Month: March 2022

WHO: Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is proud to announce the unveiling of the first Verizon Innovative Learning (VIL) Lab in the District, made possible through a partnership with Verizon, Heart of America and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University.

WHAT: Verizon created a state-of-the-art, innovative learning lab for students to create and build the future. The new VIL lab gives students and teachers access to emerging technology such as Augmented and Virtual Reality Coding, 3D Printing & Artificial Intelligence. As part of Verizon’s commitment to digital inclusion under Citizen Verizon – the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement – VIL lab provides free technology, free internet access and hands-on learning experiences to help under-resourced students receive the education they deserve and prepare them for today’s digital economy. Powered by a next-gen, technology-infused curriculum that aims to fundamentally change the way teachers teach and students learn, VIL lab gives students the opportunity to do more. The new VIL lab enables hands-on experience for students with emerging technologies thanks to Heart of America, a non-profit partner that lead the transformation of the state-of-the-art space, and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University, who provides an immersive curriculum and training for the teachers.

WHEN: Thursday, April 7, 2022 | 10 a.m.

WHERE: Glades Middle School | 16700 S.W. 48th Court, Miramar, FL 33027

WHY: “So many students across the nation lack the access to technology and resources they need to be successful in Today’s digital world,” said Merdochey LaFrance, Government Affairs, Verizon. “On behalf of Verizon, we are excited to enable students at Glades Middle School in Broward County Schools with this multi-year initiative that integrates emerging technology with an online, project-based curriculum along with real-world problem solving in a custom- designed, experiential learning lab,” said Giovanni Castro, Government Affairs Verizon.

MEDIA ARE INVITED TO COVER THIS EVENT.
RVSP bcps.pio@browardschools.

###

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is
Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241
schools, centers and technical colleges, and 92 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different
countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at
facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

About Verizon Innovative Learning
Verizon Innovative Learning, Verizon’s award-winning education initiative, addresses barriers to digital inclusion and is a key program under Citizen
Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement. Since 2012, the program has provided free
technology, access and innovative learning programs to under-resourced schools, enabling students to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence
needed to build an innovative workforce of the future. In 2021, Verizon launched Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, a next-gen online education portal
that provides free access to immersive XR educational experiences to all educators, including K-12 teachers, nationwide. The company is committed
to providing 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030. Learn more at CitizenVerizon.com.

Source

WHAT:   Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students have the unique opportunity to hear Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein share his inspiring message about excelling as a person with a disability and encouraging words on overcoming challenges.  

WHEN:   Friday, April 1, 2022 | 11 a.m.                         

WHERE: South Plantation High School, Media Center
1300 Paladin Way, Plantation, FL 33317

WHY: Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice to be elected by Michigan voters to the Supreme Court of that state in November 2014. During his South Florida visit, Justice Bernstein will speak to audiences – including students with disabilities and Pre-Law Magnet students – at three schools: Fort Lauderdale High School, Lauderdale Lakes Middle School and South Plantation High School.

Media is invited to attend the event at South Plantation High, where Justice Bernstein will meet with a small group of students with disabilities and will be treated to lunch by Culinary Arts students.

Learn more about the life and career of Justice Bernstein.

 

MEDIA ARE INVITED TO COVER THIS EVENT.

###

 

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 91 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source

Ten Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students received the highest awards from Cambridge Assessment International Education – scoring Top in the World, Top in the U.S. and Highest Achievement on Cambridge courses and exams. Congratulations to the following students.

Student	School	Course	Award
Amanda Hernandez, 12th grade	Cypress Bay High School	English Language	Top In USA
Rachel Ruddy, 11th grade	Cypress Bay High School	Information Technology	Top In USA
Xabier Sienra, 11th Grade	Cypress Bay High School	Computer Science	Top In USA
Andrei Chekmasov, 12th grade	Cypress Bay High School	Computer Science	High Achievement
David Orjuela, 11th grade	Cypress Bay High School	Spanish Language	Top in the World
Eva Magadan Vidal, 10th grade	Cypress Bay High School	Spanish Language	Top in the World
Naline Pierre, 11th grade	Everglades High School	Physical Education	Top In USA
Ian Parry, 12th grade	Fort Lauderdale High School	History	Top In USA
Daniel Landsman, 12th grade	Piper High School	Environmental Management	Top In USA
Xuhare Bereikua, 11th grade	South Broward High School	Business	Top In USA

In addition, more than 700 BCPS students received Cambridge awards for reaching high levels of achievement in varying categories. These recently released results are based on students’ scores in the 2021 school year.

“We’re proud of the exemplary performance of our students on the Cambridge exams and the top honors many of our students achieved,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright. “Cambridge provides students with rigorous courses and opportunities to earn Cambridge AICE Diplomas along with their high school diplomas. This combination paves the way for our students’ success after graduation. I commend our students and teachers for their hard work.”

“It is extremely rewarding to congratulate Broward County Public Schools students and teachers who worked so hard to achieve tremendous success in Cambridge courses and examinations,” said Mark Cavone, Cambridge International Regional Director, North America. “The results reflect the enormous talent in Broward County Public Schools, not only amongst students but also within the teaching profession. Students from Broward County Public Schools have bright futures ahead of them, and I wish them every success.”

BCPS is also honored to be the 2020/21 Cambridge International District of the Year (large district category), having earned this recognition two times in four years. The award recognizes districts for high academic achievements, increasing Cambridge opportunities districtwide and equity in education. 

On Thursday, March 31, at 2 p.m., Cambridge representatives will present BCPS with its District of the Year award and meet with Top Scoring students. The event takes place at the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center, Pre-function Room, 600 S.E. Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. Media are invited to cover this event.

 

###

 

 

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 91 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source

College Board announced that Broward County Public Schools Deerfield Beach High School junior Jalliyia Phillippy has earned one of the first Class of 2023 $40,000 scholarships through BigFuture, the College Board’s online guide that helps students plan for life after high school. In addition to awarding $40,000 scholarships to four juniors, 25 high school seniors each earned $40,000 scholarships by completing key steps to plan, prepare, and pay for college. 

Jalliyia is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program, an internationally standardized accelerated honors course of study for highly motivated and academically talented students. She credits the program for challenging her to expand her thinking, find connections, solve problems and prepare for college. Jalliyia aspires to be a doctor and hopes to use her scholarship to attend Howard University to study biology and medicine.  

“Broward County Public Schools is proud to congratulate Jalliyia Phillippy for this outstanding achievement,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright. “She has overcome so much to stay on the path to college during two years of uncertainty and challenges caused by the pandemic. Jalliyia serves as a role model all students can follow to make their college dreams attainable.”  

Powered by College Board, BigFuture simplifies the path to life after high school by recommending small steps students can take to explore career interests, identify potential majors, find colleges and scholarships, and access financial aid. It rewards students’ efforts by providing chances at scholarships.  

“Now more than ever, students need simple and credible tools to help them choose the college and career that’s right for them,” said Tarlin Ray, College Board senior vice president of BigFuture. “We’ve integrated these scholarship steps into BigFuture so every student – no matter where they are on their journey to college – can take the small actions these 29 students have taken to raise their hands and earn themselves a big future.”  

All class of 2023 students are eligible to win $500 and $40,000 scholarships they can use at two- or four-year institutions. There is no essay, test score, citizenship status, family income or minimum GPA requirement. Drawings for $500 and $40,000 scholarships are held every month. Students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year have extra chances at scholarships and earn double the entries for every drawing. The sooner students complete the following steps and the more steps they take, the more entries they’ll earn:

1. Build a College List: Students search for colleges and add six or more to their list. 
2. Practice for the SAT: Students use Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy to get ready for test day. 
3. Explore Scholarships: Students explore a list of scholarships personalized for them, based on their background, achievements, and future plans. 
4. Strengthen Their College List: Students make sure their list has a mix of reach, match, and safety schools. 
5. Complete the FAFSA: Students complete the free government form to apply for financial aid. 
6. Apply to Colleges: Students apply to at least two colleges they want to attend. 

College Board has dedicated $25 million to the program that lays out six simple steps all students can take to get to college. More than $14 million in scholarships have been awarded to more 15,000 students since the program launched in December 2018. Class of 2023 students with College Board accounts in the United States and U.S. territories will be automatically entered into monthly drawings for $500 and $40,000 by completing specific steps on bigfuture.org. 

### 

 

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS  

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”   

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 91 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app. 

ABOUT COLLEGE BOARD 

College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success—including the SAT^®, the Advanced Placement^® Program, and BigFuture^®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools. For further information, visit collegeboard.org. 

 

Source

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is introducing an additional layer of protection for schools districtwide. The District is now using handheld metal detectors during the school day to conduct random screenings, in accordance with School Board Policy 2010 – Use of Handheld Metal Detectors on School District Property.

The screenings include all students in randomly selected classrooms and their belongings. They are conducted by trained security personnel and are similar to the screenings experienced when visiting entertainment venues, airports or other government agencies. There is no physical contact with students during the wanding.

Schools and classrooms are randomly identified using a computerized tool, which eliminates bias in the selection process.

“The goal is to ensure safer learning environments by detecting weapons and other dangerous objects on our campuses and, ultimately, to deter students from bringing these items to school,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright. “I would like to thank our School Board for approving this policy and for continuing to prioritize school safety. We encourage parents, guardians and caregivers to speak with their children about the consequences, including possible expulsion and potential criminal charges, if they bring weapons and prohibited items onto school campuses.”

Pictured: BCPS Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright is wanded with handheld metal detector during a demonstration by BCPS Safety Security & Emergency Preparedness Lead Trainer Toni Barnes.

 

###

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 91 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source

Three Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students, competing as Team Eudai, won $500,000 to develop their business idea during the FTX Charity Hackathon! The trio tied for first place, sharing a $1 million grand prize with a team from Miami-Dade County.

The event was sponsored by the FTX Foundation Group, with the final competition among the five top teams taking place at FTX Arena in Miami on Sunday, March 13.

The competition challenged students from across South Florida to come up with an idea for improving mental or physical health. BCPS students, under the mentorship of Broward’s local college access network Bridge 2 Life, developed a plan for a unique mobile app, called Eudai. It will connect users with Florida International University undergraduate psychology students who will provide online mentoring.

The three BCPS students are Yewande Shitta-Bey from the College Academy at Broward College, Chad Jordan from Fort Lauderdale High School and Alexis Buggam from Atlantic Technical High School.

For making it to the finals, each student also received a $15,000 scholarship.

To watch the livestream recording of the event, visit the FTX Hackathon Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FTXHackathon 

For more information about Bridge2Life, visit browardbridge2life.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

###

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 91 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source

On Thursday, March 10, 2022, hundreds of Broward County Public Schools middle and high school students are participating in the Latinos In Action Conference. The annual event is taking place at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, and includes approximately 2,100 students from across the state.

The conference provides students opportunities to celebrate their strengths, talents and values they bring to their schools and communities. Students participate in workshops, cultural activities and leadership training.

This is the culiminating activity of a yearlong curriculum for Latinos In Action. The program focuses on mentoring and empowering Latino youth to be leaders and to help strengthen their communities. This is accomplished by focusing on four pillars: leveraging personal and cultural assets, excelling in education, serving the community, and developing leadership skills. 

The Latinos In Action Conference takes place at Florida Atlantic University (Student Union building) in Boca Raton, from 9 a.m. –  3 p.m. on Thursday, March 10. 

Media interested in attending should contact bcps.pio@browardschools.com.

 

 

###

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 91 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source

How can we reduce the negative impact of climate change? Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students are preparing to create their own action plans with motivation received at the 4^th annual Broward Youth Climate Summit. The two-day event takes place virtually, with approximately 7,000 BCPS students across 40 schools participating.

This year’s theme is “Climate Change, Climate Justice.” Students in grades 5 – 12 will work together to identify ways they can positively affect the environment to reduce the impact of climate change and create action plans to sustain their efforts.

The summit’s keynote speakers are Rachel Sarah, author of Girl Warriors – How 25 Young Activists are Saving the Earth, on March 9, and Neela Banerjee, supervising climate editor for NPR, on March 10. In addition, AY Young – producer, singer, songwriter, entertainer and entrepreneur – will address students during a closing session on March 10.

The Youth Climate Summit provides a platform for BCPS students to advocate for policy change and promote environmental sustainability. Following the two-day virtual summit, a special in-person event will be held on April 20 for 250 selected BCPS students. This event will convene at the Museum of Discovery and Science with hands-on, engaging activities centered around developing the students’ climate change action plans.

 

For more information, visit browardschools.com/youthclimatesummit.

Media are invited to cover these events. Email bcps.pio@browardschools.com for more information on photo and video opportunities.

 

###

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 91 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source