1. Rohi’s Readery
Rohi’s Readery is a social justice driven children’s bookstore and learning center committed to critical literacy that promotes inclusivity and diversity. It is a space where we honor and share the everyday experiences of historically marginalized communities through the pages of a book and authentic educational programming. Whether they are books that are showing characters in beautiful shades of Black and Brown, the LGBTQIA+ community, characters with disabilities and the neurodiverse population, or information that has historically been presented inaccurately, the goal of the Readery is for you to see yourself in the pages of a book or learn about the stories of those you don’t know. Providing opportunities for windows and mirrors for our youngest learners and ultimately a space for building empowerment and accessibility.
Rohi’s Readery also serves as a space where we as adults and children are co-constructors of learning and knowledge. An opportunity to cultivate the genius that is already within our littlest ones. From live read alouds to community partnership classes, family literacy support, highlighting authors of the Global Majority, and ultimately, a space to unapologetically celebrate the beauty and diversity of our children. Communities deserve spaces to honor, celebrate and acknowledge the history of the past and what’s to come of the future. My hope is that when one comes in, at any age, that you feel seen, valued, loved and belong.
2. The Benjamin School
Founded in 1960 as North Palm Beach Private School by Nancy and Marshall Benjamin, The Benjamin School of today is one of the nation’s premier independent day schools. From Early Childhood through Upper School (grades PK3-12), we offer a wide range of possibilities for students across broad horizons.
With over 1,100 students enrolled on two campuses in North Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, The Benjamin School offers a comprehensive experience academically, athletically and artistically. Through a wide range of courses, class trips and co-curricular clubs and sports, students learn to work both independently and collaboratively.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the School was able to offer continuous on-campus instruction as well as a virtual option for families across all three divisions.
Students achieved a variety of impressive accomplishments despite the trials of the pandemic. Among them:
* Senior creates ‘sweet spot’ app to help manage diabetes for individuals who can’t afford more expensive monitoring systems
* Track star breaks his coach’s long jump record
* Greg Norman Jr. named Distinguished Alumnus
* BTV News Earns All Florida Honors
* U.S. students inducted into Cum Laude Society
* National Honor Society inducts 28 new members
Despite our pandemic footing, the School rallied around our “Call From The Heart” fundraising effort, which raised funds to provide financial aid for qualified students from underrepresented groups in the lower school.
* MS students adopted a loggerhead turtle through partnership with Loggerhead Marinelife Center and are tracking data to document where the turtle nests throughout the season as part of their STEM curriculum
* Drama students adapted to the challenges of COVID by performing Avenue Q for an outdoor audience
* Holocaust survivor who was unable to physically travel to campus because of COVID shared her testimony with middle school campus with the help of her daughter who set her up on Zoom
Community Outreach:
* Middle school donated 2,450 pairs of shoes to nonprofit Soles4Souls
* Benjamin continued its partnership with Friends of Foster Children, with each division spearheading a variety of initiatives to benefit the children and their caregivers including: sock drive, Valentine’s day bags for caseworkers, toy drive, and more!
3. Palm Beach County School District
Florida is known as the Sunshine State. Not only does that describe our tropical climate and perpetual summer, it is also a description that captures the spirit of the Palm Beach County School District.
Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated teachers and administrators, our students are encouraged to shine and light up with enthusiasm for learning.
As the 10th largest school district in the country, we understand what it means to be in the spotlight, and the significance of being a leader in the important realm of education.
We are the largest employer in Palm Beach County, with nearly 23,000 employees and a $4 billion annual budget. We take pride in our most recent graduation rate of 94.4%, as well as our schools, teachers, staff, and students annually winning dozens of state, national, and international athletic and academic competitions and awards.
But it’s not only about accolades; ultimately, it’s about the children, the hearts and minds we are tasked with educating. There’s a saying: “To teach is to touch a life forever.”
Through education, we take a student’s glimmer of hope, and turn it into a full-fledged belief in their ability to achieve great things. A twinkle in the eye of a child is shaped into a clear vision for their future.
By upholding our mission to educate, affirm, and inspire each student, we prepare our children for academic and career success, while instilling positive values that will stay with them long after they leave our District.
4. Urban Youth Impact
Urban Youth Impact (UYI) is starting our 25th year of being on-mission to love, equip, and empower inner-city youth to fulfill their God-given purpose. Founded by Bill Hobbs and his wife, Kerry, UYI has grown into an award-winning and nationally recognized nonprofit organization, impacting local families through various programs. These programs work together to provide literacy, leadership, arts and sciences, job-training, mentorship, life skills, and spiritual enrichment to our urban youth. It is led by President/CEO Chris Tress, a 20-year UYI veteran.
The Leadership Academy (TLA), our signature program, has a main focus on literacy intervention due to reading proficiency rates as low as 35% in the schools our youth attend. For the last 10 years, youth attending TLA have entered the program with an average of only 13% reading on grade level, but 77% are able to read on grade level after being enrolled in TLA for the school year.
The next chapter of our vision includes reaching inner-city students all day through a partnership with Jupiter Christian School. Urban Youth Impact and Jupiter Christian School will open a private school in West Palm Beach to serve next generation leaders of the urban area. This partnership seeks to offer a top of the line education to our inner-city families, and the school will provide transportation, lunch, and early/after-care for its students. Operating under the name of “Jupiter Christian School at Urban Youth Impact,” the school will begin with only first grade and kindergarten, but it has a much larger vision.
5. Center for Creative Education
The Foundations School is the Center for Creative Education’s newest educational intervention program to give Kindergarten through third grade students the best foundations for success. A student-centered, creative, arts-integrated approach to teaching and learning is focused on students from disadvantaged communities. The independent school uses a sliding fee scale based on household size and income, and no one is turned away for inability to pay.
When the program launched in January 2021, only nine percent of students attending the new school were reading at grade level. After five months, more than 40 percent of the students who participated were back on grade level—ready for fall 2021, according to the Diagnostic Reading Assessment educators provided the students. As many as 74 percent of the students also demonstrated gains in creative mindset as measured by confidence, problem-solving, originality and elaboration.
“The result of this testing shows incredible growth in the students who attend The Foundations School, with an increase in their confidence levels as well as a stronger connection to and love of the learning process itself,” said Robert L. Hamon, President and CEO of CCE. “Students love coming to school here. In the past five months we’ve seen a direct correlation between attendance rate and reading proficiency. Our school has a 92 percent attendance rate which lead to a whole grade-and-a-half increase in reading proficiency for students. In another education setting, our students might otherwise be kept afloat as opposed to being given a passion for learning and a stronger inclination to thrive and reach for more.”
