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  • Citrus High School alumni return to teach at their alma mater

    Citrus High School alumni return to teach at their alma mater

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    INVERNESS, Fla. — Teachers at Citrus High School are connecting over a unique bond they share.

    The school is home to many alumni who returned to teach current students. It’s a full-circle moment that is helping former Hurricanes find their way back to their alma mater.

    What You Need To Know

    • A high number of alumni are returning to Citrus High School to teach at their alma mater

    • 40 current staff members at the high school are also alumni
    • According to the Citrus County School District, Citrus High School has the highest alumni return rate in all the county


    Gathered around a table in a Citrus High School classroom is a special group of teachers. Sharing one commonality — they are all alumni.

    “Since I’m from this community, I knew I always wanted to come back and somehow give back to the community.”

    Among them is Nancy Boudreau. She has been teaching photography at the school for the last 30 years.

    “I would always joke with my high school teacher and say, ‘One day I’m going to take your job,’” she said. “And it just so happened that right when I was able to graduate college, she was actually going to be retiring. I joke with my kids today and I tell that story and say that I’m not that old and you can’t take my job from me yet!”

    Boudreau said photography has always run in her family. Being able to teach the art she loves in the place she grew up has been special.

    “I know what it’s like in the school, and that’s what I pride myself on. Knowing that we’re here to make a difference in these kids’ lives and I think that’s why I am one of those proud alumni that is very proud to have come back and teach in this community,” Boudreau said.

    And she is not alone. Boudreau is one of 40 Citrus High alumni who have returned to work at their alma mater. Including McKinley Franklin, Sr., who is a teacher and head football coach.

    “It’s not a workplace. This is like a home,” said Franklin. “It’s a very special place. The family atmosphere — I can’t even explain it. The support that l’ve received over the years, in difficult times as well, astronomical. And I’m so proud to be a Hurricane.”

    It is this unique bond each of them shares with the school that has made them want to return, Franklin said.

    “We have the same feeling about coming to school and coming to — I hate to say the word ‘work,’ because it’s not work, but being here,” said Franklin. “The summer went by extremely fast and now we’re back and extremely excited about it.”

    Excited for another school year.

    “It’s an amazing thing,” said Lita Stanton, alumni & activities director at Citrus High School. “They’ve been a part of my life growing up and now as an adult. But the most rewarding is now seeing my child get to do those same experiences that I was alluded to back when I was in high school. That’s my favorite part, is getting to keep that family atmosphere for years to come.”

    Helping teach the next generation of Hurricanes.

    To add even more perspective to this, Citrus High School has the highest alumni return rate in all the county.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Homeless Empowerment Program helps families stock up for new school year

    Homeless Empowerment Program helps families stock up for new school year

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Homeless Empowerment Program is helping its families stock up for a new school year.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Homeless Empowerment Program’s Back to School Bash helps families in its shelter prepare for new year

    • About 70 children who reside at the HEP shelter selected new backpacks and filled them with school supplies

    • Other services at the bash included haircuts from SalonCentric and sports physicals from BayCare


    About 70 children who reside at HEP selected new backpacks and filled them with school supplies. The Back to School Bash provided families with everything from folders and notebooks to pencils and lunchboxes. The children even got to select their own items at a pop-up store full of socks and more.

    “It really helps out a lot, so I’m very grateful and blessed,” said Honor Edwards, who attended with her two children. “Me and my husband lost our jobs, we lost our condo, we lost cars, we lost everything, so we were homeless for five years.”

    Edwards says she’s grateful she connected with HEP and its programs, thankful her children are all set for the new school year.

    “It really helps out a lot, so I’m very grateful and blessed,” said Edwards.

    “We know that when kids go back to school without the supplies that they need, they’re already being set up for an educational disadvantage,” said Ashely Lowery, HEP President and CEO. “But it also sets them up for social issues and emotional issues as well, so we’re hoping just by giving them everything they need at the beginning of the year that they’ll be able to put their best food forward and start the year in a way that will set them up for success.”

    A National Retail Federation survey reports families will spend about $900 sending their kids back to school.

    “That’s a big number for any family and then when you start looking at low-income families and families that are living within homeless shelter systems that becomes even more of a burden,” said Lowery. “So, we’re very happy to be able to relieve that for the families that we serve through all of the partners that are donating goods and services today.”

    Services from those partners included haircuts from the SalonCentric salon on campus, sports physicals from BayCare and the pop-up store featuring Odd Sox socks.

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    Melissa Eichman

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  • Tampa Bay school board candidates share their views on issues

    Tampa Bay school board candidates share their views on issues

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    The general election is on Nov. 5, 2024.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Top tips for a healthy school year: vaccines, hygiene and more

    Top tips for a healthy school year: vaccines, hygiene and more

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    RALEIGH, N.C. – Parents and guardians are gearing up for kids to head back to school, but with the return to class comes the exposure to more people, which often results in a rise in respiratory illnesses, including flu and COVID-19. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Students return to school this month after summer break

    • Emergency rooms in North Carolina are seeing an uptick in respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, which are expected to grow with the return of students in schools

    • Dr. Kitty O’Hare with Duke Primary Care Pediatrics says the best thing parents can do is to consult a pediatrician or health care provider


    To set kids up for success, Dr. Kitty O’Hare, the senior medical director for Duke Primary Care Pediatrics, shared advice for parents and guardians. 

    “One of the best things that parents can do is to check in with their pediatrician or health care provider to make sure that their kids are as up to date as possible on vaccines,” she said. 

    O’Hare says the seasonal flu vaccine and most up-to-date COVID vaccines should be available shortly, and it’s best to talk with a health care provider about the best vaccine regimen for children. 

    Beyond vaccines, O’Hare suggests teaching children of all ages how to protect themselves. 

    “Washing hands. It’s a great skill that everybody can learn, even our toddlers and preschoolers,” she said. “And of course, if you’re feeling unwell… let’s be staying home and away from other people.” 

    She also shared health tips for students going to college for the first time. 

    “Going away to college is such an exciting time,” she said. “It’s often the first time that our young adults really have the opportunity to take ownership of their health.” 

    “Sleep is just so important. Sleep helps our brains to function well, helps us to perform well in the classroom and get good grades,” O’Hare said. “And for mental health, sleep is just crucial. So helping your teen develop those good sleep habits.”

    She also says nutrition and exercise are key for maintaining good mental and physical health while in college and beyond. 

    “Whether it’s walking, swimming, biking, yoga, all kinds of healthy movements will help support your brain health and make your mental health more resilient,” she said. 

     

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    Sarah Rudlang

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  • Back-to-School in Tampa Bay: Start dates, holidays, early releases

    Back-to-School in Tampa Bay: Start dates, holidays, early releases

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    Get all the county-by-county information about the 2025 school calendar.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • ‘Safe Stop’ cameras to be added on all Polk County school buses

    ‘Safe Stop’ cameras to be added on all Polk County school buses

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    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — After an unprecedented number of student fatalities last school year due to vehicular and pedestrian accidents, Polk County Public Schools partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on a new initiative aimed at keeping students safer on their way to and from school.

    What You Need To Know

    • Polk County schools partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to start the “Safe Stop” initiative, which is aimed at keeping students safer on their way to and from school
    • All 511 Polk County school buses will be equipped with cameras to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses

    • First offense citations are $198

    • Cameras will be operational starting on Aug. 12, which is the first day of school, but no citations will be issued until Sept. 24


    Superintendent Frederick Heid says Polk County is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation, which means there’s more traffic than ever before. 

    He says the “Safe Stop” initiative can help ensure students’ safety.

    “Last year, as we collected data for this proposal, we had over 400 instances where bus drivers, our bus drivers, reported someone had unsafely passed a school bus after it stopped,” said Heid.

    That number was just on one day, which is why he went to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, to partner and bring the Safe Stop initiative to Polk County.

    “The reality is we love you all. We don’t want to give you a traffic citation, just stop for the school bus, but as much as we love you, we love the safety of those children more,” said Judd.

    All 511 Polk County school buses are now equipped with safety cameras. Once the stop arm is extended, they start rolling, capturing cars that illegally pass to be reviewed and sent a citation.

    “This is going to be a system where if you get a notice in the mail that you have this citation and you go, ‘I don’t remember running that,’ you can click the link and watch that and go, ‘Whoa there’s no doubt about this,’” said Judd.

    For first offenders, the citation is $198, and Judd says a deputy will review every video before issuing the fine. 

    Heid says last school year, one Polk County student was hit by a driver who illegally passed a school bus, and 21 other students were killed in accidents involving cars. He says if these cameras save even one student’s life, they’re well worth it.

    “The number of funerals and viewings we’ve attended this last year is unprecedented and unacceptable. Our students should not be put in that position,” said Heid.

    The Hillsborough County School District will be using Safe Stop cameras on its buses this school year, too. 

    School bus safety cameras in Polk County will be operational starting on Aug. 12 — the first day of school, but Judd says they extended the required education period from 30 to 60 days, so no citations will be issued until Sept. 24.

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • Collegiate high school seniors in St. Pete all receive associate’s degree

    Collegiate high school seniors in St. Pete all receive associate’s degree

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg Collegiate High School North Pinellas celebrated and unprecedented first: 100 percent of its graduating seniors also earned their associate’s degree.

    With the rising cost of tuition, this program helps a lor of students save money on higher education, and they say that working together to achieve the same goal keeps them focused.

    “Being in a program like this that was everyone’s goal, everyone was working towards it, so it was nice to do that with people who also cared about doing it at the same time as me,” said senior Alexandra Hooker. “It’s nice that it relieves a little bit of a financial burden of course.”

    St. Petersburg Collegiate High School North Pinellas is a charter school that’s partnered with St. Petersburg College and allows students to earn their high school diplomas while simultaneously earning an associate’s degree and a Bright Futures scholarship — all for free.

     

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • USF St. Pete campus welcomes therapy K-9

    USF St. Pete campus welcomes therapy K-9

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — University of South Florida St. Petersburg has a new way to offer emotional support to students, staff and faculty.

    “Snowbird,” a facility therapy dog, was recently sworn in as the only comfort K-9 on campus.

    What You Need To Know

    • “Snowbird,” a facility therapy dog, was recently sworn in as the only comfort K-9 at USF St. Petersburg

    • Snowbird has been roaming the halls of USF St. Petersburg for two months so far, providing emotional support for students, staff and faculty

    • The campus hopes to provide additional therapy dogs in the future


    The two-year-old Golden Retriever Labrador mix will spend days crossing campus with his handler, UPD Officer Mark Lickenfelt.

    Lickenfelt says it comes at a time when mental health-related calls on campus have steadily increased over the years.

    Research released by The Healthy Minds Network also suggests 41% of college students suffer from depression symptoms.

    “He’s here to provide comfort and therapy to students, staff and faculty that are going through anxieties,” said Lickenfelt. “Such as stress, such as exams, life stressors, going through personal issues, as well as any type of just having a bad day.”

    Snowbird has been roaming the halls of USF St. Petersburg for two months so far and is already making an impression.

    “I love Snowbird. He’s so cute. He’s the bestest boy,” said freshman Tong Tavachara. “I was studying just now, and I saw his little head out the window and I just immediately just light up.”

    Other students echo benefits of the extra emotional support.

    “I feel that having snowbird is a great addition to our campus,” said David Nguyen, who serves as campus governor. “It provides our students a place to like to have their concerns and worries evaporate away. They’re just in that moment with Snowbird.”

    Snowbird is also requested for campus events, community outreach and provides emotional support for victim advocates and veterans.

    The campus hopes to provide additional therapy dogs in the future.

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    Melissa Eichman

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  • Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation’s M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program helping kids succeed

    Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation’s M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program helping kids succeed

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to closing the achievement gap for students living in South St. Pete. They offer after-school programs for children and teens of all ages, and over the summer months, one of their programs focuses on middle and high school students — the High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation’s High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program is for middle and high school students who live in South St. Pete

    • The goal is to close the achievement gap, and increrase graduation rates

    • Students explore trade school career options, learn interview & communication skills, study black history, and learn financial literacy

    The purpose is to expose teens to different college and career options, while teaching them valuable skills so they can set goals for their own futures, keeping them focused through these formative years.

    The High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program students took their weekly black history lesson out of the classroom and into a place where the history itself happened.

    “This space that you’re in was a segregated grocery store, and so my uncles, my parents, my grandparents could not set foot in this building as it was erected,” said Marcus Brooks, Executive Director for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Peterburg’s Center for Healthy Equity.

    The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation partnered with the Foundation for a Healthy St. Peterburg, which intentionally re-wrote the purpose of the building to advance equity, and now, Pinellas County’s civil rights history lines the walls with pictures and descriptions of events.

    “We were learning and talking about black history and more black history in St. Pete and the origins of some of the places we see every day,” said Torri Gammage, who is going into 7th-grade at Thurgood Marshall Middle School.

    Torri has been in the M.A.S.T.R. Program for four years, and says she’s found the black history lessons to be very important. 

    “So that we don’t make the same mistakes over again and we can know why certain things happened and how it affects us, and how we should react to it,” she said.

    Which is exactly why the Foundation includes black history in its High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program.

    “What we’ve discovered is that if the kids can get some exposure to African American history, they’re typically very grounded in who they are, why they are here, what are their unique strengths,” said Bridgette Heller, Co-Founder and CEO of the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation.

    Heller says the confidence it builds is key. The Foundation first focused on just closing the achievement gap for reading and math, but then realized, even when students were at grade level, their graduation rates were still lower than other populations, so they created this program.

    “We interviewed people in the community to find out what were some of the barriers and the key was that our kids weren’t really prepared. They didn’t really know or understand what kinds of careers were out there, or what those careers meant or how high school connected to careers, and so we set out to try to do that for them,” said Heller. 

    Through field trips like this, and a partnership with Pinellas Technical College, Heller says the gap is closing because these teenagers now have goals.

    “If you can stay focused on the goal and why you’re there, it makes all the difference,” she said. 

    Torri’s goal is to become a cosmetologist, and she says through the friends she’s made here, there’s nothing that can stop her.

    “You don’t find a lot of people like that at school and stuff. If they’re in the program, then they’re learning a lot of the same stuff you are and you can talk to them about that kind of stuff,” said Torri.

    Students in the High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program are exposed to eight different career trades at Pinellas Technical College, and also learn how to interview and communicate, as well as financial literacy.

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • Camp Early Bird helps Polk County students prepare for kindergarten

    Camp Early Bird helps Polk County students prepare for kindergarten

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — You’ve heard the saying “the early bird gets the worm,” and in a summer camp offered by Polk County Schools, the “worm” is confident, capable kindergarteners. 

    The district offers “Camp Early Bird” over the summer to children who will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and the goal is to get campers on the same level and ready to begin “real” school.

    What You Need To Know

    • Camp Early Bird is offered by Polk County Schools to incoming kindergartners

    • Campers learn letters, numbers and work on social-emotional skills

    • Camp Early Bird is free, and registration opens every April


    According to the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning, 40% of children walk into kindergarten one to three years behind, and those students struggle to catch up.  

    According to the center’s research, most never catch up, which is why Polk County Schools say Camp Early Bird is so important.

    It looks like it’s all fun and games, but the children in Camp Early Bird are actually hard at work, going through a kindergarten crash course.

    “We try to provide enrichment for kids who’ve already been exposed to our VPK (voluntary prekindergarten) curriculum, but some of our kids have not had any exposure,” said Dr. Ben Henry, a regional superintendent for Polk County Schools. “We provide them certain intervention to really get ready for Day 1.”

    Henry said the district started Camp Early Bird three years ago, and it’s grown every year. Students work on learning the basics while having fun. 

    “We do certain things with language for learning, which really gets kids some of the language acquisition skills they need to be ready for the first day of school. We do some number sense activities,” Henry said.

    Social-emotional skills are also very important for incoming kindergartners, and he said a puppet named “Al” helps teachers with those lessons.

    “Al teaches our kids how to really get ready for the first day of school and be able to express some of the emotions they feel so they can have that first day of school and first adventure in big school to be something they’re excited about,” Henry said.

    Getting students excited about learning is most important, Henry said.

    All kindergarteners are given a readiness test, and there’s a direct correlation between those who score well on it, and their future academic success, according to Henry.

    “When we start looking at our kindergarten rate of success and getting them ready for kindergarten, in a couple years we look at third grade reading scores, and we want kids to be ready, so we can really start all kids on the right path starting in kindergarten by third grade. They’ll be ready to read and be successful for everything moving forward,” he said.

    With a head start, students are set for success. 

    The school district accepts open registration for Camp Early Bird every April. The camp is free, and students also receive free breakfast and lunch. 

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • Returning to Japan: SPIFFS foreign exchange program restarts

    Returning to Japan: SPIFFS foreign exchange program restarts

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg foreign exchange student program with Japan is starting back up after a four-year hiatus.

    What You Need To Know

    • The St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society hasn’t sent students to Japan for four years

    • Between border closings and vaccine requirements due to the pandemic, it wasn’t until this spring the decision came to send students again

    • In total, three students are heading to Japan and three are coming to St. Petersburg from Takamatsu, each staying with a host family


    Paused because of the pandemic, the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society (SPIFFS) is thrilled to send students across the globe once again. 

    Madison Schmitz is one of the students embarking on a journey to Takamatsu, Japan.

    From Japanese manga, pop culture, to music, Madison said she’s always been fascinated by Japanese culture.

    “It’s one thing to research their culture, any sort of culture from a distance,” she said. “It’s entirely different to actually be immersed in it.”

    Between border closings and vaccine requirements due to the pandemic, it wasn’t until this spring the decision came to restart the program.

    Madison is thrilled to explore Takamatsu, but she’s just as eager to welcome a Japanese student to the area.

    “One of the biggest things I’m excited about with this program is being able to have the chance to show off St. Pete,” she said.

    In total, three students are heading to Japan for ten days and three are coming to St. Petersburg from Takamatsu, each staying with a host family.

    After the trip is finished, Madison will create a project about what she learned and share it with other students.

    Applications for the 2025 exchange program will open Dec. 1.

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    Matt Lackritz

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  • Nonprofit foundation helps south St. Pete students close achievement gap

    Nonprofit foundation helps south St. Pete students close achievement gap

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Pinellas County nonprofit is determined to close the achievement gap for underserved students in south St. Petersburg, and their work doesn’t stop over the summer. 

    The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation offers the M.A.S.T.R. kids program while school is out to help prevent what’s known as the “summer slide.” 

    What You Need To Know

    • The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation offers the M.A.S.T.R. kids program while school is out to help prevent what’s known as the “summer slide”
       
    • M.A.S.T.R. stands for “Math, Art, Science, Technology, and Reading,” all of which are covered, and the foundation says 80% of its students at least maintain with more than half who show gains in reading and math

    • The nonprofit says statistics show only 27% of Black students read at their grade level, but by coming here and working with certified teachers all summer, they’ve seen that number increase to 64% through their program


    M.A.S.T.R. stands for “Math, Art, Science, Technology, and Reading,” all of which are covered, and the foundation says 80% of its students at least maintain with more than half who show gains in reading and math.

    M.A.S.T.R. kids are spending their summer having fun while learning. 

    “We know that summer slide is real and instead of having the scholars slide, we have them immersed still in their academics, but through fun, hands-on ways of learning,” said Keisha Snead, the academic director for the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation.

    Snead has worked with elementary school children for 24 years, and it’s her passion. She says there are about 150 M.A.S.T.R. kids total, at two locations in south St. Pete. At the beginning of the summer, all the kids take a test to see what their ability level is and they’re grouped accordingly.

    “We’re trying to close that achievement gap by filling in those things you don’t know, so those foundational skills you may be missing — phonics, high-frequency words — you may not have a true solid understanding of those things, which is hindering you from not necessarily reading, but comprehending what you’re reading,” said Snead.

    She said statistics show only 27% of Black students read at their grade level, but by coming here and working with certified teachers all summer, they’ve seen that number increase to 64%.

    It’s not just reading where students are improving: Snead says students are also taught about their culture and history, like learning about Juneteenth.

    This summer’s theme is “Inventors and Inventions 101,” encouraging these young scholars to be creative.

    “Just because you think it, it doesn’t have to stay in your thoughts. You can put some power behind it and it can become reality,” she said.

    M.A.S.T.R. kids are also tested throughout the summer and at the end to monitor the progress they’re making. The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation also offers an after-school program during the school year, where they pick up students from 21 schools in the area. 

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • Manatee County moms to turn homeschool co-op, Unschool Squad, into a nonprofit

    Manatee County moms to turn homeschool co-op, Unschool Squad, into a nonprofit

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — More families in Florida are homeschooling their children. According to the Florida Department of Education, it has increased more than 69% in the 2021-2022 school year since 2017.

    What You Need To Know

    • Three Manatee County moms, Brandy Lemire, Allee Noordzy, and Stephanie Moyers started a year-round homeschool co-op called Unschool Squad

    • The moms said they plan on becoming a nonprofit by 2025 to make school free for families 

    • According to the Florida Department of Education, homeschooling has increased more than 69% in the 2021-2022 school year since 2017

    • The kids are learning to run their own business at Menchies at UTC on Friday, June 28, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

    Brandy Lemire and other moms don’t want their kids to have a “typical day at school.”

    “You don’t get to experience things like this. Most schools you are sitting at a desk,” Lemire said.

    Lemire is part of a group of moms in Manatee County that started a year-round homeschool co-op called Unschool Squad. Allee Noordzy, Stephanie Moyers, and Lemire all started the co-op together.

    They created the program in March and already have 50 students enrolled.

    “With the way public school is today, you have zero control over what your kids are learning. So we created this co-op so we could teach the kids what we felt we wanted them to learn,” Lemire said.

    The students went to Menchie’s this month to learn about business and finance. They got to experience firsthand what it would be like to run a business and learned how to write checks and pay the monthly rent.

    “How much did you think the rent was? Did you think it was $10,000? $1,600? What did you think?” she asked the students.

    However, before taking field trips, the group learns the basics in more formal educational situations.

    “If we do excursions and classes and whatnot, they will focus more, they’ll retain it better, and they’ll actually enjoy learning,” she said.

    The goal is to give students some freedom.

    “Their attention span is really short. So if we can do something with the fidget game or something with counting the blocks, it keeps their hands and their minds engaged,” she said.

    This way of learning has been so successful for the families that these moms decided to turn their homeschool co-op into a nonprofit, they claim.

    “These are the options we found. You can either become a 501(c)(3) or a 508(c)(1)(a). And so we’re trying to navigate which one is best for us to do,” she said.

    They hope to make the school free for families.

    “2024, things are crazy expensive. And so I think if we can make it free for families, no family can ever say, like, ‘hey, I can’t go because I can’t afford it,’” she said.

    Now the students are gearing up for their next field trip.

    They are creating tie-dye scrunchies, bracelets, shirts, and other items to sell at their own market while using their new finance and business skills.

    “The stuff we are teaching them is real-life skills that they aren’t teaching in public school,” Lemire said.

    These moms aim to make a difference by pushing their students to focus on real-life experiences.

    The moms said they plan on becoming a nonprofit by 2025. The class will be completing their finance month during their next class on June 28. The students will be selling their handmade items and learning what it means to own their own business for a day.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • SofWolf offers STEM program at USF St. Pete for Gold Star family members

    SofWolf offers STEM program at USF St. Pete for Gold Star family members

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Around 25 high school and college students from across the country came to the University of South Florida St. Pete campus in June to take part in SofWolf‘s STEM program for military families. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The STEM program, with a focus on machine learning, automation, robotics and more, is for military youth between the ages of 16-24

    • The program happens once a year but they’re looking to expand
    • Many of the attendees lost a family member that was serving on active duty


    With a focus on machine learning, automation, robotics and more, program leaders say they try to bring in Gold Star family members like Jada Newman, who lost her father while serving in the military.

    The company’s co-founder, Mike Vaughn, said it’s their way of giving back to those who served.

    For Newman, she said the program is about much more than learning. It’s a chance for her to remember her father, who served in the army for nearly a decade.  

    “He wanted to protect everyone that lived in this country and he especially wanted to protect us,” she said. “He knew there would be people who work with him that would take care of us.” 

    Newman is attending nursing school in the fall but sees the course as a way to stay connected to her father.  

    This is Newman’s 6th year attending the program, saying Vaughn and the other leaders have been instrumental in helping her grow. 

    “I think he’d be glad that people are coming around us and supporting us and teaching us skills that we can use that maybe he would have taught us,” she said. “If I can be even half the person he was, I would be successful and a good human being.”

    Vaughn said they hope to expand to other parts of the country and hold the lessons more than once a year.

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    Matt Lackritz

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  • ‘FUNctionable Clubhouse’ now open at the Nina Harris ESE Center

    ‘FUNctionable Clubhouse’ now open at the Nina Harris ESE Center

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    PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Pinellas County students at the Nina Harris ESE Center have a brand new “FUNctionable Clubhouse,” thanks to the Mr. Strong Foundation. All the students have special needs and the clubhouse allows them to play and receive therapy, all at the same time.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Mr. Strong Foundation created the FUNctionable Clubhouse, where students can play while receiving therapy
    • Michelle Morales, creator of the Mr. Strong Foundation, says being a parent to a special needs child has its challenges, but one of the hardest to overcome is the financial aspects of their care

    • The Mr. Strong Foundation is a nonprofit that provides funding for special needs children to get the therapy services they need, but often aren’t covered by insurance

    “Are you going to do ‘shake, shake, shake?’” Michelle Morales asked her son, Landon, while he played a special new video game in the FUNctionable Clubhouse.

    “Landon is 14 years old. He has cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, autism, sensory processing disorder — those are just his diagnoses — but it’s definitely not who he is. He is the happiest little kid. He makes my world,” she said.

    Landon has attended the Nina Harris ESE Center since he was three years old. Morales says being a parent to a special needs child has its challenges, but one of the hardest to overcome is the financial aspects of their care.

    “I was constantly sitting in waiting rooms and I would hear other parents talk about therapies that they needed for their kids, and they couldn’t afford it,” she said.

    Which is why Morales started the Mr. Strong Foundation. It’s a nonprofit that provides funding for special needs children to get the therapy services they need, but often aren’t covered by insurance, and the brand new FUNctionable Clubhouse is one way to do that.

    “A lot of them are adaptive equipment, so even though they’re fun things, they’re actually using their dexterity and fine motor skills, so it’s actually doing therapy in here, but they don’t know they’re doing it,” said Morales.

    There are all kinds of fun and therapeutic activities, like the Rocket League video game Landon likes to play. It’s a co-pilot game where Landon is in charge of shaking his controller to kick the ball.

    Morales says the FUNctionable Clubhouse provides these kids with a safe space where they don’t have to be on the sidelines — they’re in the game.

    “It’s a great space for them to interact and just play with their peers and it’s a place that is safe, and just have fun with their therapist, but in a place where there’s no judgement,” she said.

    The creation of the FUNctionable Clubhouse was made possible with support from several local nonprofits and private donors, like former Tampa Bay Rays player Evan Longoria. 

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    Fallon Silcox

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  • Pinellas school board unanimously approves new cell phone policy

    Pinellas school board unanimously approves new cell phone policy

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    LARGO, Fla. — Pinellas County School Board members unanimously approved a cell phone policy that creates a standard set of guidelines for all students in the school district. The policy is set to take effect in August.

    Until now, it was up to the discretion of each individual principal to determine school cell phone rules.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pinellas County School Board members approved a district-wide cell phone policy

    • To date, it’s up to the discretion of each individual principal

    • The policy is set to take effect in August

    The new policy states that elementary school students must keep phones and other similar devices in the ‘off’ position and stored away during the school day. Phones can be used once the day concludes to coordinate transportation.

    Middle school students have the same guidelines as the elementary schools, but may additionally use phones before school.

    Meantime, high school students can leave their phones on silent but may only use them before and after school, during lunch, and when transitioning between classes. Phones cannot be used in ways that violate academic integrity, in restrooms, locker rooms, or swimming areas. Photos or video recordings cannot be taken while at school without prior consent.

    All rules for cell phones for each age group also apply to smartwatches, the policy states. They must be turned to silent mode during the day and removed during district and state assessments.

    Earlier this year, the school district surveyed more than 8,000 students, parents, and teachers and gathered information on what they felt the best way to enforce the new policy would be. Area Superintendent Dywayne Hinds told school board members during an April meeting that after the policy gets approved, the district will create a plan for how it will be rolled out to teachers and students and create guidelines for students who violate policy.

    “When we did the survey, we did include questions on the survey that gave us some information about what are reasonable consequences of the specific policies related to cell phones,” Hinds said. “So these are things we’ll also be sharing with our administrators when it comes to best practices as they roll this out in their schools.”

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    Angie Angers

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  • More female students taking automotive, racing classes in Chapel Hill

    More female students taking automotive, racing classes in Chapel Hill

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    CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Things rev-up on Friday nights at the Wake County Speedway, and, among the professionals, high school students are learning the ins-and-outs of racing. 

     

    What You Need To Know

    Chapel Hill High School students learn about the automotive and racing industries

    Automotive teacher Robert Ballard and his program have received recognition on the local and national levels 

    Ballard has worked to bring more female students into the automotive and racing classes, seeing the female population in his classes growing by about 30% in the last year

     

    Their teacher, Robert Ballard, is receiving recognition for his efforts to diversify his automotive classes at Chapel Hill High School and, ultimately, the automotive world.

    His students don’t just learn in a classroom. They do the real learning, everything from math and physics to being a part of a team, by solving problems in the garage.

    “If I don’t have a problem to figure out every day, I kind of get a little bit bored. So I like to fix things, figure out problems on a daily basis,” Ballard said. 

    Interest in automotive classes was a big problem he saw when he came on board at the school six years ago

    “They were being pushed toward kind of a university four-year kind of pathway, but I wanted to make sure they understood that they had different pathways available to them,” he said.

    Ballard said he grew the program from 35 students to 115, but there was still a problem. So few of the students were female, so he started female “lunch and learns.”

    He said the female population has grown by about 30% during the past year. 

    “They stay on track usually a lot more. So, they usually bring a different element to the skilled trades,” Ballard said.

    Senior Chloe Claypoole comes from East Chapel Hill High School specifically for the automotive program.

    “I was very, very persistent about trying to get into this course. I was very eager to learn,” she said.

    Claypoole is now one of a few dozen female students in the program. 

    “It is a little bit intimidating, but I think that it’s mostly inspiring that more and more women are slowly showing interest in these kinds of things,” Claypoole said.

    As cars change, Ballard says so are the people who work on them.

    “We’re starting to notice that females are actually starting to fit our parameters better on newer vehicles. Whereas males were fitting our parameters more on older vehicles with more of the mechanical side of things,” Ballard said.

    The school’s racing program also takes them out of the classroom and garage and onto the racetrack. 

    “When I found out there was a racing program here, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that is something that I definitely want to be a part of,’” Claypoole said.

    Ballard hopes the students will be driven by the experience.

    “I just want to give back to the students what I’ve been taught. So, a lot of these guys out here have been mentors to me. So, I want to be mentors for my students. So, I want to see them grow. I also want to see them learn all the different aspects of the racing community,” he said.

    Claypoole said she loves being at the racetrack. 

    “This is definitely going to be a longtime hobby and something that excites me forever. I’ve grown up around it. I never stopped loving it. This is definitely something I would consider going into a career for,” she said.

    Now, students like Claypoole are proof it’s not just gentlemen starting their engines and their automotive careers.

    Chloe Claypoole checking tires at the racetrack. (Spectrum News 1)

    “It’s actually exciting to me because I know that I’m trying to make a difference by being a part of the program and inspiring more women to feel more comfortable being a part of the program,” she said.

    Students can continue learning about racing throughout the summer at the speedway.   

    The school just started a pre-apprenticeship program to jump-start students’ careers. Ballard said it can fast-track them by three or four years.

    He said Chapel Hill High is the first school in the state to have that pre-apprenticeship program, and now that it’s up and running, he said it should be easier for other schools to start similar ones.

    Ballard and his classes have received a number of recognitions. He was named the 2023 Teacher of the Year for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. 

    Chapel Hill High just received $10,000 from WIX Filters and Tomorrow’s Technician magazine for the first place “School of the Year.” Ballard said that’s for the whole nation among both colleges and high schools. He also won Tomorrow’s Technician’s 2023 “Instructor of the Year.” 

    Ballard said the school’s program has a number of sponsors and that they could not do what they do without the community partnerships.

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    Justin Quesinberry

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  • Financial expert explains advantages of 529 plan for education expenses

    Financial expert explains advantages of 529 plan for education expenses

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — It’s never too late to start thinking about saving for your child’s future.

    The Education Data Initiative says the average cost of college tuition and fees at public four-year institutions has risen 179.2% over the past 20 years.

    What You Need To Know

    • The average cost of college tuition and fees at public four-year institutions has risen 179.2% over 20 years, according to the Education Data Initiative

    • Austin Kobilka of Patriot Wealth in Raleigh says parents can take simple steps to help pay for their child’s post-secondary education 

    • A 529 plan is a way to save for your child’s education costs

    • May 29 is 529 Day

    Financial professional Austin Kobilka from Patriot Wealth in Raleigh says there are simple steps parents can take to help their child’s post-secondary education for 529 Day, which is May 29.

    “The money you contribute grows tax-free and can be used at any time for qualified educational expenses including private school tuition for K-12, college tuition, room and board, books, computers, printers, internet service, as well as graduate schools, trade schools and apprenticeships,” Kobilka said.

    He says anyone can contribute to a 529 plan and the contribution limits are high.

    There are two types of 529 plans. Prepaid tuition plans are offered by a few states and universities.

    “They allow you to lock in your child’s tuition at current rates even if they don’t plan to attend college for a few years,” he said. “Like a savings plan, your money will grow over time and is tax-free.”

    A savings plan is the second 529 option, which is the most common.

    “You can choose which investments you want included (usually mutual funds). How those investments perform will determine how much the account value grows over time,” Kobilka said.

    Starting this year, if you have a 529 account that’s at least 15 years old, you will be able to roll over up to $35,000 of unspent funds into a Roth IRA account, thanks to a provision from the SECURE Act 2.0 of 2022, he said.

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    Siobhan Riley

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  • Manatee County private school bans cellphones for all grades

    Manatee County private school bans cellphones for all grades

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — As several counties in the Tampa Bay area weigh the pros and cons of using cell phones in classrooms, one private school in Manatee County has already banned cell phones for students in kindergarten through 12th-grade.

    What You Need To Know

    • Educational Harbor Christian School banned cell phones on May 1

    • If a student goes against these rules, there will be a one-day suspension

    • There are special allowances depending on the students’ needs

    The principal and founder of Educational Harbor Christian School Stacey Mayo said that at first, they told students to leave their phones in their bags, but the devices were still too much of a distraction, so the school enforced the cellphone ban on May 1.

    “Our overall goal actually isn’t just academic. Although there are academic benefits, I’ve read studies where having the cell phone in the room can affect their GPA and their attention. Just having the notifications close by them or on vibrate is enough to pull their focus away from their studies,” she said.

    Educational Harbor Christian School is a private K-12th grade school in Manatee County.

    One pastor and teacher in favor of this new policy is Ryan Akers, who teaches math and science.

    “They are able to focus on what we are doing at the time without being distracted, and they are able to be on task a whole lot more,” he said.

    With more than 20 years of teaching experience, he’s seen a lot change over the years.

    “Well, when I started teaching, hardly anybody had a phone, especially the teenagers. There just weren’t very many. As we’ve gotten more and more used to phones in culture, they’ve come inside the classroom. It’s really hard to set down your phone,” said Akers.

    Those distractions led school administrators to ban cellphones for all students.

    When students arrive, they put their phones in this cubby that’s later locked by school staff, but for special circumstances the rules can change depending on the students’ needs. But every student will get their phone back at the end of the school day.

    Educational Harbor Christian School’s phone locker. (Spectrum News/Julia Hazel)

    Akers says he’s already seen a positive impact on the students.

    But not all parents are on board with this new rule. Denise Musso is against the cell phone ban that impacts her 11-year-old daughter. Her main concern is safety.

    “If something were to happen, it would be very nerve-wracking. I think having phones locked up and not on their persons can cause a lot of anxiety. I think that you have to look at it case-by-case,” she said.

    And the school does. There are some exceptions for students, like those with an Individual Education Plan. This family wants the school to change the policy for everyone.

    “I hope that they will have good procedures in place and really get the parents involved and let them have some kind of a say on moving forward,” she said.

    And her daughter likes to stay connected in the classroom. She wishes the rule would change too.

    “I like having the phones more than not having them,” she said.

    But Akers said limiting phones allow him to push his students to reach higher.

    “The biggest hope is for the students to start to achieve their peak level,” he said.

    It’s a new rule for students, but parents and school leaders agree — the goal of education remains unchanged.

    If students don’t abide by the new rules, they will be suspended for one school day.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Northern Kentucky University soon to offer AI minor

    Northern Kentucky University soon to offer AI minor

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    HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Northern Kentucky University (NKU) is introducing an artificial intelligence minor to its list of degree offerings beginning this fall.

    What You Need To Know

    • Beginning in the fall 2024 semester, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) is offering a new artificial intelligence minor 

    • It will be offered through the College of Informatics

    • NKU said the AI minor will provide students with a basic foundation in computing, machine learning and prompt engineering

    • Courses will also cover societal, ethical and legal implications 

    Many believe AI will continue to become a part of everyday life as it advances at a rate that Kevin Kirby, dean of the College of Informatics at NKU, said he has never seen before.

    “I’ve never seen anything change so fast,” Kirby said. “It’s very important to keep our subject matter fresh, and we know students are coming to NKU right now with lots of experience in AI.”

    NKU created the new AI minor through the College of Informatics. The university said according to the Wall Street Journal, AI expertise adds value to a wide variety of careers, which is why it created the minor to pair with nearly any major.

    “When students come here, we want them not to be just users of AI,” Kirby said. “We want them to be, maybe, power users. We want them to understand … this is how it works, this is why it consumes so much data and so much power.”

    “AI is not just tech; it’s not just computer science. It’s about communicating with a new form of intelligence in some way. How do you talk to AI? How do you bend AI to your will?”

    The opposite happening is one of the major concerns some have expressed about AI. It’s a topic Robert Greenleaf Brice said he plans to address in his “philosophy of mind” class.

    “There are issues about consciousness … and of course, that falls right into the full wheelhouse of, ‘What is AI?’” Greenleaf Brice said. “Is it alive in the sense it has consciousness? Or is it just what some philosophers call weak AI, which is just kind of a tool?”

    “My concern is less that there’s a doomsday scenario, the ‘Terminator’ effect, where it will rise and have this consciousness. I’m less concerned about that. My concern is mostly about what it is that we’re putting into these programs. What sort of moral, ethical decision-making process is going into these programs?”

    NKU said the AI minor will provide students with a basic foundation in computing, machine learning and prompt engineering, along with societal, ethical and legal implications. 

    “There are some things to be afraid of with AI, but we want the fear to be informed,” Kirby said. “You are going to be thrown into a world where you’re using AI; your colleagues (and) your students are going to be using AI, so we want to empower you with the ability to deal with that.”

     

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    Sam Knef

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