Author: C&I

This Christmas, we gave each student at our Walker Elementary Center their own stuffed animal donated by Barry University students and a Christmas book donated by the Local 10 Big Book Drive!

In the area surrounding Walker Elementary, there is a greater percentage of children living in poverty than is found in 97% of all U.S. neighborhoods.

We wanted to give the students a memorable Christmas by going beyond meeting their academic needs and blessing them with a special gift they could enjoy.

Firewall Centers

Firewall was presented with a check from Church United for $28,073 to help fund our new Center this year, Walker Elementary!

Several churches in West Broward County came together to fund Walker Elementary

‘We decided that one of the most important things we could do to serve our community was to invest in the education of the next generation. It then became a natural fit to partner together with Firewall Centers because of the incredible work they are doing and their reputation in the community,’ said Jon Elswick, Crossway Church Pastor.

We are so grateful for their generosity and the Love South Florida Initiative that has allowed us to serve more students!

One of our Firewall Mentors, Malkia, cried when she was told she’d be packing a present for Operation Christmas Child with her Firewall students. She was reminded of her first and only Christmas present as a child, a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child filled with gifts. Malkia grew up in Jamaica, the second poorest country in the Carribbean.

“I remember going to Primary school and everyone got gifts! We were so surprised. My brother and I each had our own,” said Malkia.

Malkia shared this story with the Firewall students and they got to see first-hand the impact they can have when they give back to those in need.

Thank you, Firewall volunteers! 

Our volunteers have completed 300+ hours so far this school year! We would like to thank our volunteers for their heart to serve and for giving of their time to help our students by tutoring and reading with them.

From all of us at Firewall, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

On Tuesday, October 9th we held our Student-to-Leader Luncheon!

Abner Molina, a Firewall graduate, shared his story and talked about some of the difficulties he overcame, like growing up in a rough neighborhood in which a lot of his peers ended up in jail, experimented with drugs, or worse, were shot.

But Abner’s story turned out different! This December, he will graduate with his Bachelor’s in Marketing from Florida International University.

He is also taking classes with Google that will lead to internship opportunities and even got to study for a semester in Italy!

“If it wasn’t for Firewall, I would’ve been one of those students easily. Around the peer pressure that is in the culture today, not many come out. I would love to see more “me’s” come out of the neighborhood. All kids like me really need is a mentor; a mentor to believe in them, to believe that they are worth it and to believe they can go beyond what they currently believe they can. It’s all mentality,” said Abner.

You can watch all of Abner’s story on YouTube here!

We also heard from one of our school partners, Tariq Qaiyim, the Assistant Principal at Lauderhill 6-12.

Firewall’s Program Director, Janeth Fernandez, and Lauderhill 6-12 Assistant Principal, Tariq Qaiyim

“I truly believe in Firewall. I know this is a good program for our students. Firewall is a great representation of what should be going on in education and how a partnership should work. To Andy, Janeth, and the staff and I really appreciate what you do,” said Qaiyim.

You can view more photos from the Student-to-Leader Luncheon on our Facebook here!

As always, thank you for your support in impacting the lives of 500+ students that Firewall serves.

Meet Caitlin, Firewall’s Curriculum Specialist! She recently completed her Master’s in Elementary Education at Nova Southeastern University. There she learned different teaching styles and approaches that prepared her for her role at Firewall Centers. Caitlin created the lessons for Walker Elementary and also oversees their implementation. So grab a seat and join the conversation about Firewall’s new Center at Walker!

1. What was the first week with the kids like?
The kids were all excited to be in Firewall! They were very respectful, listened to instruction, and responded to the structure…which isn’t normal for Elementary school students but the school has high expectations for these students and they rise to meet them.

During the first week, the students wrote all about themselves in an “All About Me” worksheet. Then they swapped papers with a classmate they didn’t know and presented what they had learned about them! This taught them to summarize a text which is a Florida Standard.

They also wrote letters to their future selves that they will open at the end of the year. The letters included academic, character, and personal goals they want to achieve. The letters are wrapped in a piece of yarn that measured their height so at the end of the year they will see how much they grew!

2. What work went into preparing for Firewall’s opening at Walker?
The biggest thing we did to prepare was to meet with the school staff to understand the school’s culture and values. Then we created a curriculum that aligns with the school’s instructional calendar and teaches all the mandated standards while making it fun for them to learn.

3. What is the ultimate goal of Firewall being at Walker Elementary?
All of the students we will be working with at Walker Elementary are reading below grade level. So our goal is to work on their reading skills so that by the end of the year, they are reading on grade level and testing proficient. 

4. What role do Firewall Mentors play?
They teach the daily lessons to their small group of students, they implement activities, and then communicate to me how the students are learning and where they may be struggling. From there, we create interventions to help the students improve their skills.

5. What are the lessons and how do you create them?

The lessons were created to mirror what the teachers at Walker Elementary are teaching throughout the day. We met with the classroom teachers and obtained their Standards calendar. Thus, allowing Firewall to function as an extension of the day, reinforcing the concepts taught in the classrooms and improves learning outcomes.

All of the lessons teach the Florida State Standards through cross-curricular lessons. In other words, our lessons integrate at least two content areas. The overarching theme for the year is culture. Over the course of the year, students will ‘travel’ to many different countries. As they are exposed to different cultures, they will gain and understanding for others and learn to celebrate their differences. Our students will see people from all backgrounds, which helps them connect with the curriculum.

The goal is to make learning fun, while teaching the Florida State Standards in an effective way. Some topics include building and testing boats, writing an autobiography, and reading the Cinderella story from three different countries.

We will also have career days with the students to talk with them about how important school is now and get them excited about their future! Different businessman and businesswoman will come to share with the students about their careers. It’s really about getting the students interested and to create goals that will propel them through their education.

6. Why do you enjoy working with the students so much?

I know my calling in life is to educate students. The Firewall students come from difficult backgrounds. While some may see this as a hindrance, I see the opportunity. Firewall believes in all children and wants to empower all students to succeed. I have been blessed to see how students grow in our program, both academically and personally. Our students receive a rigorous education in a small group setting. As we pour love into these students lives and build relationships with them, we are able to propel them forward.

Our students are also given responsibilities in the classroom and encouraged for completing tasks. As a result, they come to intrinsically value helping others. We see our students transform into servant leaders. One parent told us that her students come home excited to tell her about the lessons they learned and to teach her what they’re learning at Firewall.

I love working with the students because I see God at work in their lives. He enables our staff and works through them for His glory. It’s a blessing to be a part of.

***

You can learn more about Firewall Centers here or give today to support the tutoring and mentoring of low-income students. 

Welcome our newest Firewall Center…Walker Elementary!

The neighborhood surrounding Walker Elementary has a higher rate of childhood poverty than almost 97% of all U.S. neighborhoods.

We are in this school to make a difference and we are excited to partner with Principal Bullock and his great team of teachers at Walker Elementary!

In preparation to open at Walker Elementary, Firewall’s Curriculum Specialist, Caitlin Mantooth, created lessons that align with the school’s instructional calendar and the Florida State Standards.

You can read more about Walker from Caitlin here!

Firewall Centers

Our AmeriCorps Firewall Mentors and Lead Mentors attended our training to prepare for the school year!

“I joined Firewall…because I wanted to be a mentor to kids and teach them things I never got taught,” said Stacy, Firewall Lead Mentor.

The majority of the students we serve are below grade level in Language Arts and Math. The Mentors are excited to help them improve and make a difference!

Our staff also received leadership training from a PeopleTek Executive Coach, Pat Pinera. They learned more about situational leadership and their unique personality DISC profiles.

Our desire is to see each Mentor flourish both professionally and personally!

The First Week of School Was a Success!

Our 9 Centers are open for the school year and serving over 500 students daily!

Volunteers Wanted!

Are you looking to get involved in your community? Tutor and/or read with students on a weekly/bi-weekly basis!

When:  after-school, time varies, for 1 hour
Where: at one of the following Firewall locations:
Walker Elementary, Bair Middle, Crystal Lake Middle, Lauderhill 6-12, or Pompano Beach Middle

Firewall Centers

We hope you’re having an amazing summer so far!

We want to share an incredible story with you about Zack who started attending Firewall in 7th grade.

During High School, he began to struggle in his classes and received D’s and F’s. His Firewall mentor, Taylor, was there to tutor him and keep him focused on his work.

At the end of his 10th grade year, he ran into Firewall to show Taylor he had brought up his grades to A’s and B’s!

‘I remember getting tears in my eyes because we genuinely connected and I was so proud of him. We had worked so hard,’ said Taylor.

Zack will be a senior this upcoming school year and we are excited to see him continue to excel!

Firewall students Nathaly, Ishana, Zack, Arnold, Firewall Mentor Taylor, Firewall student Samantha (left to right)

Recruiting Firewall Mentors
We are looking for AmeriCorps Firewall Mentors to continue to make a difference in the lives of our 500+ students!

• August-June 2019
• Monday-Thursday, around 3:00-6:00 p.m.
• Receive a bi-weekly living allowance, education award to help pay for college/stuent loans
• Apply online at firewallcenters.org/apply

*Must be a high school graduate and able to commit for the full school year*

 Firewall Centers’ Headquarters Gets a Facelift

In preparation for the school year, volunteers dedicated their time to replace lights, paint walls, build donated desks, and more!

Thank you Greenhouse, Calvary Plantation, and Vertical Church for all your help!