As Fireworks Boomed, Volunteers Read Books To Animal Shelter Cats And Dogs
July 6, 2022
While the fireworks were booming across Escambia County for Independence Day, the canines and felines at the Escambia County Animal Shelter were enjoying the company of volunteers and a good book.
The 2022 Tales for Tails event saw volunteers spend Monday night reading or just chatting with the dogs and puppies and cats and kittens who were comforted by a good story. Or just hearing someone that took the night to talk to them, show them that they care.
They were not alone as the sky booms echoed. They were not afraid. They were brave, thanks to their friends.
The words didn’t necessarily matter, but a “good boy” or “good girl”…wow, that means the world to a shelter resident.
Tails wagged in the doggie kennel, and there were more than a few purrs in the shelter’s Catnip Café. It was good for the animals, whether they were of the cat, dog or human species. You could tell by the smiles; it was a great way for animal lovers to celebrate the night of the Fourth. If you looked, you could see the smiles on doggie and kitty faces too.
And then there was Mallory McIver. She captured the night with her drawings of sweet resident pups.
Drawings that may become the cover of the next storybook as the shelter animals become part of someone’s family. It’s next chapter in this tale for tails that all hope to hear.
Photos courtesy Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ICYMI: Century Celebrates The Fourth With Fireworks, Food Trucks (Photo Gallery)
July 5, 2022
In case you missed it over the holiday weekend, here’s a look back as fireworks lit up the night Friday with an early Fourth of July celebration in Century.
Hundreds of people gathered in Showalter Park, Anthony Pleasant Park and the surrounding neighborhoods Friday night. Several food trucks offered everything from po’boys to loaded fries and ice cream, while vendors offered their wares before fireworks lit up the night.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
IP Awards Thousands In Grants To Local Nonprofits; Here’s How To Apply For The Next Round
July 1, 2022
The International Paper Pensacola Mill awarded thousands of dollars in foundation grants to local organizations last year, and a workshop is coming up for nonprofits and local government entities to learn how to apply for the next round in which $63,000 will be awarded.
A list of the 2021 grant recipients is below.
The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, July 14 at 10 a.m. and will focus on eligibility, criteria, and restrictions. Reservations to attend the workshop are required as a link for the virtual meeting will be distributed; however, attendance is not mandatory for eligibility.
The International Paper Foundation makes sustainable investments to address critical needs in the communities where its employees live and work.
“International Paper grants are an impactful way we continue to be a force of good in the community,” said Whitney Fike, communications manager. “These grants help organizations fund new projects and programs that support their critical mission and impact those in need.”
Signature Causes include:
- Education – Programs focused on helping children succeed via a comprehensive approach to education. Priority is given to literacy programs from birth through 3rd grade.
- Hunger – Programs dedicated to improving food security throughout our communities.
- Health & Wellness – Programs that promote healthy living habits.
- Disaster Relief – Programs that help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
Funding also is available to address environmental initiatives (forests, water and air), employee involvement grants and other critical community needs.
Applicants must be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or qualifying federal entity to apply for a grant. To be considered, organizations must have a program that addresses critical community needs and have measurable objectives to demonstrate impact. Applications will be accepted at www.ipgiving.com until August 7, 2022.
2021 International Paper Grant Recipients:
- Autism Pensacola – Kids for Camp Summer Learning Lab – $5,000
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida – Feeding our Little Family – $2,000
- Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast – Junior Novelist – $1,295
- Bright Bridge Ministries – Hot, Healthy Meals – $5,000
- Camp Fire Gulf Wind, Inc
- Children’s Home Society – After School and Summer Education – $2,000
- Council on Aging of West Florida – Clean Water Kids – $2,000
- Creative Learning Academy – Expanding Minds with the Power of Literacy – $1,000
- Every Child a Reader dba ReadyKids! – Project Ready Book Distribution – $3,000
- Feeding the Gulf Coast – Backpack Program: Weekend Meals for Children – $5,000
- FoodRaising Friends – Replacing School Meals – $3,000
- Gulf Coast Kids House – Reducing Abusive Head Trauma through Education – $2,000
- Health and Hope Clinic – Access to Care – $5,000
- Institute for Human and Machine Cognition – Free hands-on STEM: Science Saturdays – $1,500
- Jim Allen Elementary School – Ready to Read! – $2,500
- Junior League of Pensacola – Child Wellness Program – $1,500
- Kingsfield Elementary – Ready to Read! – $3,000
- Manna Food Bank – Healthy Kids Initiative – $4,000
- Pace Center for Girls – Ready through Remediation – $1,495
- Pensacola Children’s Chorus – Preparatory Choir – $1,000
- Pensacola Little Theatre – Dramatically Healthy Kids – $1,750
- Pensacola MESS Hall – Science in the Libraries – $1,300
- Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Florida – Hope for Hurting Families – $5,000
- The Global Corner – Let’s Visit Israel Activity Book – $2,600
- The Salvation Army – Food for a Senior – $1,250
- United Methodist Children’s Home – Milton Girls Group Home Meals – $1,000
- University of West Florida Foundation – Community Garden Orchard Project – $5,000
- Valerie’s House – Family Grief Support – $3,000
- West Florida Historic Preservation – Land and Sea Wonders on the Gulf Coast – $5,000
Pictured top: Kingsfield Elementary received a reading grant from International Paper. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview, Jay, Central Students Take Part In Washington Youth Tour
June 30, 2022
Four area students recently participated in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association annual Youth Tour to Washington, D.C.
Northview High School junior Drake Driskell, Jay High School senior Caroline Harp, and seniors Hannah Bott and Taylor Baggett from Central High School were Escambia River Electric Cooperative representatives on the tour.
“Sponsoring students for this exciting, educational trip is just one of the ways we invest in our youth,” says Ryan Campbell, CEO of EREC.
On the weeklong Youth Tour, students visited many of the major monuments and memorials, including the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Cathedral and more. The students also visited Capitol Hill where they met with members of Congress.
“Being in Washington DC for a week was nothing short of amazing! Seeing all the monuments, museums, buildings, national documents, and history in DC was absolutely fascinating,” said Harp.
This year, 34 students from cooperatives across Florida took part.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Beulah Middle, Tate High, Northview High FFA Chapters Awarded At State Convention
June 28, 2022
FFA chapters and members from Beulah Middle School, Northview High School and Tate High School were recently honored at the 94th Florida FFA State Convention at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Tate High School received the Florida FFA Premier Chapter Award. The award was initiated to recognize superior achievement by chapters in agricultural education and the FFA. To be eligible for this award, a chapter must be proficient in several areas, which include alumni and community partnerships, financial planning, public relations, recruitment and other FFA activities.
Beulah Middle and Tate High were selected among Florida’s Finest FFA Chapters. The selection of these chapters is based upon the completion of the National Chapter Award program application. These chapters have excelled in the areas of growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture and have worked hard to fulfill the mission and vision of the FFA.
Northview High and Tate High chapters were recognized for 100% membership. In order to receive this award, every student enrolled in agriculture must also be a bona fide FFA member and active with leadership development programs of the FFA Program.
Beulah Middle School’s Leanne Jenkins has been named Florida’s 2022 FFA Advisor of the Year. [Read more...] The award recognizes educators who have made a positive difference in the lives of their students. Individuals nominated must have taught for at least three years and have provided outstanding service to their FFA chapter, agricultural industry, and agricultural education.
The Florida FFA State Degree, the highest degree that the State FFA Association can bestow on a member, was awarded to eight Tate High School FFA members. This degree is awarded annually at the State FFA Convention to those members who have met the minimum qualifications set forth by the National FFA Organization.
The Florida FFA State Degree was awarded to the following Tate FFA members:
- Jiana Dortch
- Kristen Gibbs
- Wiley Griffin
- Tucker Griffin
- Dawson Guy
- Mia Langley
- Jaxson Stafford
- Hanna Swauger
CDE, LDE, Proficiency Winners
Beulah Middle School
- 1st Place State Aquaculture
- 5th State Forestry
- Miller Richards – State High Individual Tool ID
- 5th State Vegetable Judging
- 3rd Parliamentary Procedure
- 1st FFA Suncoast Credit Union Food Drive
Northview High School
- 5th Place Chapter Advocacy Award (Fresh From Florida event)
Tate High School
- Jaxson Stafford State Winner Forage Production Proficiency (advances to nationals)
- Jaxson Stafford Florida FFA State Star Farmer [Read more...]
- 3rd Place State Safe Tractor Operations and Maintenance – Jaxson Stafford
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cox Charities Awards Grants To Three Escambia Schools
June 5, 2022
Cox Communications employees have awarded eight grants to local schools, through Cox Charities Innovation in Education Grants. The program provides employee funded grants of up to $2,500 for classroom programs and curriculum that encourage and promote students’ ingenuity and imagination. Earlier this year, nearly 40 applications were submitted by schools in Escambia and Okaloosa Counties.
Cox Charities Innovation in Education grant recipients included the following in Escambia County:
Beulah Elementary School – Bringing Reading to Life ($500) – This program will help third graders transition learning by helping them better comprehend the stories they ready by providing them with engaging experiences and discussions. The class will develop projects and activities based on the books they read and discuss.
Escambia Westgate School – Westgate Sensory Picture Book Walk ($1,200) - The Sensory Picture Book Walk for the entire student population at Escambia Westgate will be an innovative way to meet many of students’ complex sensory needs, while also providing them educational activity. The multisensory component of this program will maximize the participation and engagement of our students with unique learning needs. To create this program, laminated pages from a picture book would be attached to signposts. The signposts would be placed along a winding path through our sensory garden at Westgate. As the students complete one page, they can move through the garden on to the next page of the story. The display book will be updated 3 to 4 times throughout the year, to provide a new story.
West Florida High School – Escambia County Living Shorelines Program ($2,000) - This coastal habitat restoration project is a collaboration between West Florida High School and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Marine Science students are teaming up with the Agricultural Sciences Academy to multiply and propagate emergent vegetation for planting in environmentally sensitive shoreline areas along the Gulf Coast. The partnership between FDEP and WFHS began as a program to engage youth of our area in making a positive environmental impact through mitigating shoreline erosion, creating habitat for marine life, and filtering out pollution. Through this grant students will: 1) Develop an understanding of shoreline ecology 2) Successfully propagate three species of emergent halophyte plants and, 3) Participate in a shoreline restoration planting.
Cox Charities is 100 percent funded by local employees through payroll deductions. A committee of 13 Gulf Coast employees then reviewed and chose grant recipients based on the amount of funding available.
Pictured: Beulah Elementary School was the recipient of a $500 Cox Charities grant. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Take Stock in Children Awards $242,000 In Scholarships To Escambia Graduates
June 3, 2022
Take Stock in Children and the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation awarded $242,000 in scholarships at a recent “Graduation & Unsung Hero Celebration”.
The event honored 19 graduating seniors who each received four-year tuition scholarships and a laptop computer. Also recognized were all of the volunteer mentors of our students and scholarship donors.
The 2022 Take Stock in Children graduates are:
Northview High
Miyhanna Davidson
Jonathan Gibbs
Paige Gibbs
Pensacola High
LaDarrien Kimble
Aidan Sidner-Palafox
Pine Forest High
Jakiah Henderson-Young
Jaydah Lett,
Makia Samuel
Washington High
Adrianna Blackmon
Abbie Brunson
Chelsea Hotopp
Rebecca KurauWilliam Ngo
West Florida High
Madison Hayes
Centyah Moye
Tho Pham
Matthew Setzer
Harley Walker
Okaloosa County transfer Malik Williams was also honored.
Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 as a non-profit organization in Florida operating locally under the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation. The program provides a unique opportunity for deserving low-income students to escape the cycle of poverty through education. Students are selected through a need-based application process in middle school, and comprehensive services continue through high school and include the students’ transition into college. Students receive college scholarships, caring volunteer mentors, college readiness skills, and hope for a better life.
Scholarships are funded through a unique public-private fundraising model in which local scholarship donations are matched by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation when scholarships are purchased each year. Laptops were donated through a program founded by Nick & Nathan Gupta and currently coordinated by Aiden Hayward.
Pictured top: From Northview High School, Take Stock in Children mentor Craig Exner, and students Miyhanna Davidson, Jonathan Gibbs, and Paige Gibbs. Pictured below: Members of the Take Stock in Children Class of 2022. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High Names Students Of The Month For April And May
June 1, 2022
Tate High School has named their Students of the Month of the final months of the school year.
May Students of the Month were Vanessa Lopez and Savionne Jones (pictured above).
April Students of the Month were Abigail Conn and Larry Blanton (pictured below).
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
May 31, 2022
Jim Allen Elementary School recently named Students of the Month. They are Trevor Wilson-Crews and Weston Frantz. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Student Winners Named In ‘Why I Love America’ Essay Contest
May 29, 2022
Cantonment Masonic Lodge #322 recently sponsored a “Why I Love America” essay contest at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Christian Caraway, Lexi Smallwood, Felix Soileau and Dawson Portwood were the essay contest winners and presented with certificates.
Pictured above: (L-R) \Felix Soileau, Dawson Portwood, Lexi Smallwood and Christian Caraway. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.