Congratulations to the recipients of the Pasco Education Foundation’s Project L.E.A.D. program. Because of the generosity of the employees of Pasco County Schools and the School District Matching Grant Program, nearly $150,000 have been awarded to support students and educators. 

Careful selections were made from over 50 requests totaling more than $900,000. The projects were judged and scored by leaders in the district and ultimately chosen for their positive, long-term impact in the classroom. 

Congratulations!

Positive Coaching Alliance – Matthew Wicks, Office for Leading and Learning – Character and leadership development for student-athletes in grades 6-12. 

Teacher Leadership Academy – Jennifer Rinck, Office for Leading and Learning – Professional development partnership with USF for 32 teachers.

Take Charge of Your Education – Jessica Mitch, Student Support Programs and Services – Incentives for grade expectations for students transitioning from the juvenile justice system.

Building Life Skills with Sustainable Gardening – Jade Sceusa, Central Pasco Girls Academy – Growing and maintaining a sustainable garden to be harvested for consumption.

Schwettman Grows – Shawn Hohenthaner, Schwettman Education Center – Seeds, vegetables, tools, and more for these at-risk students.

Mobile STEM Lab – Allison Hoskins, Trinity Oaks Elementary – Mobile STEM lab to provide technical support beyond the standard classroom.

Increase Student Learning Engagement – Sarah Bordner, New River Elementary – Themed book baskets for K-5 classrooms at IRLA reading levels for reading, science, and social studies.

Physical Education Equipment – Ian Stoddard, Chester W. Taylor Elementary – Replacement of outdated, broken equipment.

6th Grade Pirate Academy – Jacqueline Tellez, Pasco Middle – Middle school orientation for incoming 6th graders to ease the transition for parents and students.

Music Production Studio – Steven Causey, Bayonet Point Middle – Audio/video production studio for student-generated media.

Eco-Adventure – Caroline Holloman, Anclote High – First-hand experience of giraffes and other species from around the world.

Targeted School Support – Ric Mellin, Land O’ Lakes High – Professional development and training for high-impact instruction.

Mission 14: Student Spaceflight Experiment – Chris Dunning, Calusa Elementary, Sanders Elementary, Centennial Middle, Hudson High, and Wendell Krinn Technical High – Experimental design and art competition to fly an experiment to the International Space Station.