Partners In Education | Programs and Services
Commissioner's Business Recognition Program
These Broward County businesses received the 2010 Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards (CBRA) for their contribution to Broward County Public Schools.
EDSA
EDSA, an Internationally acclaimed, full-service Planning, Landscape Architectural, Urban Design, and Graphic Design Firm, is partnered with Northeast High School’s Academy of Architecture and Design. EDSA had already had a college-level mentoring program and curriculum for students interested in Landscape Architecture so they were prepared to bring this program to the high school level. EDSA’s program covered the basic planning and design principles of Landscape Architecture as well as how planners must interact with other consultants in fieldwork.
For the main project, students were asked to develop a small city that was economically and ecologically sound from a landscape architect’s perspective. Their city had to have indigenous animals and plants, waterways, utilities and easements. Students were required to include City Hall, shopping centers, schools, a hospital, residential homes for single and multi families, and a town center. Several field trips to EDSA’s Corporate Offices were conducted so that students could take a tour of the office, met with Landscape Architects and review plans of existing and future projects. Students were also introduced to a variety of software programs, industrial sized scanners, and printers. EDSA also encouraged the young leaders of their firm to help advance the program as mentors, which has created a climate of trust and rapport with the students. Their mentors assisted the students with alternative ways to find additional resources and the use of technology to be able to effectively communicate their thoughts, ideas, and values to their prospective audience. The culminating activity was a measurement of how complete their individual responses to the projects were.
The one hundred students involved in this cumulative curriculum gained valuable knowledge, insight, and exposure in the field and possible future college/career exploration opportunities.
The Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale (JLGF)
The Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale (JLGF) organized a nutrition education program in partnership with Broward County Public Schools, committing $13,500 over three years to fund literacy based nutrition education kits for 138-second grade teams. Through this program, children learn literacy skills while learning about a healthy lifestyle.
JLGF classroom volunteers developed this kit for teachers to promote healthy meals and fitness. The kit contains a nylon food pyramid chart, measuring cups, USDA’s MyPyramid for Kids Lessons with supporting material, and seven story books plus the JLGF’s Healthfully Ever After, A Literary adventure through MyPyramid for Kids lesson plans. A lesson plan accompanies each of the seven books in the resource kit. The plans have literature based activities that teach the five food groups and reinforce Sunshine State Standards while supporting improved FCAT performance, concurrently, learning to read and write while studying healthy eating in the classroom and practicing it their school’s cafeteria.
The Junior League also partnered with Commit 2B Fit to host a Kids One Mile Fun Run in conjunction with its annual Riverwalk Run fundraiser. The Kids Run has been growing over the past 3 years.
Wheelabrator Technologies Inc.
For 15 years, Wheelabrator has been a leader in environmental education through partnership activities and sponsorship of the Wheelabrator National Symposium for Environment and Education. Each year, Wheelabrator hosts four local schools (McNicol Middle, New River Middle, Sawgrass Springs Middle and Westglades Middle) involving 80 seventh and eighth grade students. During the seven months leading up to the Symposium, student teams from each school identify and research a specific environmental concern or challenge in their communities. They draw upon resources of their public officials and community organizations, with the guidance of the local Wheelabrator facility’s staff, to develop a plan of action for a solution to the identified concern. In the spring, teams from around the country travel to Florida for the two-day Symposium. During the Symposium, the teams present their projects and solutions to a panel of educators, politicians and local community officials. The Symposium is the consummate, hands-on learning experience for our students. It fosters environmental and social awareness and is an authentic experience that students remember for many years. Each school participating in the Symposium receives a $500 stipend at the beginning of their project and an additional $1000 at the Symposium.
Wheelabrator finances all activities related to the Symposium. This includes: The students’ bus/airplane transportation, food & lodging for three days, technical assistance for the audio visual presentations, admission to amusement parks (for example, Metro Zoo or Miami Seaquarium during the third day of the So. Florida conference visit).
Wheelabrator also sponsors field trips to their North Broward and South Broward facilities. Staff assists with Career Day, SAC Meetings, they serve as judges, mentors and adult volunteers. Fisk University scholarships are available to the students participating in the Symposium upon high school graduation. Two Broward schools, Westglades Middle and Sawgrass Springs Middle were involved in the Symposium from the beginning.
For information about the program, please contact Nina A. Randall, APR, Executive Director at 754-321-1974 or nrandall@browardschools.com.