One Nation event
Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch will host its “One Nation” civic engagement event on Sept. 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., via Zoom, to encourage students to register to vote with the party of their choice.
The guest speakers will be the Hon. Jane L. Campbell, president and CEO of the United States Capitol Historical Society; Dr. Allida Black, historian and trustee at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum; and Dr. Camesha Whittaker, senior vice president of Ed Farm.
For more information, email Davina Jones at ">.
A decade of training new health care workers
Leaders at AdventHealth Tampa celebrated their 10th cohort of college students to graduate the Digestive Health Institute Summer Research Program at the hospital. The students participated for three months to gain operating room (OR) experience, work with patients in clinics, make rounds in the hospital, and present their own research project at the end of the program. ‘This program allows young students a small taste of what it is to be a surgeon,’ said Dr. Sharona Ross, advanced foregut and HPB surgeon at the Digestive Institute in Tampa, in a news release. Many students continue to work at AdventHealth while applying to medical schools. Here, students learn in the OR, as part of the summer program.
Job Fair
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) and CareerSource Pasco Hernando will host a free Job Fair on Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the PHSC West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey, in R-151.
For questions, email Jackie Eden at or Nathan Stevens at .
Back to School donation
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club donated new and gently used clothing to stock the Back to School Boutique at a local church, which provides free clothing to high school students in need.
The ladies unpacked, sorted and sized clothing and footwear, into a divided room with specific “departments.”
The event was so successful, the club is considering the need for a permanent year-round boutique closet.
For information, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org, or its Facebook page.
Educational website
The Southwest Florida Water Management District has a new educational website for students. (Content is tailored to upper elementary and middle school students.)
H2O Zone is a one-stop shop where students can dive into the world of water and learn about a variety of topics.
Visitors to the site can explore everything from the water cycle and watersheds, to wetlands and water conservation.
The newly redesigned site also features a word glossary.
Visit H2O Zone at WaterMatters.org/H2Ozone.
School safety standards
The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) and Saint Leo University’s Center for Alternative Pathway Programs (CAPP) have partnered to develop the NSA School Safety Recognition Initiative, which consists of an online assessment that evaluates the effectiveness of a school’s safety efforts against six key categories, as outlined in the association’s School Safety Resolution, according to a news release.
The initiative was created following the Parkland school shooting, to create closer bonds between schools and their law enforcement parties. One of the main goals is to help incentivize schools to re-engage school safety as a priority and to help improve school safety preparedness.
Saint Leo was chosen as an educational partner for the project because of its history and success in facilitating onine learning. The university also offers four-year degree programs in criminal justice and emergency management.
To participate in the initiative, school administrators complete an online application that assesses their school’s safety preparedness efforts against six categories that include: community stakeholders; risk assessment; behavioral assessment/emotional security measures; physical security; policy and procedures; and emergency preparedness. The online assessment is $65 and can be found at tinyurl.com/2p9aveya.
Once administrators complete the assessment, Saint Leo reviews and evaluates the results.
Schools that successfully meet all the criteria receive a letter of recognition from the National Sheriffs’ Association for their efforts to keep their students, faculty and staff safe.
Early release dates for Pasco
Pasco County Schools is utilizing a monthly, two-hour early release time again this year, to allow for staff to engage in professional development aligned with student needs, and district and school priorities, according to a news release.
Scheduled early release days for the 2022-2023 school year are: Oct. 5, Nov. 2, Dec. 7, Jan. 11, Feb. 1, March 8 and April 12.
On each of these days, students will be released two hours early. The bell times and early release times for each school, can be found at Pasco.k12.fl.us/site/pcs_bell_schedule.
