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City Council to decide whether more than 1,000 kids will get a chance to learn this summer

6/19/2015

With the recent spate of youth violence in our city, the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, with the support of Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, has made an emergency request of City Council for funding to increase the number of children attending summer camps.

At their meeting on Tuesday, June 23, the Jacksonville City Council is expected to take up the measure. Taking this action would go a long way toward giving every child the opportunity to plug in, allowing children in need to get what they need to stay safe and keep learning this summer.

Keep reading to learn more — and find out what you can do.

National Mental Health Month Spotlights Efforts in Jacksonville

5/28/2015

In the last few years, there has been a rising tide of efforts to ensure that children and adults in our community are on level ground when it comes to mental health. Thanks to a several efforts in Jacksonville, mental illness has been elevated on the community’s agenda through groups such as JCCI, Inc., The Partnership for Child Health and Mental Health America of Northeast Florida.

Celebrating the 2015 Very Special Arts Festival

5/22/2015

More than 1,800 children with all kinds of disabilities benefitted from the Very Special Arts (VSA) Festival hosted by the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens during almost a full week in May. 

Hundreds Gather to Kick Off Start of STEM2 Hub

5/21/2015

Business, political, nonprofit and community leaders gathered May 18 for a forum on STEM2 Education, hearing of the need for more science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical education in Northeast Florida. The forum was the inaugural event for the Northeast Florida STEM2 Hub, a new nonprofit effort to align and promote such programs.

Gearing up for the P.E.P. Rally for Excellence

5/20/2015

I’m excited about the upcoming Duval County Public Schools’ annual Public Education Partners (P.E.P.) Rally for Excellence on May 30. For the past few years, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund has partnered with the district on this community-wide effort to celebrate public education, teachers and our city’s students.