POMPANO, Fla. (Dec. 14th, 2015) – The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation provided Firewall Centers with a generous $5,000 grant to expand its Pompano Beach Middle School program. These funds will help increase the center capacity from 50 at-risk students to 60 and provide them with top-quality mentors and school essentials.
“The Firewall program helps students see that with the right help and support system together with their own hard work, they can break the cycle of poverty and reach their greatest potential,” said Andy Fernandez, Firewall Centers’ Executive Director, “and we are grateful for our new partnership with The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation to make this happen for more kids at Pompano Beach Middle School (PBMS).
PBMS is a Title I, low-income classified school, as 90% of its students currently receive free or reduced lunch and come from minority families (Broward County Schools). Firewall began a partnership with PBMS by obtaining support from the school principal, Sonja Braziel. School staff refers students to the program, and once enrolled, daily communication with parents, teachers, and school staff begins to support student success.
“Another program came to me and said they wanted to help Pompano Middle, but asked me for our best A/B students. Andy from Firewall came and said, ‘we want them all,’” said Braziel, PBMS principal.
The program is operated inside the school cafeteria, which provides ideal program access to students, parents, and teachers. Firewall mentors work with their students each day after school with the goal of helping them improve their grades and overall school performance. Firewall also provides a custom curriculum that teaches students character values and leadership qualities.
