Author: C&I

Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North Beach Gives $10,000 towards expansion of Firewall Centers programs

DAVIE, Fla. (Jan. 4th, 2017) – The Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North Beach generously donated $10,000 to Firewall Centers during a year-end matching challenge to support program services for more students in the upcoming 2017/18 school year.

Currently, Firewall serves 400+ middle and high school students on a daily basis with plans to increase to 500+ daily in the next school year. Program participants are low-income, minority students who attend Title I schools in Broward County.

At Firewall, students are assisted daily with their homework and studying for tests as well as given individually targeted tutoring in key subjects like reading and math.

The program also utilizes its own T.H.I.N.K. curriculum to equip students with life skills that build their ability to set goals, make informed decisions, and overcome obstacles. It is designed to teach the students resilience, perseverance, and leadership principles.

Firewall is set apart from other after-school programs thanks to its innovative technology designed to help staff monitor student grades and test scores, the individualized student success plans staff develops for each student which include a personal/academic profile to help them set goals, and its long-term family model that supports students from 6th grade all the way through high school graduation and beyond.

Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North Beach, Firewall can continue to provide its daily, school-based tutoring and mentoring services designed to help students achieve academic success, build character and transform into servant leaders.

Andy Fernandez, Firewall Centers’ Executive Director, expresses that, “The [Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North Beach] is always so welcoming and attentive every time I come to speak. We are grateful for their generous support of our mission and dedication to helping our youth succeed.”

Firewall Family Dinner 2016

On November 4th, Firewall hosted its first family dinner with over 150 in attendance at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. Guests connected with Firewall students, saw them perform a talent show, and heard about their Firewall experience through interviews and video.

The evening had a dynamic start with Firewall students showcasing their talents through five different performances. The performances included singing, dancing, and even an original Rap written by Durante, a seventh grader from Firewall’s Lauderhill center. It was a great outlet for the students to express themselves and provide some fun entertainment for the night.

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Guests heard from Joanne Daudt, a Firewall Board member, who spoke about Firewall’s impressive model and its ability to yield effective results in the students that are a part of the program. “Principles of integrity, morality and basic life planning are not taught in school today, but I see them being instilled in Firewall students. I am confident that these students will graduate from high school and move on as successful servant leaders,” said Daudt.

Patricia Genhold, the Assistant Principal at Bair Middle School, shared how Firewall is not an aftercare program. She noted the program is effectively building character in her students and improving their academics. Genhold was impressed by the work ethic and passion she observed from the Firewall mentors and how much they cared for and helped their students.

One of the final highlights of the night was the student panel interview and a life changing video. Event attendees heard directly from three students about their Firewall experiences. Not only did they talk about their goals and dreams, but about how they were applying the principles of “never quitting” and “giving back” to the community in their everyday lives.

firewall-centers-family-dinner-interviews

Directly following the interviews, guests watched a video about Victoria, an eleventh grader from Firewall’s Western center, who has been with the program since she was in sixth grade. She went from being proud of getting terrible grades, to now excelling academically and constantly serving her classmates. Firewall helped her through a hard time in her life when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she is truly grateful for the support system she had. Someday, she hopes to become a Firewall mentor.

The dinner was a tremendous success as guests learned not only about the program but Firewall’s future plans and goals. It was a great way to spread the vision and gain community support. Victoria summed it up perfectly when she said, “Firewall is really there for you. You are not just a student to them. You are family.”

 

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Generous Grant from United Way of Broward County Helps Firewall Centers Provide 75 At-Risk Youth at Pompano Beach Middle School with an Opportunity to Not Only Survive, But Thrive

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (August 31, 2016) – Firewall Centers, a non-profit organization that offers free after-school tutoring, mentoring, and leadership development to middle and high school students, is continuing its partnership with United Way of Broward County. After three years of supporting Firewall’s Center at Pompano Beach Middle School with a $30,000 annual grant, the United Way of Broward County has now graciously awarded Firewall another three-year grant, and this time in the amount of $61,670 each year.

Funds will be used to expand Firewall’s Center at Pompano Beach Middle School from serving 50 at-risk students at the school to 75. The grant will also allow Firewall to run a 5-week summer program at the school to provide academic and character-building activities to students that prevent the summer slide.

Currently, 75.3% of Broward County students are graduating from high school, with a much lower rate for disadvantaged youth. Firewall seeks to raise graduation rates by providing support strategies aimed at improving the achievement of disadvantaged students like those that attend Pompano Beach Middle School.

“United Way of Broward County is pleased to support programs like Firewall,” stated United Way of Broward County President and CEO, Kathleen Cannon.  “Students should have the tools they need to thrive in school and life.”

united-way

The reason why so many schools and funders are taking notice of Firewall: the program works! During the 2015/2016 school year, 100% of the Pompano students were promoted to the next grade level. Other impressive program outcomes included the following: 98% of the students did not exceed 5 absences per marking period during the school year (per Broward School Board standards), 95% did not receive internal or external suspensions from school, and 97% achieved all A’s, B’s, & C’s in reading, 93% did so in math, and 94% did in language arts. Mckenzie, an 8th grade student from Pompano Middle School commented, “What I like most about Firewall is that they take pride in helping us with our education and teaching us how to be servant leaders in the future.”

Firewall’s daily, school-based mentoring and tutoring program is designed to help low-income students achieve academic success, build character, and transform into servant leaders. The program, called T.H.I.N.K. (Take Charge, Have a Plan, Involve the Right People, Never Quit, Keep Giving Back) Leadership, provides students with opportunities to excel academically as they are given targeted attention on critical subjects like reading and math not only during the school year, but for several weeks in the summer. The program also utilizes its own curriculum based on its T.H.I.N.K. acronym in order to equip students with necessary life skills such as learning to take charge of one’s own actions, setting goals, making informed decisions, and overcoming obstacles. Firewall is not just a program – it is a family that begins walking through life with students when they first enter middle school and continues throughout their high school years and as they transition into college/career.

Thanks to the generosity of United Way of Broward County and other likeminded supporters, Firewall will operate eight centers in Broward County this year, serving 500 students every day.

Pompano Beach Middle

 

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ABOUT FIREWALL CENTERS:

Firewall was established in 2003 in response to the death of a thirteen year old girl who overdosed on drugs while left unsupervised during after-school hours. Ever since, the agency has been operating daily, school-based mentoring and tutoring services designed to help students achieve academic success, build character, and transform into servant leaders. For the 2015/2016 school year, Firewall’s T.H.I.N.K. Leadership program has eight locations within Broward County Public Schools serving 500 students. The program’s overarching objective is to improve performance outcomes among at-risk students as related to their school attendance, behavior, and course performance, thus helping them to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency as they pursue their life goals. You can learn more about Firewall Centers and how you can get involved at www.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters.

 

About United Way of Broward County:

United Way of Broward County is a volunteer driven, community-based, non-profit organization servicing Broward County for more than 75 years. United Way of Broward County mission is to focus and unite the entire community to create significant lasting change in the impact areas of Education, Income and Health, the building blocks for a better life, which positively impacts people’s lives. United Way of Broward County is the catalyst for change and convener of partnerships that unite the hearts, minds, and resources within the Broward community. For more information, visit www.UnitedWayBroward.org.

Firewall Centers receives AmeriCorps Grant to Support the Academic Success of Broward County Students


AmeriCorps Firewall is chosen as one of ten Florida-based AmeriCorps programs to be welcomed into the Corporation for National and Community Service for the 2016-2017 program year

 

DAVIE, Fla. (August 15, 2016) – Firewall Centers was recently awarded an AmeriCorps grant by the Corporation for National and Community Service for the 2016/17 school year. This funding will support 35 AmeriCorps Firewall members who will serve by tutoring, mentoring, and modeling positive behaviors to their group of students.

“AmeriCorps funding and resources will allow Firewall to more effectively reach underserved communities, meet low-income students’ needs, and even expand organizational activities,” said Rachel Taylor, Firewall Centers’ Development Director.

The funding was administered by Volunteer Florida, the Florida Commission on Community Service, who grants funds to Florida AmeriCorps programs like Firewall.

Altogether, AmeriCorps Firewall members will serve over 400 disadvantaged middle school and high school students that attend Broward County Public Schools. Upon successful completion of the 2016/17 service year, they will also be granted an Education Award that can be used towards college tuition or student loans.

“AmeriCorps members selected to serve demonstrate that they live a lifestyle centered on giving back. They are the future leaders of our community and ideal role models to the students they will mentor at Firewall,” said Taylor.

Firewall Centers is a Florida-based nonprofit whose mission is to help disadvantaged students achieve academic success, build character, and transform into servant leaders. Its program model is designed to target students’ school attendance, behavior and course performance outcomes beginning in their sixth grade year and continuing through their high school graduation.

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About Firewall Centers
Firewall was established in 2003 in response to the death of a thirteen year old girl who overdosed on drugs while left unsupervised during after-school hours. Ever since, the agency has been operating daily school-based tutoring and mentoring centers for at-risk students that instill character values and promote academic success, supporting them as they strive toward their greatest potential. For the 2016/2017 school year, Firewall’s T.H.I.N.K. (Take charge, Have a plan, Involve the right people, Never quit, Keep giving back) Leadership program has eight Centers and is serving 400 Broward county students. The program’s overarching objective is to improve performance outcomes among at-risk students as related to their school attendance, behavior, and course performance, thus helping them to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency as they pursue their life goals. You can learn more about Firewall and how you can get involved at www.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters.

About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations at 15,000 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. Since 1994, more than 820,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service to their communities and country through AmeriCorps.

About Volunteer Florida
Volunteer Florida, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, was established in 1994 by the Florida Legislature to administer grants under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. The Commission grants funds to Florida AmeriCorps and National Service programs; coordinates volunteers and donations in a disaster; and inspires all Floridians to serve their communities. For more information, visit: www.volunteerflorida.org.