Youth Wellness Initiative Turns $1,000 Award Into $250,000
Students at Flagler Palm Coast High School in Bunnell, Fla., have shown commitment to projects that increase rigorous and relevant academics, while building relationships among students, staff, schools and the community. The Community Problem Solvers group devised a youth wellness initiative called Project GYM (Getting Youth Moving), and recently received a $1,000 grant through the Florida Department of Health’s Youth Empowered Ambassador for Health (YEAH!) Summit.

Through other grants and matching funds, Project GYM has increased their project funds to nearly $250,000, and has established a Youth Wellness Center at Bunnell Elementary School called The Jungle Gym. The gym encourages youth to explore opportunities to participate in physical activity alongside peers and is equipped with youth-sized Nautilus equipment, treadmills, bikes, and a stretching station.

Project GYM has also recently won first place at the state and international competitions in the Community Problem Solving Category of the Future Problem Solving Program International. Project GYM received another grant to open its second youth gym at a school district-owned wellness center, which will open by the 2007-08 school year.

Marion County Teacher Named "Teacher of the Year" by State Education Association
Peggy Brookins, a math teacher at Forest High School in Marion County, is this year’s recipient of the Florida Education Association Award for Teaching Excellence. The award is given to just one educator each year in the state. Brookins, who received $5,000 for winning the award, now represents Florida in the national competition for the NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence. For the full story, visit www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2007/07-03.asp.

Leon County Student Wins Award at International Science Fair
A Leon County student was recently honored as the sole winner of the "Taking the Pulse of the Planet" award during the International Science and Engineering Fair in Albuquerque, N.M. John Turner, a 2007 graduate of Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, won for his project that researched the effect of El Niño and the North Atlantic Oscillation on warm water in the Atlantic Ocean, which is critical to hurricane prediction.

Broward Community College Associate Dean Wins State EMS Educator Award
Broward Community College (BCC) Associate Dean for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department Elizabeth Jordan has won the Department of Health’s EMS Educator Award for 2007. The EMS Educator Award recognizes individuals who make positive contributions to the EMS field.

Winter Springs High School Graduate Wins National Debate Tournament
Winter Springs High School 2007 graduate Kenneth Colonel recently won the National Forensics League (NFL) Congress House National Championship in debate. This is the first national debate champion for the school.

2007 Just Read, Florida! K-12 Leadership Conference
Aug. 5-8, 2007
Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando

The 6th Annual Just Read, Florida! Leadership Conference will be held Aug. 5-8, 2007, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando. This year’s conference promises to be the most exciting event ever with more than 4,000 principals, assistant principals, reading coaches, and district administrators sharing what works for improving literacy in Florida’s schools through more than 300 breakout sessions. For more information on the conference, visit www.justreadflorida.com/conference.

2007 K-12 Conference & Innovation Fair
Oct. 2-5, 2007
Caribe Royale Orlando

The 2007 K-12 Conference will focus on (1) innovative approaches to improving student achievement; (2) secondary public school career, collegiate, and magnet academies; and (3) redesigning teacher compensation. This conference will be an opportunity to highlight the state’s best model academies and programs to other schools looking to implement such programs of their own, and discuss how various ways of compensating our teachers lead to the improved achievement of our students.