Public Education Foundation of Marion County

Tomorrow, July 16th and July 17th are Amazon Prime Deal Days! And you can help us with our Tools 4 Teaching program wish list https://a.co/hfoobTe . Last school year alone, we provided teachers with nearly $600,000 in classroom supplies. We are restocking now to be ready for the new year! Up to 800 teachers come through our doors each month, and you can help erase the need!

Sign up for the Community Foundation Ocala Marion County’s Back to School Community Giveback event for students to get free backpacks and more!

Back to School Community Giveback Registration is OPEN! Don't miss your chance to get your student registered!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/back-to-school-community-giveback-backpack-event-tickets-926184210907

Another great opportunity for families to get prepared to head back to school!

We hope to see you at our 21st annual backpack DRIVE THRU on July 27th from 10am-1pm. FREE meals for the family while supplies last! Kids MUST be in the car to receive a backpack. We hope to see you there!

Our Take Stock in Children mentors are invited for "Coffee and Conversation" July 16th at Symmetry Coffee in downtown Ocala to enjoy coffee with fellow mentors and share best practices, as we prepare for the next school year to start! Interested in becoming a mentor? Join us to learn more! RSVP at https://calendly.com/tsicmarion/coffee-and-conversations-for-mentors?month=2024-07&date=2024-07-16

Exciting news to share! Our partnership with HCA Healthcare, local HCA Florida Ocala Hospital​ and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital will support MCPS students in healthcare pathways through a $60,000 investment over the next three years!

HCA FLORIDA OCALA HOSPITAL AND HCA FLORIDA WEST MARION HOSPITAL ANNOUNCE $60,000 GRANT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF MARION COUNTY TO FUND HEALTHCARE CAREER EXPLORATION
HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital today announced the HCA Healthcare Foundation, through its Healthier Tomorrow Fund, will donate $1 million over the next three years to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations to help fund its Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program. The Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program helps create and expand healthcare career pathways for economically disadvantaged high school students across the state.

As part of this grant, the Public Education Foundation of Marion County was awarded $60,000 over the next three years to support students in Belleview High School, Lake Weir High School, North Marion High School, and West Port High School. This funding will provide students opportunities to delve into healthcare careers through specialized training, clinical experience, preparation for certification exams, and internships and externships. The project will also result in new levels of engagement between HCA Florida Healthcare and the district focusing on improving students’ healthcare certification completion rate.

“The future healthcare professionals of tomorrow are currently studying in our local schools, and we are committed to assisting students aspiring to pursue a healthcare career in the north central Florida area,” said Alan Keesee, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Ocala Hospital. “We are dedicated to fostering healthier tomorrows for our communities, and a key aspect of this mission is supporting local talent development.”

The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Workforce Needs Study estimates a shortage of approximately 463,000 healthcare workers by the end of 2024. Through the Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program, the Consortium develops and manages a grant process which allows local education foundations to apply for funds to support projects that foster healthcare career pathways. The program will fund 15 local education foundations in Florida over the next three years, focusing on activities that lead to nursing or allied health tracks and include work-based learning, healthcare career exploration activities and industry certifications.

The Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program grant is funded through the Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a community impact fund that addresses high-priority community needs and health equity. Since its launch in 2021, the fund has committed more than $20 million in communities where HCA Healthcare has a presence and made grants to 90 nonprofit organizations.

“We are thrilled to launch this partnership with HCA Healthcare Foundation and our local HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals,” said Meghan Magamoll, executive director of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County. “Their investment not only aims to better equip students for careers in healthcare fields, but also addresses the increasing demand for a skilled healthcare workforce in our community.”

HCA Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation have a strong history of collaboration with the Consortium and its members. HCA Healthcare has also partnered with several of Florida’s local education foundations through the Consortium’s Explore & Excel in Healthcare Careers program. This program allows students to visit local hospitals for tours and learn more about healthcare careers and provides healthcare equipment for hands-on learning. HCA Healthcare colleagues are also active as board members and volunteers with local education foundations.

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital have been long-time partners of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County in supporting local students. HCA Florida Ocala Hospital sponsors the HCA Jumpstart to Healthcare Scholarship for seven high school seniors, the Take Stock in Children program, scholarships for HOSA national conference, West Port High School’s school business partner, College Park Elementary, a Community Partnership School with United Way of Marion County, Mission Bus Brigade School Supply Drive sponsored by the Marion County Public Schools Homeless/Needy Children Program, and Thank A Teacher award, which celebrates outstanding teachers in Marion County.

Resiliency characteristic trait of honesty “beeing” developed with students in Marion County Children's Alliance SKIP program!

A great event hosted by the Community Foundation Ocala Marion County to help ensure students are ready for heading back to school! Make sure to sign up because spots fill up fast!

Back to School Community Giveback Backpack Event Join us for a fun-filled Back to School Community Giveback Backpack Event, where we'll be giving away backpacks filled with school supplies

Thank you Project SOS and Mr. Gary Kadow for supporting our Take Stock in Children scholarship program into another year of this tremendous partnership. Your committment to serving the undeserved continues to change lives.

It’s the final day to and we want to say thanks for the hundreds of shares and posts to help us with this campaign!

And thanks to Ticonderoga for giving away up to 2 million pencils through the network of free teacher resource stores like our Tools 4 Teaching program.

Only two more days to , and you can help us keep it going! It’s the write thing to do!

Through June 30th, for every post, or repost, that includes , Ticonderoga will donate a pack of pencils...up to 2 million!

140 students and family members had a lot to smile about yesterday when we hosted the “Read Something Cool” summer event at East Marion Elementary school! What’s not to love about combining literacy, Zaxby’s and ice cream treats!

We need your help AGAIN! Through June 30th, for every post, or repost, that includes , Ticonderoga will donate a pack of pencils...up to 2 million!
Please share our post and help us equip teachers with pencils for their students through Tools 4 Teaching! We had 200 posts this past week, how many posts can we reach this week?

Resiliency characteristics: Self Awareness and Self-Management in action!

Congrats to these outstanding students on being selected for the 2024 Uplift and Empower scholarship! This scholarship opportunity was made possible thanks to the vision and inspiration of MCPS graduate, Danielle Hawa Jones. She is truly uplifting and empowering the next generation of college bound students and PEFMC is proud to partner with her on this Senior Scholarship!

I love June for many reasons, but announcing the winners of the Uplift and Empower scholarship fund has become my new favorite tradition. This year, the Uplift and Empower scholarship selection committee chose SIX winners! 🎉

Congratulations to Jasmelyne Barrera Hernandez, Scarlett Earnest, Cameron Goodwin, Nicole Ni, Ifeoluwa Olorunlogbon, and Jeremiah Taddeo! 🎉

📚 Jasmelyne Barrera Hernandez (North Marion High School) plans to major in Biology to pursue a career as a physician assistant specialising in dermatology or pediatrics.

📚 Scarlett Earnest (Belleview High School) plans to major in microbiology and cell science to pursue a career as a dermatologist.

📚 Cameron Goodwin (Vanguard High School) plans to major in Nutritional Sciences to pursue a career as a physician.

📚 Nicole Ni (Vanguard High School) plans to major in biochemistry, economics, and computer science to pursue a career in medicine.

📚 Ifeoluwa Olorunlogbon (Vanguard High School) plans to major in mathematics and physics to pursue a career in academia.

📚 Jeremiah Taddeo (Belleview High School) plans to major in mechanical engineering to pursue a career as an engineer.

Each winner will receive a $500 scholarship and mentorship support during their first year of college. These students truly embody the values of as they positively contribute to their communities while balancing school, work, and extracurricular activities.

Thank you to everyone in the Uplift and Empower community who donated to the fund and made this year's scholarship awards possible!

Update: Please do not reply to any scammers who comment on this post. There are no personal giveaways or contests associated with this campaign. The scammer is using the Foundation's logo but has no affiliation with our organization. Do not reply or use their link. The scammer has been reported as of 9am on 6/24/24.

Original post is here: Survey results are in, and PENCILS are still the most requested item when teachers are asked which classroom supply is needed most. You can help our Tools 4 Teaching free teacher resource store by replying to this post with or sharing the post!

Ticonderoga will give away up to 2 million pencils through the network of free teacher resource stores like ours.



Valid through 6/30.

Such a passionate and dedicated group of volunteers inspiring students to love horses, love reading and dream about endless future possibilities working in the equine industry living in the horse capital! Thank you to The Ocala Horse Alliance!

Jennifer Brown, our Marion County Teacher of the Year, just spent the week in Tallahassee along with the other four finalists for Florida Teacher of the Year! The countdown is on to July 25th when Jennifer will be recognized at the state gala and the statewide winner will be announced!

Resiliency work continues through our partnership with the Marion County Children's Alliance SKIP program!

Save the dates for the next Ocala Food & Wine Festival at WEC, November 1st-3rd, 2024! Join us and help create even more oppprtunities for students thanks to this incredible partnership with the World Equestrian Center

MCPS is hiring and there are two Instructional Hiring Fair dates coming up! Head to CF on June 13th or July 18th to learn about the instructional opportunities within the district! Marion County Public Schools

We're hiring! Join us Thursday, 1pm-3pm, at the College of Central Florida for teaching opportunities. You, too, can be part of the team inspiring 45K+ students to success!

Helping students learn about GRIT and PERSERVERANCE thanks to our partnership with Marion County Children's Alliance and their SKIP program! Our Foundation's "building student resiliency" initiatives continue into summer!

We were proud to host a breakfast gathering for the recent MCPS District Retirees to celebrate and share gratitude for their years of dedication and commitment to MCPS! the group of attendees had more than 900 years total of employment within our district!

Thank you to Radiant Credit Union and the Rays of Hope Foundation for being committed to supporting education and providing post-secondary opportunities for students! We surprised Shaun from Belleview High with a $1,000 scholarship from the Rays of Hope Foundation. Shaun is heading to pursue an associates degree at the College of Central Florida!

Marion County students are excited to sport their Florida Lottery gear. Thanks to the lottery, post-secondary education is possible with the Bright Future’s Scholarship!

Special moment as Elaine Whiteaker presents The Elaine Whiteaker Volunteer of the Year award to Take Stock in Children Alumni and Foundation Board Member, Michael Mills for the incredible amount of time and talent he has provided our organization this past year! As the incoming vice-chair of the PEFMC Board, we know even more is to come! !

Our Marion County Take Stock grads are EVERYWHERE!

At today's PEFMC Board Meeting, we shared our gratitude to outgoing Board Members who have provided invaluable expertise and passion for the work of our Foundation. A special thanks goes to outgoing Board President, Samantha Rauba, for her leadership!