Education

Chalk Talk 11/04/2020

November 3, 2020 By Mary Rathman

Stitching for students and staff
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club’s Education/Libraries Committee delivered 250 hand-sewn masks to Miles and Shady Hills elementary schools, to help to protect all students and teachers. The club also donated a supply of gym shorts for the children. From left: Pat Wagner, Faith Sincich and Roseann Lange. For information about the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org, or visit its Facebook page.

Paying for college
The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will offer these free online programs:

Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m.: How to Pay for College. This workshop is for families with students planning for a higher education, and includes an overview of the Bright Futures Scholarship Program and financial aid.
Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m.: Choosing the Best Financial Fit for Your Family. This program, for teens and adults, will offer tools to help find the best fit based on a student’s aspirations and budget.

Small business webinar
Saint Leo University will present a free webinar to aid small businesses on Nov. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The webinar is entitled, “Business Re-imagined: Set Your Course for Survival with the 13-Week Cash Flow Model.”

Presenters will be Dr. C’Lamt Ho, assistant professor of accounting at Saint Leo University, and Dr. Ruediger Mueller, president and senior partner of TCMI Inc.

The program will focus on cash flow and why it is more important than profit or loss in difficult times. It will walk participants step-by-step through the construction of a cash flow model that can be used to monitor cash , as well as requirements for the near and intermediate future.

Participants also can learn how to budget tight cash resources, how to survive on existing cash and projected cash streams, when to seek additional funding, and how to obtain financing.

The 13-Week Cash Flow model is one of the most popular and commonly used tools of turnaround- and restructuring-experts today.

Small businesses and the community can attend online at tinyurl.com/y5qjpae5.

Two Good Soles a success
The fifth annual Two Good Soles Shoes and Socks Drive yielded more than 7,500 pairs of shoes and socks for kids in Pasco County schools.

A drive-thru donation event took place on Oct. 27 at Wendell Krinn Technical High School in New Port Richey.

This year’s drive resulted in 1,746 pairs of shoes and 5,773 pairs of donated socks.

Since 2016, Two Good Soles has collected 9,314 pairs of shoes and 30,510 pairs of socks, which social workers distribute to Pasco students.

New governance model
The Board of Trustees at Saint Leo University made a decision on Oct. 23 to no longer recognize the United Faculty of Florida Union at the school and approved the creation of a new, shared governance model, according to a Saint Leo University news release.

In keeping with the university’s Catholic Benedictine identity, the board made the decision in the spirit of helping the university maintain its strong values-based community, innovate, and be more agile in the fast-moving world of higher education, the release said.

“The time has come to chart a new path at Saint Leo University,” said Jeffrey Senese, university president. “We are excited about having the faculty side-by-side with us to make important decisions about academic standards, working conditions, compensation and benefits, and strategic planning.”

Under the shared governance, the university will have a guiding Faculty Handbook and will create a new faculty body with various committees, based on the interest and needs of the elected faculty and administration members.

Each committee will utilize the shared experiences of the faculty and administration to ensure equal representation.

Reach-Out Program
The Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) College Reach-Out Program (CROP) is accepting applications.

The PHSC CROP is a state-sponsored educational program established by the legislature to increase the number of low-income, educationally disadvantaged students in grades six to 12 who, upon high school graduation, are admitted to and successfully complete postsecondary education. The PHSC program serves students in Hernando and Pasco counties, and involves academic enrichment, social/behavior workshops, field trips and university residential visits.

Additional program criteria includes: students who would benefit from structured motivational programs; prospective first-generation college students; and students meeting a minimum of one, preferably two, in each category of the guidelines listed below.

Academic: Low GPA and FSA scores, dropout prevention, grade retention, expulsions and high absenteeism
Economic: Reduced or free lunch eligible; wages participant; public assistance recipient

An application for CROP is online at Equity-services.phsc.edu/programs. Click on the “Pre-Collegiate” link.

The grant program is funded by the Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education Coordination.

For information, contact Ronteryl Black at (352) 340-4809 or .

Chalk Talk 10/28/2020

October 27, 2020 By Mary Rathman

From left: Dr. Judy Moore; Eric Stommes of the American Heart Association; and physical education coach Sabrina Lucas. (Courtesy of Sabrina Lancaster)

Challenge raises more than money
The Kids Heart Challenge is an event that teaches students about the heart itself, while helping others by raising money for the American Heart Association.

The program aims to promote awareness of heart issues, and to prepare children for success through physical and emotional well-being.

Sunlake Academy of Math & Science in Lutz took part in the challenge and collected $10,858.57, more than triple the average from a charter school, for the organization.

Caught in action, third-graders Rebekah Ostojic, left, and Emilio Cervantes take part in the Kids Heart Challenge.

Hope Lancaster, left, jumps rope with Evan Littler, both third-graders, to help raise money for the American Heart Association.

Small business webinar
Saint Leo University will present a free webinar to aid small businesses on Nov. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The webinar is entitled, “Business Re-imagined: Set Your Course for Survival with the 13-Week Cash Flow Model.”

Presenters will be Dr. C’Lamt Ho, assistant professor of accounting at Saint Leo University, and Dr. Ruediger Mueller, president and senior partner of TCMI Inc.

Participants also can learn how to budget tight cash resources, how to survive on existing cash and projected cash streams, when to seek additional funding, and how to obtain financing.

The 13-Week Cash Flow model is one of the most popular and commonly used tools of turnaround- and restructuring-experts today.

Small businesses and the community can attend online at tinyurl.com/y5qjpae5.

Reach-Out Program
The Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) College Reach-Out Program (CROP) is accepting applications.

Academic: Low GPA and FSA scores, dropout prevention, grade retention, expulsions and high absenteeism
Economic: Reduced or free lunch eligible; wages participant; public assistance recipient

An application for CROP is online at Equity-services.phsc.edu/programs. Click on the “Pre-Collegiate” link.

The grant program is funded by the Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education Coordination.

For information, contact Ronteryl Black at (352) 340-4809 or ">.

College & university rankings
The personal-finance website WalletHub has released its 2021 Best College & University Rankings report, in addition to separate rankings for colleges and for universities.

WalletHub compared over 1,000 higher-education institutions across the United States based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, including Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing, and Career Outcomes.

The data set ranges from student-faculty ratio to graduation rate to post-attendance median salary.

The top 10 colleges and universities in Florida are, in order from No. 1 to No. 10, are: University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Miami, Florida Polytechnic University, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Southern College, Florida A&M University, University of West Florida and Florida International University.

To view the full reports, along with accompanying video, visit Wallethub.com/edu/college-rankings/40750/ and Wallethub.com/edu/best-colleges-in-the-us-ranking/40748.

Chalk Talk 10/21/2020

October 20, 2020 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of Demaris Diaz, Pasco County Schools Student Services)

‘It takes a village’
Wiregrass Elementary School in Wesley Chapel was presented with a free 4K Ultra HD 50-inch television as part of a raffle through The Kiwanis Club of Greater Wesley Chapel. The partnership is part of a collaborative effort to work toward a better education and a better community, with a shared common goal to provide the best academic environment for scholars to succeed. From left: Wiregrass Elementary School Principal Steve Williams, Kiwanis Club representative Martha Vaguener, school social worker Damaris Diaz and Wiregrass Elementary School Assistant Principal Erin Ipock.

Student achievements
• Kennedy Deluca, of Odessa, has been awarded the Georgia Power Foundation Student Recruitment and Retention Fund Scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year by Valdosta State University in Georgia.
• Emily M. Gerber, of Odessa, graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, with a bachelor degree. Gerber majored in conservation biology.

Think Big Tech Fest
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) will host a Think Big Tech Festival on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m., to aid job growth/training for faculty, staff, students and community members.

The college is partnering with Innovation Collective, an education and human capital company, for the festival.

A team from Innovation Collective will visit PHSC’s North Campus in room B-104 for the hybrid event. Participants can sign up and attend in person, or via Zoom. A group of 40 people will be hosted by PHSC at the North Campus.

Featured speakers include Arabian Prince, NWA founder and entrepreneur; Giselle Mota, principal, Future of Work, ADP; Josh Childress, former NBA standout and founder, Landspire Group; Katerina Axelsson, founder and CEO, Tastry; Dr. Michael Hayduck, deputy director, Information Directorate, U.S. Air Force; and others.

Admission to the virtual event is free, and in-person tickets are $14.95 each.

To register for the virtual, streaming event, visit tinyurl.com/y5so38co.

For the in-person event, visit tinyurl.com/y677dmpo.

Free cleaning services for Pepin
Bio-Safe Surfaces and partner Pro Clean USA are providing free deep-cleaning and sanitization services for all three Pepin Academies’ campuses for the entire 2020-2021 school year.

Approximately 100 classrooms and common areas across Hillsborough and Pasco Counties’ campuses will be treated with BioShield, a nanotechnology treatment designed to protect against COVID-19 and other viruses.

The in-kind services provided by Bio-Safe and Pro Clean are in response to Pepin’s call for donations, as part of its inaugural Adopt-a-Classroom and Adopt-a-Student campaigns.

This added layer of defense against COVID-19 will work in tandem with the school’s existing daily sanitation partner, Gator Cleaning Solutions, whose team not only works to keep the campus safe, but also participates in Pepin Academies Transition Program job site.

The Transition Program combines vocationally based training with life and job readiness courses, and is designed for young adults ages 18 to 22 who have an identified learning or learning-related disability.

Kicks for Kids
The GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club has announced its Kicks for Kids campaign, to collect new children’s shoes and socks (toddler size 10 through adult men/women size 9), to benefit Mort Elementary School.

Teachers report that attendance increases when a child from an at-risk home has new shoes.

Children can focus on the lessons in school instead of focusing on their feet that hurt.

Proper shoes also help increase a child’s activity, which, in turn, helps to decrease childhood obesity and diabetes.

Throughout the month of October, the club will have a drop-off at the New Tampa YMCA, 16221 Compton Drive.

It the drop-off is not a convenient location, email , to set up a meeting place. Monetary donations also will be accepted using PayPal.

State college gets grant
Pasco-Hernando State College has been awarded a $449,311 grant through the CARES Act Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Rapid Credentialing Program.

The joint venture with the Florida Department of Education as a new workforce education initiative is to raise awareness of short-term career and technical education programs.

The rapid-credentialing programs will provide Floridians the opportunity to complete curriculum in 18 weeks or less, aiding in accelerated recovery for residents and the economy.

The college will use the grant to launch training in the areas of manufacturing, welding, health, informational technology/cybersecurity/ unmanned vehicles/drones, real estate, and more.

The school also will award scholarship opportunities to cover tuition and materials for qualified applicants.

For information on PHSC’s rapid credentialing grant, programs or courses, email Marcia Austin at .

Starkey Ranch K-8 is set to open next fall

October 13, 2020 By B.C. Manion

A new kindergarten through eighth grade school that’s being constructed in the Starkey Ranch community now has an official name: Starkey Ranch K-8.

The school is scheduled to open next fall, and will part of a complex that includes a district park, a theater and library. The district park opened in November 2017.

This is what the Starkey Ranch K-8 School campus will look like. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The quartet of community amenities resulted from a public-public-private partnership involving Pasco County Schools, Pasco County and the Wheelock Communities, the private developers of Starkey Ranch, a community off State Road 54 in Trinity.

Starkey Ranch K-8 School is the public school district’s first school specifically designed for elementary and middle school students.

The school is expected to have about 1,000 elementary school students and 600 middle school students. The campus includes a gymnasium, athletic fields, a running track and sports courts that will be available during non-school hours to residents, through a shared-use agreement.

Additionally, the third part of the partnership involves Pasco County, and involves the construction of what’s been dubbed TLC, which stands for theater, library and cultural center.

The TLC will accommodate public library patrons and students. It also will have a 250-seat theater and three makerspaces.

The Pasco County School Board approved the school’s official name during its Oct. 6 meeting. The board prefers to name schools after the general location, features of the area or historical information about the area.

Published October 14, 2020

Embracing the changing world of education

October 13, 2020 By B.C. Manion

When people arrive on the campus of Sunlake Academy of Math & Science, in Lutz, they are greeted by a place that sets a positive tone.

“Welcome back Ravens, we missed you,” proclaims a sign near the school’s driveway.

“We support our students. We support teachers. We support our administration. We love our school,” a sign on a fence declares.

“Go Ravens!” a third sign encourages.

Sounds of children — playing outdoors— fill the air.

Principal Judy Moore came to Sunlake Academy of Math & Science last year, after a lengthy career leading schools in North Carolina. (B.C. Manion)

And, near the front door of the public charter school, there’s a reminder of today’s COVID-19 times. A sign reminds those entering that they must wear a face mask and maintain social distancing.

Inside, there are other clues regarding the ongoing pandemic.

There’s hand sanitizer on the counter, plexiglass separating office staff from visitors, and social distancing signs.

Children seem to be taking it all in stride as they walk down a corridor in single file, dressed in school uniforms and wearing their masks of various designs.

They wave to Principal Judy Moore, as they make their way to Spanish class.

Finding the balance between safety and normalcy has presented new challenges, but Moore said that adapting to change is part of an educator’s way of life.

As it relates to COVID-19, she said, “I think, like everybody else, you just take it as it comes, do the best job that you can.

“The challenge with COVID, all of the way back to March when it started — the information changes every 10 minutes. Whatever the standard is right now, is probably not going to be the standard tomorrow, or the day after,” she said.

That’s been a frustration for everyone, but the school has proceeded — giving parents an option for their children to learn at home or at school.

The children are assigned to a specific class, wherever they’re learning.

“If they happen to be at home, they’re basically on the screen and the teacher is interacting with the kids that are at home and the kids in the class, at the same time,” the principal said.

Teachers sometimes will group kids, so one teacher is working with the kids at school, while others instruct the online kids. And, then they will swap.

Some teachers feel they are better able to serve both groups that way, Moore said. But, other teachers are teaching both groups, simultaneously.

Moore knows that’s difficult to do, and she’s impressed.

Adapting to COVID-19 has required changes, but the school also is getting ready to embark on another big change — this one, of its own making.

Parents have raised $30,000 to pay for a new STEAM lab.

Sunlake Academy of Math & Science, in Lutz, is a public charter public school for kindergarten through eighth grade. It is operated by Charter Schools Associates Inc.

Initially, the hope was to open it at the beginning of this school year, but that was thrown off by COVID-19. Now, plans call for opening it within the next couple of months.

A space initially that was designed for a media center is being converted into the STEAM lab. (The acronym stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.)

A group, which Moore calls the STEAM Team, led the planning efforts. Moore joined that team, the executive area director from Charter School Associates and one of CSA’s math coaches during visits to STEAM labs at Corbett Prep, Jesuit High School and Academy of the Holy Names to glean ideas.

The lab will be equipped with Virtual Reality headsets, which individual classrooms can check out. It will have 3D printers, a 3D laser printer, tablets, and other devices and programs aimed at unleashing new ways of learning.

Children in kindergarten through fifth grade will visit once a week, and the technology will be incorporated into middle school classes.

The idea is to harness the power of technology to broaden learning experiences.

“You kind of have to change up the way you think, and the way you teach,” said Moore, who did her doctoral work in technology integration.

“It’s about higher order thinking skills. It’s about problem-solving. It’s about teamwork, creative thinking and creative problem-solving,” said Moore, who worked in the Gaston County school district in Charlotte, North Carolina, for 21 years before arriving last year at Sunlake Academy.

Educators must connect how they teach with how students learn, the principal added.

“For me, it became not so much about technology, not so much about how we teach, but it’s about how kids learn — and how they’re wired these days,” the principal added.

Today’s students are part of the digital native generation. They live in a world of Google, digital on-demand, virtual reality and other technical advances, Moore said.

Education must go deeper
“How do you make the students think through the problems versus the teacher just giving the question and the answer?” Moore said.

Students are challenged to consider: “How do you use your creativity to come to more than one solution, to the same problem?

“The truth of the matter is the jobs that we’re trying to prepare them for, don’t exist. And, they’re not going to exist anytime soon,” Moore said.

The principal and her husband moved to the area because he was offered a new job opportunity, and she set out seeking the right match for her interests and skills.

Moore said she was attracted to Sunlake Academy because she’s been interested for years in differentiated instruction and higher-order thinking skills.

“We’re (Sunlake Academy) very data-driven. Our teachers are constantly checking in on where kids are in terms of their proficiency and growth, on different curriculum strands and skill sets.

“We have differentiated groups,” she said, adding there are multi-tiered systems of support for students who need extra help.

“I had a lot of opportunity to go where I wanted,” Moore said. “I chose to come here because they’re speaking my vision.”

The promise of stability was attractive, too.

In her previous district, the management style involved transferring principals around a lot.

“I really want to be in a place where I can make some change and be long-term,” Moore said.

Students attending the school, at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, come from Hillsborough and Pasco counties. It draws primarily from the communities of Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Tampa, Carrollwood, Cheval, Wesley Chapel and Odessa. It has some openings, so parents interested in learning more should contact the school.

Other details that may be of interest to parents of potential students:

Before and after school care is available, with doors opening at 6:30 a.m., and closing at 6:30 p.m. Full-time or part-time child care is available to suit parents’ needs.
The school’s car line begins at 7:20 a.m., with classes beginning at 8 a.m.
Dismissal times are staggered, with the school day ending for kindergarten through second grade at 2:30 p.m.; and, for grades three through eight at 3 p.m.

For additional information about Sunlake Academy, visit SunlakeAcademy.org.

Published October 14, 2020

Chalk Talk 10/14/2020

October 13, 2020 By Mary Rathman

A budding photographer
Alec Brown, a fourth-grader at Bexley Elementary, took this photo of an alligator in one of the Bexley ponds, in Land O’ Lakes. He submitted the photo for a youth art exhibition, called the ‘Mini Matisse Show,’ at the Carrollwood Cultural Center and won first place.

Teachers report that attendance increases when a child from an at-risk home has new shoes.

Children can focus on the lessons in school instead of focusing on their feet that hurt.

Proper shoes also help increase a child’s activity, which, in turn, helps to decrease childhood obesity and diabetes.

Throughout the month of October, the club will have a drop-off at the New Tampa YMCA, 16221 Compton Drive.

It the drop-off is not a convenient location, email , to set up a meeting place. Monetary donations also will be accepted using PayPal.

TechHire scholarships
CareerSource Tampa Bay and the TechHire program are offering scholarships to students who want to receive entry-level certification for information technology and health care-related fields.

The TechHire scholarships will cover 100% tuition for qualified programs.

The classes are accelerated programs for ages 17 to 29 in the Tampa Bay area, to help students discover and learn technology skills that are in demand by local businesses.

Scholarship coverage includes tuition, lab and certification fees, and amounts range from $100 to more than $3,000, depending on the program and funding availability.

For a list of covered IT and health care training programs, visit tinyurl.com/y2p2vdgf.

Students who qualify will be contacted by a TechHire administrator who will assist in the application process.

Program options
Upcoming dates for events related to Pasco County Schools’ Pasco Pathways/Innovative Programs and School Choice options available for students:

Nov. 16 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo (west side)
Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo (east side)
Jan. 7 to Jan. 21: Pasco Pathways Application Window
Feb. 19 to Feb. 28: Secondary Notification and Acceptance Window
March 12 to March 26: Elementary Notification and Acceptance Window

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/ed_choice.

Cindy Harper, Sunrise book chair, left, delivers books to Pasco Elementary Principal Nena Green. (Courtesy of Jean Nathe)

Keeping literacy alive
The Rotary Club of Dade City Sunrise partners with the Pasco Education Foundation to take advantage of a matching grant and provide books to local elementary schools.

Now in its 11th year, Sunrise has been able to provide 1,282 books to date, supporting education and literacy.

The Rotary theme for September was “Basic Education & Literacy,” and during a recent Zoom meeting, books were presented virtually and then delivered in person.

The guest speaker was Kimberly Poe, assistant superintendent for Pasco County Schools, who gave an update on the breakdown of students learning “in person” versus “online,” lunchroom procedures, and the recent parent survey results.

For information on Sunrise’s Rotary meetings, email President Jen Ferguson at .

WREC 2021 scholarships
The Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) every year offers scholarships to high school students. The students are selected by local guidance counselors and WREC personnel.

Applications for the 2021-2022 school year will be available after Dec. 1, and must be postmarked no later than March 26, 2021.

To apply, students must:

be a high school senior and maintain a 2.0 GPA
be a dependent of a WREC member
be a bona-fide resident within the service area of WREC for at least one year prior to Dec. 31.
plan to attend an in-state college, university or technical school full-time (minimum 12 credit hours per semester)
keep a 2.0 GPA each semester (or higher if mandated by the institution) to maintain eligibility

Applications can be found at any local WREC office, high school guidance office or online at WREC.net.

Successful candidates will receive $1,375 per semester ($11,000 maximum) for undergraduate studies.

Chalk Talk 10/07/2020

October 6, 2020 By Mary Rathman

Pasco County Schools award
Pasco County Schools has been awarded the EVERFI 2020 Champion District Seal, which recognizes districts that demonstrate an exemplary commitment to whole-child education.

Pasco won the award for its support of financial education, mental health, digital safety, substance abuse prevention, STEM and other initiatives that benefit students, according to a Pasco County Schools news release.

“We are honored to earn this recognition because we believe that teaching the whole child has a positive impact on students’ health and well-being, helping them succeed in college, career and life,” Kurt Browning, Pasco County superintendent of schools, said in the release.

“Educators in Pasco County are having a profound impact on students that goes well beyond their time in our school system,” Browning said.

EVERFI is a digital education organization focused on helping educators address the most challenging issues affecting students and society, including financial literacy, social-emotional learning, health and wellness, inclusion, and college and career readiness.

Each year, the organization honors school districts that demonstrate a dedication to equity and the well-being of all students.

To learn more, visit EVERFI.com/k-12/champion-seal/.

New initiative partnership
Fred K. Marchman Technical College is joining forces with the Florida Department of Education for a new workforce education initiative aimed at raising awareness of short-term career and technical education programs.

“Get There Florida” highlights the benefits of the programs available locally in Pasco County and to all Floridians statewide.

Career and technical education, often referred to as CTE, is a critical component in preparing individuals for occupations important to Florida’s economic development, especially during this time of economic challenges.

Programs are organized into 17 career paths and are geared toward middle school, high school, district technical school, and Florida College System students.

At Marchman Technical College, students can enroll in an in-demand, high-quality workforce program, move quickly and gain critical skills needed in East Central Florida, Region IV essential and emerging industries.

Programs include, but are not limited to: automotive service technology, cosmetology, electricity, patient care technician, and welding technology.

For more on program offerings, visit FKMTC.edu.

To learn about the CTE and workforce training programs available at state and technical colleges, visit GetThereFL.com.

Student-athlete finalists
Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Tampa Bay has named seven Pasco County Schools student-athletes as finalists in its Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship.

The PCA aims to show student-athletes how to use their athletic platform to benefit others.

Selected finalists participate in a year-long program, to gain professional skills by meeting with business leaders and mentors; completing phone, video and personal interviews; promoting their school or club athletic team; and giving back to their communities with volunteer service to parks and recreation centers.

Winners will be selected in the spring as recipients of the Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship Award, presented by Sagicor Life Insurance Company.

Each of the seven students has the opportunity to earn $2,000 toward college expenses.

The student-athlete finalists are:

Taylor Denney, Land O’ Lakes High School
Alexa Dusch, Mitchell High
Alexis Fernandez, Land O’ Lakes High
Kelsey Kadlub, Pasco High
Kaylei Koschman, Wesley Chapel High
Kayla Mys, Wesley Chapel High
Emma Rogers, Mitchell High

Scholarship America
Scholarship America, a nonprofit scholarship and education support organization, is accepting applications through Oct. 15, for the 2021 Scholarship America Dream Award.

The program is open to any college student with financial need, who has overcome barriers and has successfully completed at least one year toward their college education.

The scholarships are inclusive of all types of students, from diverse backgrounds, seeking a two-year or four-year degree.

The scholarships are renewable and increase in amount each year.

Scholarship America has awarded more than $2.3 million to 108 students, with scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 based on financial need.

Eligible students can apply online at LearnMore.scholarsapply.org/dreamaward/.

Upon application, students also will be notified about additional scholarship programs that they may be eligible for.

Program options
Upcoming dates for events related to Pasco County Schools’ Pasco Pathways/Innovative Programs and School Choice options available for students:

Nov. 16 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo (west side)
Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo (east side)
Jan. 7 to Jan. 21: Pasco Pathways Application Window
Feb. 19 to Feb. 28: Secondary Notification and Acceptance Window
March 12 to March 26: Elementary Notification and Acceptance Window

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/ed_choice.

The TechHire scholarships will cover 100% tuition for qualified programs.

The classes are accelerated programs for ages 17 to 29 in the Tampa Bay area, to help students discover and learn technology skills that are in demand by local businesses.

Scholarship coverage includes tuition, lab and certification fees, and amounts range from $100 to more than $3,000, depending on the program and funding availability.

For a list of covered IT and health care training programs, visit tinyurl.com/y2p2vdgf.

Students who qualify will be contacted by a TechHire administrator who will assist in the application process.

Internet & WiFi offer
Charter Communications Inc., has relaunched its Remote Education Offer to provide free Spectrum internet and WiFi access for 60 days to households with kindergarteners through 12th- graders, college students and/or educators.

The promotion is available for customers that live in a Spectrum market and do not currently have Spectrum internet services.

To enroll, call (844) 310-1198, and a free installation kit will be provided.

Chalk Talk 09/30/100

September 29, 2020 By Mary Rathman

From left: Tara Perez, Dr. Todd Bodanza, Jennifer Conforti and Bre McLeod, of Champion Wellness Clinic (Courtesy of Pasco Kids First)

Filling a back-to-school need
Pasco Kids First serves more than 1,600 children each year through prevention, assessment and treatment services addressing child abuse and neglect.

Most of these children are school age, and many do not have the resources to purchase the needed school supplies and clothes for the new year.

Local businesses, individuals and groups reached out to help fill this need. Some of these local philanthropists include:

Mike Peters Insurance Agency in New Port Richey donated to Pasco Kids First’s Children’s Advocacy Center. The State Farm Good Neigh Bear, Peters and his team visited the center and dropped off boxes of school supplies, headphones, gift cards and more to help the kids get ready for the school year.
Dr. Todd Bodanza, of Champion Wellness Clinic, and his Conforti Crossroads Chiropractic team in Trinity had their second annual event to collect backpacks and school supplies, offering new and current patients free exams and adjustments for those who brought in a backpack with supplies.
Bonnie and Pat Martucci, of Gulf Side Corvette Club, rallied members and others to pitch in to purchase backpacks and supplies for kids in need.Bonnie and her granddaughter, Kinsley, delivered 38 backpacks filled with supplies to the Pasco Kids First Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando Hudson Office.

Miss Florida Teen
Ashlynn Nicole Diaz, a recent graduate of Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, was crowned the 2020 National American Miss Florida Teen, an organization that provides young girls with academic scholarships and promotes volunteerism through its dedication to encourage character development.

Diaz is a freshman biology student at the University of Florida and one day hopes to become an anesthesiologist.

She will compete in November at the national level to win an additional cash scholarship and an opportunity to travel the United States to spread awareness on the importance of giving back to others.

Diaz also received the Presidential Gold Service Award for volunteering more than 1,000 hours, to make a difference in her community.

Scholarship America
Scholarship America, a nonprofit scholarship and education support organization, is accepting applications through Oct. 15, for the 2021 Scholarship America Dream Award.

The program is open to any college student with financial need who has overcome barriers and has successfully completed at least one year toward their college education.

The scholarships are inclusive of all types of students, from diverse backgrounds, seeking a two-year or four-year degree.

The scholarships are renewable and increase in amount each year.

Scholarship America has awarded more than $2.3 million to 108 students, with scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 based on financial need.

Eligible students can apply online at LearnMore.scholarsapply.org/dreamaward/.

Upon application, students also will be notified about additional scholarship programs that they may be eligible for.

Lutz teen competes
Lilly Luttrell, a Freedom High School student, has been selected to represent Lutz at the Miss Florida USA/Miss Florida Teen USA competition, as Miss Lutz Teen USA.

Luttrell’s selection was based on her academic and professional interests, involvement in her community, her passion for the pursuit of excellence, and her interest in empowering other young women to follow in her footsteps.

Girlbossing Inc., will produce and conduct Florida’s oldest and most celebrated competition in April to qualify two young women from Florida to advance to either Miss Teen USA or Miss USA, and ultimately Miss Universe.

Luttrell said, in a Miss Florida USA press release, “When we are young sometimes our voice is not heard but this organization gives me the spotlight to make a change. I am a 15-year-old that wants to shift my story into epic proportions…..I am representing Lutz and all of its classic beauty.”

Young women, ages 14 to 27, who want to represent their hometown at the state event can submit an application at MissFloridaUSA.com.

Saint Leo ranked as a best value
Saint Leo University was ranked as one of the best values in higher education and one of the best regional universities in the South in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings, which was released on Sept. 14.

The university moved up to fourth place from last year’s fifth place among Best Value Schools in the South. And, among the Best Regional Universities in the South, Saint Leo ranked 26th.

Once again, the school was named a Best for Veterans School among southern regional universities, ranking 14th, the same as last year.

Saint Leo’s diversity was noted by the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, as it ranked sixth, up from last year’s seventh-place rank, for campus ethnic diversity among regional universities in the south.

The university was ranked 14th in the Top Performers on Social Mobility category.

And, the school ranks in the top five for most international students.

Spanish language degrees
Saint Leo University is collaborating with global education services partner AVENU Learning to offer fully online degree programs in Spanish, starting in March.

In the first year, eight Saint Leo online degree programs will be available to students.

The programs will include bachelor degrees in business administration, accounting, human resource management, liberal studies, psychology, computer information systems, cybersecurity, and health care administration.

In fall 2021, the partnership will expand to include three master degrees: business administration, accountancy and cybersecurity.