Standing tall for education

Sports By Megan Jacobo, Reporter Thursday, January 2, 2020

Special projects at area schools that ranged from gardening, robotics and mental health awareness to theater and cheerleading received grants from the town of Miami Lakes’ Education Advisory Board and the Miami Lakes Town Foundation.
The Education Advisory Board’s academic enrichment grants are designed to develop programs to improve learning and are funded by taxpayers, the town said.
Bob Graham
Education Center won three grants:
--STEM Up Pre-K uses science, technology, engineering and math to encourage collaborative work, creative thinking and language skills, and received a $516 award.
--The Grow Spot: Equipping our Garden Crew won $722 to provide a set of starter tools for students to tend the school garden, encourage healthy living, beautify the campus and share crops with those in need;
--Primary Learning
Center Kindness Rocks won a $900 grant to give students rocks and paints. They’ll create positive messages and paint them on the rocks that will be placed around the school. The purpose is to promote the value of art, compassion for others and to provide a sense of community.
Projects at Hialeah-
Miami Lakes Senior High won two grants:
--Laptops for Self-contained Special Education Classes will be given $1,000 for computers to help improve students’ reading skills;
--Publishable Research by High School Students won $1,000 to supply instruments to research DNA damage and repair in cultured cells and allow students to publish their findings.
Miami Lakes K-8
Center received six grants:
--The school theater won $500 to help pay for costumes, props and backdrops for performances that will improve students’ public speaking skills;
--VEX Robotics
Replenishment and
Enhancement won $850, which will provide new hardware to more than 90 students and allow them to compete against schools with more advanced robotics programs;
--Actively Engaging
Students with EDU Boxes received $800 and Escape Room Science won $1,000. The projects require students to figure out codes needed to crack multiple locks and teaches history and science in an engaging way;
--Aquaponics Herb Garden in Action will use $725 to teach fifth graders about circulating nutrient rich water from fish tanks to fertilize plants in a sustainable way, as well as how to solve problems and understand symbiotic relationships and agriculture.
--Complex Challenges:
Using the Tool the Right Way. A $990 grant will enable seventh and eighth graders to use scientific calculators and help them prepare for tests.
Miami Lakes Middle School received $1,000 to start a school newspaper. Students will also learn about journalism history and the Associated Press writing style that is used by reporters and editors.
The Education
Advisory Board members are Jacqueline Vaquer; Jessica Mendoza; Hector Abad; Daylin Garcia,
Emily Garcia, Kevin
Macki and Mario Pinera.
The Miami Lakes Town Foundation’s awards support education and literacy among youth as well as beautification projects and cultural events that benefit the community.
It is a charity funded in part by the Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival, and gave money to programs at four schools.
Miami Lakes
Education Center received $1,000.
--TeamJag Robotics will upgrade their hardware for 48 club members who will build devices and learn code, which will help them with STEM-related careers.
Miami Lakes K-8
Center was awarded $1,000.
--Our Garden of Kindness. Pre-Kindergarten students will learn about gardening, engineering and track plant growth on an iPad.
Programs at Barbara Goleman Senior High School earned two grants.
--Open Mind, Open Arms: A Mental Health
Awareness Organization won $500 to benefit a club that held a symposium at the school in November; in May, there will be a week-long campaign to provide resources about mental health.
--Project Dream Team is for the cheerleading squad, which received $1,000 for supplies for events and to support members who need financial help.
Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High received $1,000 to fund the marching band’s supplies, uniforms, food and other materials.
The Miami Lakes Town Foundation board members are Miami Lakes Town Manager Edward Pidermann; Ismael Diaz, the town’s chief financial officer; Fred Senra, partner, Miami Lakes AutoMall; Town Clerk Gina Inguanzo and Clarisell De Cardenas, town spokeswoman.
Benefactors of the Foundation are Realtor Lynn Matos and
Restaurateur Giuseppe Zuozo.