1. UWF EVT 6664 Session 3 (a)
BY: Anthony C. Grant
THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Partnerships in Polk County Florida
Public Relations
Our goal is to provide members of our community with up-to-the-minute news and information on
public schools in Polk County.
Community Involvement
Welcome to the Community Involvement homepage of the Community Relations Department. Here you
will find a variety of information on how you can start getting involved in public education as a business
or community organization. Please browse our site and contact us with any questions you might have.
http://www.polk-fl.net/districtinfo/departments/officeofthesuperintendent/communityrelations.htm
Broadcast Communications
Our goal is to provide the citizens of Polk County with a quality source of news and information about
the programs and services offered by the Polk County School Board. We welcome your input as we
continue to develop this valuable communications tool as a link between homes and schools.
http://www.polk-fl.net/districtinfo/departments/officeofthesuperintendent/communityrelations.htm
2. Volunteers
The Polk County School Board has an outstanding volunteer program, with over one million service
hours donated by more than 30,000 volunteers each year. Investing in our schools helps students
succeed.
Becoming a Volunteer
The security of our students is a primary concern. Volunteers pay a one-time, non refundable fee of
$24.00 to cover the cost of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement background check. Payment is
made by certified check or money order payable to the Polk County School Board and submitted with a
volunteer application at the school site. Volunteer approval is continuous from year to year and applies
to all Polk County Schools. Check with your school and make sure you are not already approved.
How Can You Help?
Ways to Help
The Polk Education Foundation has several ways for an individual to help with the many progams they
offer. Here is a list of some of the ways you can help.
1. Donate
"Just One $ for the Kids" Payroll Deduction Program
If you are a Polk County School Board employee, you can help by
filling out a payroll deduction card for just $1/month. This
3. money will automatically be taken out of your check and used to help those events and students
involved in various programs. The money you donate may be deducted from your taxes if you
request a tax deduction letter at the beginning of each year. Please contact Lou Ann Antonelli
(863) 534-0519 at the foundation office for more information or download a payroll deduction
card and send it back to the PEF Courier Route E.
Pledge
A pledged gift offers donors an opportunity to support the Foundation by making monthly,
quarterly, or yearly payments. If 10,000 Polk County residents donated just $1 per month, the
Foundation could raise over $100,000 in just a year!
Memorial or Honor Gifts
Make a gift in memory or in honor of an individual or group. Contact our office for more
information.
2. Sponsor
• Grants Grants for teachers, schools and special projects are funded through the generosity of
individuals, corporations and civic groups
• Event Sponsorship Sponsoring a Polk Education event or program provides many benefits to your
organization.
o Sponsorship could be provided to things like the county science fair,
spelling bee, poetry contest, academic competitions and minority
achievement banquet just to name a few.
4. • Sponsor a Foundation Program AmeriCorps Polk Reads, Take Stock in Children, Teacher to
Teacher/School to School Connection, Project Fill-A-Bucket and more.
3. Volunteer
• As an Event VolunteerServe on an event planning committee and help with various tasks associated with
hosting events
• As an Office Volunteer Assist with various tasks and projects as needed
• As a Reading Tutor Work with K-3rd grade students. http://www.polk-
fl.net/community/volunteers/americorps.htm
• As a TSIC Mentor Serve up to 30 minutes per week mentoring a scholarship student in grades 7-12.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/volunteers/tsicmentors.htm
4. Purchase
Purchase a License for Learning license plate. This license plate shows
that you care about education in Polk County. When you pay for this
plate, the additional $20 will be returned to Polk County classrooms
through grants and services of the PEF. The $20 is also tax deductible. These tags are available at your
local tag office. The tag is listed under Florida Educational. Click the link below and renew your tag
now. Please consider purchasing Support Education License tags for your company or fleet vehicles as
well.
5. Plan
A retirement fund advisor, tax attorney, or certified financial planner may advise you of the best way to
make a planned gift that would benefit you most.
5. • Bequests Remembering the Education Foundation in a will or living trust is one way to support
future student achievement. To be recognized appropriately, the following language must be used for a
will or living trust to be recognized:
“I give, devise and bequeath to the Polk Education Foundation (or the Polk Education Foundation
Endowment Fund) the sum of ______dollars (or ______% of the estate, or otherwise describe the gift)”
For more information, please contact Susan Copeland, phone: (863)534-0434.
• Charitable Annuities Charitable gift annuities make it possible for a donor to benefit public school
students or teachers while guaranteeing income for specified parties and specified lengths of time. This
is achieved by donating assets to the Foundation in exchange for the Foundation’s promise to pay the
specified party the guaranteed income. For more information, please contact Susan Copeland phone:
(863) 534-0434.
Charitable Trusts:
• Charitable Remainder Trust: You may establish a trust designed to provide income to you or one or
more beneficiaries for life or a specified number of years. At termination, the trust assets are paid to the
Polk Education Foundation.
• Charitable Lead Trust: A Charitable lead trust is similar to the charitable remainder trust with one
exception. With a charitable lead trust, the Polk Education Foundation receives the income payments for
a term of years of the life of the individual(s). When the trust terminates, the remaining trust assets and
undistributed income revert back to you or your beneficiaries. For more information, please contact
Susan Copeland phone: (863) 534-0434.
• Life Insurance: You may provide for a future gift by naming the Polk Education Foundation as a
primary, co-primary or contingent beneficiary on your life insurance policy. You may also transfer
6. ownership of a paid-in-full policy to the Foundation, or purchase a policy naming the Foundation as
owner or beneficiary. For more information, please contact Susan Copeland phone: (863) 534-0434.
• Retirement Plans: Retirement plans can make a desired gift possible by naming the Foundation as
beneficiary of all or a portion of the remainder of the account. For more information, please contact
Susan Copeland phone: (863) 534-0434.
Mentors - Youth Motivators and Take Stock in Children
Youth Motivators
The Youth Motivator program brings together positive role models from the community and students
who can benefit from one-on-one attention. Students are selected by teachers and guidance counselors.
Parents sign a permission form for participation in the program. Students and mentors meet, usually
once a week, to work together to improve grades, set goals for improved attendance and behavior or
focus on career interests.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/volunteers/youthmotivators.htm
Take Stock in Children
Take Stock in Children is an award-winning program that provides scholarships, mentors, and hope for a
better future to Florida's most deserving low-income, at-risk children. A public-private partnership, this
school-based mentoring organization has positively affected the lives of more than 11,000 children since
1995
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/volunteers/tsicmentors.htm
AmeriCorps Polk Reads
7. AmeriCorps Polk Reads is a grant-funded reading tutoring program in Polk County, Florida. Members
provide reading tutoring to more than 425 K-3 students each year while working collaboratively with
community agencies to strengthen community ties.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/volunteers/americorps.htm
Doing Business With Us
Business Partners
Good education is good for business and good for the community. The purpose of the Partners in
Education program is to strengthen the educational process through collaborative relationships between
schools and the community.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/doingbusinesswithus/businesspartners.htm
Vendor Application
The School Board of Polk County welcomes the opportunity for a business relationship with interested
suppliers in the community. The district’s Purchasing Department is interested in fostering participation
by all qualified business persons offering commodities and/or services that may be used by the District.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/doingbusinesswithus/vendorapplication.htm
Facilities and Operations Projects
Here you will find information on Facilites Projects, Construction Bids, Pre-qualification, Permits, and
Public Announcements.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/doingbusinesswithus/facilitiesprojects.htm
8. School Concurrency
Ideally, School Concurrency provides coordinated planning among the County, local governments, and
the School District to ensure that school capacity is available at the time of impact of residential
development.
Polk County’s accelerated growth has led to a growing demand for school facilities. The implementation
of public school concurrency will result in a cooperative and financially feasible process permitting the
School Board to address existing school crowding and to provide adequate capacity for projected new
growth.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/doingbusinesswithus/schoolconcurrency.htm
Instructional Programs and Materials
In order to enhance the focus of researched based materials to be used with all students in Polk County
and to ensure that the professional learning provided by consultants is focused on district priority
professional learning needs, all external providers of professional learning must complete the PCSB
Instructional Program Review Application.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/doingbusinesswithus/pure.htm
Awards and Distinctions
It is an honor for the Department of Community Relations to be recognized for the quality of our work.
The programs and projects on this page are representative of the good work that the PCSB Department
9. of Community Relations produces daily with the united goal of providing rigorous, results-driven
educational opportunities for Polk students.
http://www.polk-fl.net/districtinfo/departments/officeofthesuperintendent/communityrelations.htm
Recognition Programs
The Polk County School Board has many events and programs celebrating the accomplishments and
hard work of our staff, community partners and students from both the present and the past. The
following recognition events are coordinated by the Community Relations Department.
Hall Of Fame Nominations
The Polk County Public Schools are seeking nominations for its Hall of Fame.
http://www.polk-fl.net/community/recognitionprograms/halloffameinductees.htm
Face and Master Key Awards
The About Face Award recognizes secondary students who have made a significant turn around in their
behavior, academic achievement and attendance in school. One student from each middle and high
school in the district receive the award annually at the Awards Program. Students are nominated by their
school and receive a medallion for their success.
The extraordinary efforts that teachers of exceptional students make to help them achieve their
maximum potential. They award the Master Key award to four exceptional education teachers who have
demonstrated excellence, perseverance and longevity in their careers.
This event is made possible through the sponsorship of TECO Energy.
10. Volunteer of the Year
Volunteer of the Year honors outstanding volunteers in our schools. Each school nominates a volunteer
who has provided exceptional service to students and teachers throughout the year. There are three
categories of winners, youth (up to 21), adult (22-60) and senior (61+). Twelve outstanding volunteers
are selected each year as finalists, four in each category.
Volunteer of the Year is sponsored by The Ledger.
http://www.polk-fl.net/districtinfo/departments/officeofthesuperintendent/communityrelations.htm
Learn and Serve Grants
Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with
instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen
communities.
Teachers can write Learn and Serve grants to help fund the efforts that they would like to make in their
schools and communities. Below are the grant applications as well as some other helpful resources.
Family and Consumer Sciences
General Information
11. The mission of Family and Consumer Sciences is to strengthen families and empower individuals to
take action for the well-being of self and others in the home, workplace, community and the world.
Family and Consumer Sciences prepares students for jobs in related occupations and equips them with
lifelong learning skills as family members. The programs of instruction include exploration of careers,
employability skills, consumer education and resource management, nutrition and wellness, family
living, child development, parenting skills, fashion design and clothing construction, life management
skills, and home management and technology.
Training for gainful employment opportunities begins with entry level through technical level, to
managerial and professional levels. Wage-earning programs are Early Childhood Education, Culinary
Operations and Fashion Design and Production.
Family and Consumer Sciences School Based Enterprises
Family and Consumer Sciences programs across the county provide serves both to their school and to
the community. Please follow the links in the charts below to find out more.
Workforce Education
Mission
The Mission of Workforce Education is to educate students to be responsible, productive, competent
contributors to the workforce.
http://www.polk-fl.net/districtinfo/departments/learning/workforceeducation/default.htm
Career Academies
12. Career academies are small, personalized learning communities within a high school. Students enter the
academy through a voluntary process; they must apply and be accepted with parental knowledge and
support.
A career academy involves teachers from different subjects working together as a team.
Staff teams, who often share common planning time, work together to implement the key features of the
academy and provide students with career training. Students may be grouped together for several
periods every day with a core group of teachers. This promotes a family-like atmosphere and results in
close student-teacher ties.
A career academy includes the following essential elements:
• A small learning community supported by a local advisory committee
• A career theme that may include a college-prep curriculum and lead to industry certification
• Partnerships with employers, the community, and higher education
By design, these three central elements of a career academy lead to a school that is rigorous and
relevant.
Sponsors and Support
Many thanks to the 2008 Take Stock in Children Major Golf Sponsors
13. Lakeland Tournament Host Lake Wales Tournament Host
A total of $85,000 was raised at the tournaments and due to our match from the Florida Prepaid
Foundation allowed us to purchase $170,000 worth of scholarships.
Community Centers
There are currently 30 community centers in Polk County that are affiliated with the Polk County School
Board. Many of these sites are actively training and all sites are offering computer services for students
or adults or both. There have been over 1600 logins by community center participants in 2009. This
partnership is making a difference in Polk County!
Chain of Lakes Achievers, Inc. Compassion Action for Eloise Resource Center
1900 Havendale Blvd. Suite D Haitians, Inc 710 Snively Avenue
Winter Haven, FL 33881 Florence Villa Community Winter Haven, FL 33880
863-299-7177 111 Ave R NE 863-298-4485
Contact/Liaison Name: Seretha Tinsley Winter Haven, FL Contact: Johnny Brooks & David
Site Trainer Name: Cheryl Watford 863-294-2410 Dennis
Contact/Liaison Name: Dr. Harry Site Trainer Name: Lois
Sainthill Reszetucha
Site Trainer Name: None
Lake Shipp Elementary School Wahneta Sports & Wilfred Smith Community
250 Camellia Dr Neighborhood Assoc. Center
Winter Haven 33880 Next to Wahneta Elementary 135 Avenue Y NE
(863) 291-5384 315 4th Wahneta Street E Winter Haven, FL 33881
Contact & Site Trainer: Nathan Guteras Winter Haven, FL 33880 863-298-7898
Contact/Liaison Name: Daniel Contact/Liaison Name: Mary
