Local student speaks for Earth Day
Ava Frederick (left), a sophomore at Land O’ Lakes High School and president of the Little Women of Lutz Juniorette Club, is introduced by GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club member Jan King during a commemoration of Earth Day/Week. Frederick was invited to speak on the ecosystems of the state and the importance of keeping waterways clean and safe to protect the community and the environment. She also recently was elected state director of GFWC Juniorette Clubs.
Programming feedback
Residents are again invited to provide feedback on potential programming opportunities at the Hillsborough County’s new African American Arts and Cultural Center (AAACC), at 2103 N. Rome Ave., in Tampa, the current site of the West Tampa Community Resource Center. This is the second round of public input for this project.
Those interested can attend an in-person public meeting on May 20 at 6:30 p.m., at the Resource Center. Attendees can learn about possible indoor and outdoor spaces, including themed rooms such as an art studio, cultural studio, music studio and dance studio, as well as potential events like Movies on the Lawn, wellness events, vendor markets, and performances.
Residents also can provide input through the county’s engagement and education hub, online at HCFL.gov/HCEngage, until May 20.
The design phase of the project is currently underway and funded by a State of Florida African American Cultural and Historical grant.
Civic Engagement Day
Saint Leo University hosted its first Civic Engagement Day with a theme of “Empower, Elevate, and Educate!” The event’s activities and speakers were hosted by Saint Leo’s Why Vote? Campaign, Social Work Club and the Undergraduate Social Work Department. It also drew not only Saint Leo students, but also social work students from the University of South Florida.
Members of nonpartisan community organizations, candidates for office, and others spoke with students, faculty, staff and members of the public on the importance of civic engagement, the impact of civic engagement and voting, and how students can make a difference in the upcoming 2024 election.
Saint Leo social work students and the school’s Why Vote? Campaign were recognized in March for being No. 1 in the nation in the VOT-ER student-led voter registration competition.
For the next academic year, the Why Vote? Campaign will coordinate events for civic “holidays,” including National Voter Education Day, Civic Engagement Week, and more. The group is creating a university website focused on voting resources and working with orientation leaders to incorporate civic engagement into their programs.
VoteHillsborough recognitions
Hillsborough County students and schools were recognized by the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office for their civic engagement at a county school board meeting last month.
The county’s newest, award-winning ‘I Voted’ sticker was unveiled, as part of an award presentation recognizing the three high school winners of the Supervisor of Elections’ annual VoteHillsborough Art Contest.
The top three student artists were: Aurora Gomez Garcia, King High School, first place; Aryanna Joyette, Tampa Bay Technical High, second place; and Scout Pytlak, Blake High, third place.
The first-place sticker will be given to voters during the Early Voting period of the 2024 Primary and General elections.
In addition, Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer named six schools — Durant High, King High, Patel High, Newsome High, Plant City High and Summer High — as 2024 VoteHillsborough Champions.
The elections office holds voter registration drives in high schools every fall and spring semester.
For more information, election dates and deadlines, visit VoteHillsborough.gov.
Discovery Education Awards
Discovery Education, a global edtech leader, announced the recipients of the inaugural Discovery Education Awards that honor districts, schools and educators who accelerate achievement among students by tapping into their natural curiosity and desire to learn, according to a news release.
The awards recognized those who have impacted student learning by adapting and personalizing instruction to better pique curiosity and engagement.
Recipients were selected through a competitive nomination and application process, which highlighted district, school and educator commitment to fostering student growth.
The 2024 recipients include:
Districts of the Year
Kansas City School District, Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier – Missouri
Pasco County School District, Superintendent Dr. Kurt S. Browning – Florida
Richland County School District Two, Superintendent Dr. Kim D. Moore – South Carolina
Schools of the Year
Franklin Regional Intermediate School – Murrysville, Pennsylvania
Madison Rose Lane Elementary School – Phoenix, Arizona
Educators of the Year
McKenna Akane, Alberton School District – Montana
Frank Bogden, Loudoun County Public Schools – Virginia
Rodney Crouse, Guilford County Schools – North Carolina
Debbie Martin, Frederick County Public Schools – Virginia
Rita Mortenson, Verona Area School District – Wisconsin
Help name Lutz school
The Pasco County School Board invites the community to propose names for the new K-8 school under construction on Sky Brooke Boulevard, just south of State Road 54 in Lutz. Currently, the school is referred to as LL K-8. The new state-of-the-art educational facility will serve students from kindergarten through eighth grade and is set to open in fall 2025, according to a news release.
In keeping with school board policy, suggestions are welcome from community members, educators and students for the new name. Ideal names may reflect the geographical location of the school, distinctive characteristics of the local area, or significant historical aspects. If a personal name is proposed, it should honor an individual of local or national significance who has made a notable contribution to the community or to education. Note: If the individual is a former elected official or school district employee, they must have been deceased, out of public office, or not employed by the school district for at least two years.
Name suggestions should be submitted by May 30. The final decision on the school’s name will be made through a school board vote.
Visit https://ryu.pasco.k12.fl.us/do-mform/view.php?id=851047 to submit a new name for consideration.
Former educator receives award
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners presented the 2024 Ellsworth G. Simmons Good Government Award to Doretha Wynn Edgecomb, a former member of the Hillsborough County School Board. The award is presented annually to an individual or a group of individuals who played a significant role in improving government through leadership and vision, according to a news release.
A native of Tampa, Edgecomb worked as an educator at Hillsborough County Public Schools, a career that spanned over 50 years. She served in numerous capacities, including as a teacher, district level supervisor, and principal.
Edgecomb was elected to the Hillsborough County School Board in 2004, where she served until 2016. She continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hillsborough Education Foundation. In 2020, the former educator was inducted into Hillsborough County’s Women Hall of Fame.
After retirement, Edgecomb supported and participated in the establishment of the George Edgecomb Society in memory of her late husband, in partnership with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.
In 2021, the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County honored her by naming one of its seven family resource centers in her honor: the Doretha Wynn Edgecomb Family Resource Center. In addition, the Doretha Edgecomb Female Symposium named for her is designed to empower, inspire and encourage young women through a day of activities and interactions with successful women in the community.
Extreme Summer Challenge
Pasco County Schools has brought back, by popular demand, the Extreme Summer Challenge from May 25 to July 9. The program is for pre-K through 11th grade students.
The goal is for Pasco students to increase their math and reading proficiency by practicing the skills tailored to each student with learning and practice exercises through the Beanstack, Zearn, and Lexia programs.
The programs provide differentiated learning pathways to engage students in building knowledge and skills for math and literacy. Students may engage in one or all challenges for prizes.
To take the challenge, launch into the programs on your myPascoConnect dashboard.
