Sheriff’s office hosts training
While Pasco County schools were on Spring Break, several school crossing guards and traffic control officers spent part of the week becoming FDOT Certified School Crossing Guard Trainers. The training, hosted by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, included a classroom portion, and demonstrations and practice outside at Safety Town in Shady Hills. In addition to the PSO, five other agencies were in attendance as well. The PSO also is hiring school crossing guards. For information and to apply, visit JoinPSO.com, and click on ‘Current Openings.’
Shoe drive success
Victory High School, a recovery high school in Holiday, recently hosted a shoe drive asking the community to clean out their closets to donate.
Fifty-two large garbage bags of gently used and new shoes were collected.
Victory High will receive a check from Funds2Orgs for the donations.
Student achievement
Thais Jacomassi, of Lutz, was named to the fall Dean’s List at Emerson College, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Jacomassi is majoring in writing, lit and publishing, and is a member of the Class of 2022.
AP Capstone program
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill is one of approximately 2,000 schools worldwide to implement the AP Capstone Diploma program, according to a school release.
The innovative program allows students to develop the skills that matter most for college success, such as research, collaboration and communication.
The program consists of two yearlong courses taken in sequence: AP Seminar and AP Research.
Students who score a 3 or higher in both courses, and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing, earn the AP Capstone Diploma.
Students who score a 3 or higher in both classes, but not on the additional four exams, can earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
Bishop McLaughlin will start offering AP Seminar in the fall. In this class, students choose and evaluate complex topics through multiple lenses — identify credibility and bias in sources, and develop arguments in support of a recommendation.
In the subsequent AP Research course, students design, execute, present and defend a yearlong research-based investigation on a topic of individual interest.
For information, visit BMCHS.com, or call 727-857-2600.
Need-based scholarships
Take Stock in Children, a need-based scholarship program with the Pasco Education Foundation, has announced that its application period for the 2021-2022 school year is now open to students currently in eighth grade attending Pasco County Schools.
The program is statewide, and provides scholarships, mentoring and hope, to help break the cycle of generational poverty through education.
Eligibility requirements and online applications are posted at TakeStockPasco.org or PascoEducationFoundation.org. The deadline to apply is April 15.
Selected students will be provided with a college readiness coach, a mentor, and College & Career Readiness Services.
How educated is Florida?
WalletHub has released its report on 2021’s Most & Least Educated States in America.
In order to determine the most educated states, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 18 metrics that examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps between genders and races.
Florida’s rankings are (1=Most; 25=Average):
- First: Gender Gap in Educational Attainment
- Fifth: Average University Quality
- 29th: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Holders
- 29th: Percentage of Graduate or Professional Degree Holders
- 31st: Racial Gap in Educational Attainment
- 32nd: Percentage of Associate Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults
- 33rd: Percentage of High School Diploma Holders
For a full report, visit WalletHub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075.
Child care courses
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is offering a course for child care directors to become credentialed and a course for those seeking a child care professional credential.
The Operation of an Early Childhood Center course will be offered as a remote, online class via Zoom, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., from May 17 to July 16.
The Childcare Professional Credential course will be offered as a hybrid course meeting via Zoom for 48 of the 120 class hours, on Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., from May 13 to Aug. 3. The remaining course hours will be delivered through online assignments.
Both courses are T.E.A.C.H. scholarship eligible (visit Teach-fl.org.) and Rapid Credential scholarship eligible (visit PHSC.edu/academics/job-training/scholarship).
Students need to apply as soon as possible, as T.E.A.C.H. takes six weeks to eight weeks to process, and Rapid Credential is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
To learn more about these courses, or to enroll, visit PHSC.edu/academics/continuing-education, or email .
Tuition assistance
CareerSource Tampa Bay has $4.6 million available to assist Hillsborough County youth and adults with tuition assistance scholarships to begin post-secondary training at local schools, according to a news release.
Scholarships are awarded in totals of up to $10,000 based on the program choice. Tuition assistance is awarded in the following in-demand industries: Health care, information technology, manufacturing and trades, professional services, and retail and hospitality.
The scholarships will be available to young adults ages 16 to 24 through the Young Talent Tampa Bay program, and adults age 18 and over through the Adult & Dislocated Worker program.
To be eligible to the programs, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a Hillsborough County resident
- Meet certain age requirements
- Meet U.S. citizenship or permanent resident requirements
- Be registered for the Selective Service (males only)
- Additional income eligibility applies
In addition to the scholarships, the programs also offer a designated career coach; employability skills training; financial literacy; assistance with resumes; national certifications for workplace training; limited supportive services; job placement assistance, including on-the-job training opportunities; career exploration and guidance; GED assistance (youth only); and placement assistance into Paid-Work-Experience (youth only).
Youth ages 16 to 24 can register for upcoming virtual information sessions at CareerSourceTampaBay.com/job-seekers/youth/.
Virtual sessions for those age 18 and older take place virtually every Wednesday at 10 a.m. To attend a session, email .
To apply to the Adult & Dislocated program, visit SurveyMonkey.com/r/N7QV576.
Republican scholarships
The Republican Party of Pasco Scholarship Committee is now accepting applications for Pasco County Schools’ graduating seniors, including pubic, home-schools, charter and private schools.
Graduating seniors from any Pasco County high school are eligible if they meet this criteria:
- Must be a registered or preregistered Republican
- Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA
- Complete a 650-word minimum essay on the topic: “What is the importance of conservative values for young people in today’s world?”
- Extra points will be given for club and social activities, volunteer hours and campaign participation
- Must be planning to attend an accredited community college/university or accredited vocational school in Florida
Applications can be found online at PascoGOP.org, at the individual’s high school career counselor’s office, or at the Pasco Republican Party office in Hudson.
Applications and essays must be emailed to , or to RPOP, 12043 Cobblestone Drive, Hudson, FL 34667, Attention: Sandy Graves, scholarship chair.
For information and questions, call 727-863-5400, or email .
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., April 30.
Five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in May.
