inspirED

Denisha Merriweather

Sep 8, 2015

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Denisha Merriweather The daughter of a teenaged mom and high school dropout, Denisha Merriweather thought she was destined for a similar path. Receiving a scholarship from Step Up For Students changed her life. Today, the 24-year-old college graduate is working toward her master’s degree. “I’m just so grateful," Denisha said. “This never would have been […]

Layla and Jeremiah Cirino

Sep 6, 2015

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Layla and Jeremiah Cirino Adrienne Cirino’s children started their formal education at their neighborhood school, but soon her son started shying away from kindergarten and her daughter had days where she was ducking desks thrown by angry peers. “I felt scared,” said Layla, who starts seventh grade in August. “Me and my friends would go […]

Julie and Faith Kleffel

Sep 5, 2015

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Julie and Faith Kleffel Seven-year-old Faith Kleffel giggles in the background as her tutor, Tammy Forte, talks on the telephone. They’re at Faith’s house in Longwood, near Orlando, where the first-grader with Down syndrome lives with her mom and is homeschooled. “We have a room,’’ explained Forte, a former local school district paraprofessional. “That’s her […]

Sualba Alejandro

Sep 3, 2015

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Sualba Alejandro Ten-year-old Sualba Alejandro planted her Size 3 feet on the Faith Christian Academy stage in Orlando and tried to stay calm. In the audience, dozens of parents, children and school administrators were on hand to recognize Step Up For Students' Scholars of Excellence. The event united Step Up families from throughout Central Florida […]

Holy Family Catholic School

Oct 2, 2013

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Holy Family Catholic School (Published in October, 2013) Jacksonville - Any old red carpet simply wouldn’t do. So in the fall of 2012, Holy Family Catholic School rolled out a specially designed one that a family donated after the school received the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award. It’s emblazoned with the National Blue Ribbon School seal, and it’s the […]

South Florida Jewish Academy

Oct 1, 2013

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South Florida Jewish Academy (Published in October, 2013) Coconut Creek - Baila Gansburg was preparing to open a Jewish preschool when opportunity came knocking at a site in Coconut Creek that used to house a school for children with special needs. “Parents came and begged us to reopen a special needs school,” Gansburg recalled. The former school, which educated […]

Suncoast Waldorf School

Jan 1, 2013

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Suncoast Waldorf School In 1990, equipped with their passion for education and a strong dedication to their community, Dr. C.E. and Mrs. Beulah Glover opened the doors of Mount Bethel Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale. The school was designed to provide an educational alternative for Broward County children, especially underprivileged children from the inner city […]

The Magnolia School

Feb 1, 2012

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The Magnolia School (Published in 2012) Tallahassee - If you drive too fast along West Tharpe Street in Tallahassee, you might miss the abrupt turn-in to the unassuming campus of The Magnolia School. But you’re in for a treat once you do descend down the steep driveway, park, walk up to the door of the main building and step […]

Highlands Christian Academy

Jan 1, 2012

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Highlands Christian Academy (Published in 2012) Pompano Beach - Highlands Christian Academy (HCA), located on 30 acres in Pompano Beach, has been strengthening the community through educating South Florida’s youth since the 1960s. The school, an outreach of Grace Baptist Church, serves families with children aged 3 through the 12th grade and truly focuses on developing children […]

Christ the King Catholic School

Apr 1, 2010

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Christ the King Catholic School (Published in 2010) Jacksonville - Stephanie Chinault beams when she talks about Christ the King Catholic School’s latest achievements. As a former student and current principal, Chinault was ecstatic to learn that Christ the King was honored by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the National Blue Ribbon Schools. […]