Author: C&I

Firewall Opens Two Centers!

We are so excited to announce that we have successfully opened two new centers at Horizon and Flamingo Elementary. As Firewall continues to grow, so does the impact on our local community. We couldn’t have reached this point without the love and support from our Firewall Family, and we thank you!

Our work doesn’t stop here! As we continue developing our future doctors, lawyers, engineers, and servant leaders, we want you to be a part of the process. Firewall has open volunteer opportunities for anyone that is interested in making a difference. For more information, visit FirewallCenters.org/volunteer

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We need your help!

Ms. Janeth has been nominated for the Local 10 Life Changer Award. This award recognizes a hometown hero who entered a person’s life at a pivotal point and made a significant impact.

Janeth is the Chief Program Director of Firewall and is responsible for managing and training more than 80 staff members. Through Janeth’s leadership, Firewall has grown from serving 40 students to more than 500 every day across nine public schools.

Help her win by voting every day until August 31st! You can vote here!

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Thank you, Broward College!

We recently received a $2,500 sponsorship from Broward College for our High School Program. Firewall wishes to recognize their generous contribution and thank them for their continued support in helping us transform students into servant leaders.We are excited to continue to partner with them as they make a positive impact preparing students for successful futures.

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We’re still hiring!

We’re still recruiting college students and recent college grads to become AmeriCorps Firewall Mentors for the 2019-2020 school year!

Perks include an education award to help pay for college and/or student loans, a bi-weekly living stipend, and leadership development!

Visit FirewallCenters.org/apply

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Firewall Centers
13451 SW 7th PL  | Davie, Florida 33325
9545301871 | info@firewallcenters.org

Though school is officially out for summer, Firewall’s work continues. This summer, we offered a six-week program in a mobile home park community in Davie. Our program focuses on preparing students for the upcoming school year and consists of leadership training, English-language exercises, and math review.

At Firewall, we pride ourselves on being a dynamic organization that tailors our approach to meet the individual needs of our students. For Juan and Miguel, two 7th graders that just moved here from Venezuela, learning English is a priority.

Instead of putting Juan and Miguel through our regular program, our mentors primarily focus on improving their English language skills. The boys take turns reading aloud and underlining words they don’t know. Later, they write the words on flashcards to practice with their Firewall Mentors.

 Firewall Mentor, Raevin, Juan, and Miguel

“By reading with my mentor, I’ve learned new vocabulary words and how to pronounce them. It’s good for me to learn English so I can meet new friends and feel more connected.” – Miguel

Children from lower-income homes can fall 2 to 3 months behind in their reading during the summer months, but Firewall students will enter the school year avoiding the learning loss that typically accompanies summer break. 

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School Supply Drive

Throughout the summer, we are collecting supplies for the upcoming school year!

Here’s a list of the most needed supplies for our students. We appreciate any support you can give. Simply purchase items and drop them by our office in Davie!

Meet John, an AmeriCorps Firewall Mentor that worked daily with our Western High School students this past school year.

John graduated from Princeton University in 2018 and will attend Duke Law School in the fall to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer.

He has always had a passion for helping others and serving the community, but it was Firewall’s mission that inspired John to apply and serve as a mentor.

“I was ecstatic about the opportunity to work with young people. High school students should be filled with hopefulness and optimism about the future. Unfortunately, many at-risk youth are shackled by low expectations and have a low opinion of their abilities. At Firewall, I saw firsthand the life-changing power of mentoring. We help students visualize themselves as the next doctors, lawyers, police officers, and mechanics by working with students to develop a concrete plan that make their dreams a realistic achievement,’ said John.

‘This made all the difference for Louie, a student who always dreamed of becoming a firefighter, but didn’t know how to actually make it happen. After we reviewed the basic requirements and charted a plan of action, Louie returned to school with a newfound commitment to his academics, now understanding that his GPA would affect his chances of becoming a firefighter.’

This summer, John will help update our High School program to ensure our students are best prepared to enter the workforce.

“Andy and the Firewall team are constantly looking to improve the program and the services we offer and I’m honored that he’s involved me in this process. I am confident that our evidence-based reforms will make a meaningful impact on our students’ lives.”

Our Servant Leader Celebration hosted by Eric Yutzy was amazing!

Meet De’Andre, a Firewall student. De’Andre didn’t think he’d be able to graduate, but now he’s graduating a year early!

De’Andre started attending Firewall in 6th grade. Throughout Middle School and into 9th grade, he was unmotivated to do work and struggled in most of his classes. But Firewall’s long term mentoring and tutoring developed his confidence and maturity.

For De’Andre it all came together in 10th grade when he decided to become a firefighter. He started to work harder at his school work and began taking extra online classes.

Now in his junior year, because of his own determination and Firewall’s help, De’Andre will graduate this May, a year early!

“He is so polite and mature now. We wish him the best! He is a true example of the long term impact Firewall can have on students,” said Janeth Fernandez, Program Director.

Consider giving towards Firewall can continue to support students like De’Andre!

Firewall Centers

For the second year in a row, our students and mentors gave handmade Valentine’s Day cards to over 200 elderly care residents with the help of Heart2Heart Outreach of South Florida.

‘It was pretty eye opening because we got to see all the physical problems the residents had and how much they miss the company of their family,’ said Shante, 10th grade Firewall student.

Over 60% of elderly residents in Florida will never receive a single visit from friends or family so it was quite special for the residents to receive hand delivered Valentine’s Day cards.

‘You went through all this trouble to make me happy…thank you,’ said one resident.

Each note was written and read aloud to the residents by a Firewall student.

‘There were so many smiles and quite a few tears of joy. Some powerful moments as students witnessed the mental and physical struggles of elderly residents. Hearing the kids say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day! We love you!’ to everyone they visited was such a beautiful sound. Thank you Firewall Centers!’, said Blake Silverstrom, Heart2Heart Outreach Executive Director.

We are excited to partner again with Heart2Heart Outreach on April 27th for our 6th Annual Serve-A-Thon! Our students will get the opportunity to visit the elderly, package meals for the hungry, feed the homeless, and more.

If you’d like to get involved by becoming a Serve-A-Thon sponsor, please contact us today!

Thank you for helping transform students into servant leaders!

Firewall Centers