First African American Female Elected to Panama City Commission

Janice Lucas, LEAD Coalition Executive Director, made history by becoming the first African American female elected to the Panama City Commission. For Janice, it was the fulfillment of a personal goal, to be able to support the growth and development of her community and Panama City. She represents Ward 2 on the City Commission, an area primed for development including improvements in housing, growth in small businesses, and youth development programs.

In her current role as Executive Director, LEAD Coalition has developed programs to address these needs. LEAD hosts several Home Buyer’s events including an annual Home Buyer’s Seminar and Glenwoodopoly, an event that brings together financial institutions, real estate managers, builders, and other vendors in the homeownership space.

Small Business owners can participate in the Cornerstone Business Program designed to give business owners information on developing a business plan, marketing, finance, and accounting, the basics of running a successful business. Participants can also apply for a $5,000 loan to help with their business costs.

Through E-Sports and Steam Team, youth in our community have an opportunity to advance their learnings and creativity funded by LEAD.

Janice will bring the same energy and drive to Ward 2 and Panama City in her new role.

Congratulations Janice on your accomplishment!

New & Improved

Online Community Calendar

Are you planning a community event and looking for a way to share it with a large local audience? Add your event to our NEW & IMPROVED Online Community Calendar! If you have any questions about submitting your event, please email marketing@leadabetterlife.org

Summer Learning: ESPORTS Minecraft and Google Slides Certification

By Amber Payton

Through the two ESPORTS weekly Summer camps held in June, 15 students and young adults earned Google Slides Certification. The Florida State University Assent Program and the LEAD Coalition offered the program that combined gaming with learning for teens aged 13 to 19. The goal was to get children and young adults to get certified in Google slides while still having fun gaming.

Bay High Sophomore Angelisha Dudley scored the highest 935 out of 1000 points, a score higher than most students and teachers who take the test.

In this workshop, students worked on team-building skills, social bonds, and how gaming can be applied to everyday life and work. Bay District Schools teacher Chris Johnson used a structured curriculum for the Google Certification and worked with FSU Technology students who provided support for the Minecraft Program students used as the source of their Slides presentations. The students learned how to back up data, organization of files and the importance of renaming files for organization, learning to enhance presentations with animations, transitions, inserting pictures, tables, charts, shapes, etc. Students also learned how to insert videos as references to the topic of the presentations for footnotes and Site references.

At the end of the four-day sessions, the students traveled to FSU PC Campus to take the Google certification test. The test is based on a scale from 0 -1000. The students that passed were mailed their certificates, sealed and signed by the TOSA program. We showed our students that the community is here for them and supports them in everything that they do. We wanted them to excel in school and remember them to dream big in whatever they want to do in life. The goal was achieved and The LEAD Coalition mission was accomplished. Working collaboratively with the Florida State Assent Program, the Panama City Quality of Life Department, the Ginger Littleton Youth Development Fund, and Bay District Schools We built trust with our students and parents, we increased their safety by letting them know this was a safe place to learn and grow, and we are restoring the neighborhoods but increasing the job security for all jobs.  

Our latest Youth Development Program is aimed at fostering the development of young people. Through a partnership with the Panama City Housing Authority, FSU PC's Ascent Program, and the Panama City Quality of Life Department, the first ESports Camp was held at Daffin Park during Spring Break.

The participants, who spent the break playing Minecraft, were introduced to construction materials used to create structures and given a chance to familiarize themselves with technology through the educational edition of Minecraft.

From left to right: Sanaa Miller (2nd Place), Jayce Kretzer (Judges' Choice), David Hamm (3rd Place), Elijah Smith (1st Place), Mikeviah Mitchell (Judges' Choice).

The LEAD staff is happy to report that our 2023 STEAM Team program launched successfully. Thanks to the community leaders who volunteered to help us review the students’ applications and other written requirements to select our program finalists. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Students are selected based on their desire to participate in the program and take advantage of the learning opportunities.

LEAD partnered with Ginger Littleton, former Bay District Schools Board Member, and teacher, to form the Ginger Littleton Youth Foundation. The goal of this partnership is to provide opportunities for our underserved youth in the community. LEAD’s STEAM Team program gives students and parents an opportunity to attend local summer camp programs funded by LEAD and the Littleton Foundation. For an entire six weeks, the students get to learn and engage in the world of STEAM. From taking swim lessons at the Local Boys and Girls Club to Aerial Dance learning silks and aerobatics, theater classes with Kaleidoscope and learning how to sail at the St. Andrews Yacht Club, bugs and nature at The Science and Discovery Center, or learning about marine life and veterinary medicine.

This program is possible by the support we receive from the community. Thanks to company sponsors and community residents who donate $25 or more to support LEAD’s initiatives. We are grateful for every dollar we receive. If you would like to support STEAM Team, please click on the link below.

If you'd like to support the Youth Development Fund, please visit our website.

Adult Vaccines

Street Outreach

The summer heat has been scorching in Bay County, but the community has come together to provide relief. With the generous support of OneGenAway – a local food distribution warehouse – we were able to distribute essential supplies such as food, water, Gatorade, and hygiene kits to those in need. Our team is grateful for the opportunity to continue providing access to various resources that make a difference in our community. In partnership with St. Andrews Episcopal Church, we also provided Propel, Gatorade, and water bottles during Thursday Night Community Dinners, which were well-received by the crowd. Additionally, we shared our supplies with local STEAM camps to help even more people beat the heat.

Volunteer Opportunities

LEAD Coalition of Bay County Weblinks