Community Involvement Awards -
Business Partners Honored for Contributions
to Broward Students
School and District business partnerships expand the learning opportunities of students. Broward’s outstanding school business partners were recognized during the Community Involvement Awards event on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at the Broward Convention Center. James F. Notter, Superintendent of Schools, opened this year’s program by stating, “By working together, we have been able to stretch and fill gaps in resources on behalf of our students. In-kind donations of more than half a million hours of time from nearly 35,000 people help to magically fill the gaps that have been created during this increasingly difficult economic time.”
Partners In Education, Inc. (PIE), the District’s premier school/business partnership program, began in 1983 and this year celebrated the 26th anniversary of this award presentation. Although the PIE program is now integrated into the District’s Parents, Business and Community Partners Department, the not-for-profit organization remains a guiding force.
School-based Partnership of the Year Award Winners by Area
South Area Partnership of the Year
Whispering Pines School with The Gap of Aventura
GAP employees donated school supplies for students and The GAP Foundation donated another $750 for student activities. They also sponsored a green sustainability campus-beautification project with 12 GAP employees working along side 12 Whispering Pines students. The GAP also hosted field trips to the store where students received direct career experience by shadowing GAP employees.
The impact that this partnership has had on Whispering Pines students can best be illustrated by the story of one student who dropped out of school just before the field trip to the GAP. When the manager heard that this student was not attending, he personally reached out and was able to convince the student to re-enroll. This young man is now maintaining his grades and working towards graduation.
Central Area Partnership of the Year
Lauderdale Manors Elementary with Haliczer, Pettis and Schwamm, Attorneys at Law
The law firm donated more than 50 Thanksgiving baskets to needy families and purchased holiday gifts for Lauderdale Manors’ students. They also donated school supplies and sponsored school-wide incentive programs to recognize the achievements of over 200 students.
In addition, Haliczer, Pettis and Schwamm employees were engaged with students in activities designed to strengthen academic performance, increase self-confidence and prepare for the future.
The firm also sponsored professional standards training for 43 teachers.
North Area Partnership of the Year
Coconut Creek High with Vista, a Coventry Health Care Plan
Learning that Coconut Creek High School wanted to improve student-reading scores, VISTA purchased 285 Sharon Draper books and donated them to all 9th and 10th grade-reading classes. VISTA also donated journals that students used to jot down reflective notes as they read and then created prize category tiers to reward students for the number of books read.
To top off the Caught You Reading program activities, VISTA sponsored book chat luncheons with 30 students per month and awarded gift cards to participating students.
Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients of the Partnership of the Year Awards.
EVENT SPONSORS
Broward County Public Schools thank the following sponsors for their commitment to the students, families and communities of Broward County.
Silver Sponsors
After School Programs, Inc.
BrightStar Credit Union
Rick Case Honda
YMCA of Broward County
Copper Sponsors
Florida Marlins
Hinson Office Supply
Holy Cross Hospital
Keiser College
