Category: Student Spotlights
We’ve found “97” articles in category archives for “Student Spotlights”
Recommended For You
South Florida Auto Dealers Association contributes $21 million to fund Hope Scholarships for state’s most vulnerable students
Miami Beach, FL – Step Up For Students, the non-profit organization that manages Florida’s Hope Scholarship Program, recently recognized the South Florida Automobile Dealers Association (SFADA) and its dealer members with the Partners For Hope Award for supporting the program since its inception. Collectively, SFADA’s dealer members have contributed $21,887,000 to fund Hope Scholarships for […]
Learn More
Prenda microschools provide education choice opportunities for educators as well as students
After 13 years of teaching at district schools in Shreveport, Louisiana, Pam Lee was searching for something that would give the students what she called a “better opportunity” to succeed. Disappointed in Louisiana’s education system, which annually ranks near the bottom in the nation, Lee’s passion for her job was slowly eroding. She wanted to […]
Learn More
From class clown to class leader with the help of an education choice scholarship
TAMPA – One of Margene Avery’s first moves as principal at Tampa Bay Christian Academy was to install a student government. For junior class president, she chose Joshua Brutus, an immensely popular yet irresponsible student who was content to coast through high school. Joshua summed up his reaction in one word: “Me?” “My freshman, sophomore […]
Learn More
State, Step Up working to fund students
Several families with students on the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA, formerly Gardiner) and the income-based Family Empowerment Scholarship-Educational Options (FES-EO) recently have expressed frustration with delays in the first quarterly payment to their scholarships. Today, Step Up For Students and the Florida Department of Education sent this joint email to […]
Learn More
Beyond the Scholarship, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, graduate, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Adelante! Why a former Step Up scholar completed his UF degree during rookie season in NFL
Where to begin with CJ Henderson? That the former Step Up For Students scholar used his time wisely at Christopher Columbus High in Miami and earned a football scholarship to the University of Florida? That he turned three seasons with the Florida Gators into an NFL career, and in 2020 was drafted ninth overall by […]
Learn More
Beyond the Scholarship, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Gardiner Scholarships, School Spotlights, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Tips on transitioning your child to a new school or learning environment
The Buddy Bench found on the playground at Christ the King Catholic School in Jacksonville is a yellow beacon that helps new students find playmates, make friends, and ease the transition to their new school. The Lunch Bunch provides the same opportunities, but in a private setting. These are two examples offered by Amanda McCook, […]
Learn More
Meet Kayla
While attending her neighborhood school growing up, Kayla felt like she didn’t belong and wasn’t being challenged. Her mother believed she’d benefit from more individualized attention but couldn’t afford tuition at schools offering those environments. Then, she found Step Up For Students! Kayla received the Florida Tax Credit scholarship for lower-income K-12 students, which afforded […]
Learn More
Katie Cutford
Katie Cutford By Sherri Ackerman When Katie Cutford attended her neighborhood district school in Lake City, classmates sometimes made fun of her thick glasses and fainting spells. Katie has juvenile glaucoma and POTS (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome), a heart condition that causes her to occasionally lose consciousness. Her younger brother, Caleb Cutford, diagnosed with cerebral palsy […]
Learn More
The Garnes Children
The Garnes Children By Sherri Ackerman When her three eldest children were ready to start their formal education, Deidre Christopher-Garnes sent them to their neighborhood district school. It worked well for her daughters, Malkia and Rukiya. But her son, Osakwe, really struggled in the third grade. “He needed more help in math and science,” Christopher-Garnes said. […]
Learn More
The Cherry Family
The Cherry Family By Sherri Ackerman When Demetrius Cherry’s commissions plummeted at his cell phone sales job two years ago, his family of six lost their house in Land O’ Lakes and moved in with friends. “We were literally homeless,’’ recalled his wife, Nina Cherry. Within a few months, her husband found another job at […]
Learn More