BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (August 24, 2015) – Firewall Centers receives $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Broward (CFB) and $50,000 in matching support from the Children’s Services Council of Broward (CSC) to support its School is Cool programs at Bair Middle School and Plantation Middle School.
With approximately 1.2 million students dropping out of high school each year (7,000 a day), these funds will continue to make a huge impact. The Community Foundation of Broward recognizes that the middle school years are critical in academic, personal, and social development. Therefore, Firewall Centers is a key component of their “School is Cool” initiative, which is a community-wide effort to increase high school graduation rates to 90 percent in the coming years by focusing on middle school success.
“As we work with parents and schools to impact underserved students, we believe that walking through life with students starting in middle school ultimately helps them see that with the right help and their own hard work, they can break the cycle of poverty and reach their greatest potential,” said Executive Director Andy Fernandez. “And this continued partnership with the Community Foundation of Broward and the Children’s Services Council makes School is Cool a possibility for our kids and their families.”
The program equips low-income students with the educational means to rise and become leaders in their communities, and funds will be used to provide top-quality mentors who work with students each day after school to help them improve their attendance, behavior, and course performance (ABC’s), to provide its unique curriculum to students designed to teach them leadership and service principles, and to provide the technology access and school supplies necessary for students to complete their homework assignments and projects. For more information on School is Cool, click here.
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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 after-school 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 2015/2016 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 will serve 450 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 Centers and how you can get involved atwww.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF BROWARD
Founded in 1984, the Community Foundation of Broward provides leadership on community solutions, and fosters philanthropy that connects people who care with causes that matter. With more than 450 charitable Funds representing $173 million, it has distributed $72 million during the past 30 years to create positive change. The Foundation convenes citizens around critical issues, and builds the capacity of our community. For Good. For Ever. For more information about the Community Foundation of Broward, visit cfbroward.org or call 954.761.9503.
ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S SERVICES COUNCIL OF BROWARD
The Children’s Services Council of Broward is an independent taxing authority which was established by a public referendum on September 5, 2000, which, through Public Act, Chapter 2000-461 of the laws of Florida, authorized the Council to levy up to 0.5 mills of property taxes. The role of the Council is to provide the leadership, advocacy and resources necessary to enhance children’s lives and empower them to become responsible, productive adults through collaborative planning and funding of a continuum of quality care. Follow them on Twitter at @CSCBroward and on Facebook. For more information about the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, please visit www.cscbroward.org.
Firewall students at Bair Middle School
Firewall student with his mentor at Plantation Middle School
