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Published: May 07 2012

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL., -- Partners In Education is pleased to announce our annual awards for school-based partnerships. The Community Involvement Awards are given to companies, schools and businesses who work with our schools to provide the best educational opportunities to our students. The ceremony will be held in Fort Lauderdale’s historic Parker Playhouse on Wednesday, May 9 at 9 a.m. This year’s awards highlight four partnerships which have demonstrated true benefits for Broward County students. This event is in conjunction with Broward County Public School’s Community Involvement Awards for Volunteers of the Year, Mentors of the Year and Parent Involvement Program of the Year.

The following four partners are being awarded for truly being a Partner In Education during the awards ceremony:

West Broward High and Condee Farm have been working together since the school opened to provide hands-on experience for students in the Veterinary Assistance Program. Students completing the program graduate with 300 hours on on-site training in addition to 200 hours in the classroom, and are eligible for industry certification. Condee farm also hosts Farm Days and brings animals onto campus for the school’s early childhood program. Last school year, 36 students received their certification as Veterinary Assistants. Forty-one are expected to receive it this year.

Sunset School and ArtServe worked together to create an art experience for the students, many of whom have emotional and behavioral disabilities and live in group or foster homes. The project was designed as a six-day eco-art experience, encouraging the students to learn about the animals and natural resources of South Florida and encouraging them to express what they learned in Masks, Dance, Clay, Drama and Poetry. Most of these students have never been exposed to hands-on art program or to the local environment. This transformative experience left 42 students of all ages feeling much more connected to the world around them.

Tradewinds Elementary with Share-A-Pet are using certified therapy dogs to improve the reading skills of struggling second grade students. The dogs go to classes and listen to the children read. They animals are patient and do not rush or judge the children. The dogs reward the reader by shaking paws or allowing the reader to pet them. The teachers report that this program boosts the self-confidence of their young readers, and the Share-A-Pet volunteers work closely with the teachers to meet the needs of the students.

Lauderdale Manors Elementary School, Target and Heart of America worked together on the Library Make-Over. New books and new technology were featured in the new library. Target, collaborating with a local food pantry, also sent volunteers in every month for the entire year and brought dried food and fresh vegetables to every student in the school. Target Corporation works with approximately 25 schools in the district.

Target also provides donations to schools designated by their customers through the REDCard program. Their generosity, both corporate and local, extends to individual schools and programs. Through a national contest run by Target in conjunction with the Ellen DeGeneres Show, two schools, Broadview Elementary and Nova Eisenhower Elementary each received $100,000 to augment their technology.

For additional information, interview requests or photographs, please contact Andrea Freygang, Public Relations Coordinator for Partners In Education, 786-306-6615 or andreaf@iscprgroup.com.

About Partners In Education (PIE): Partners In Education improves student achievement by cultivating and integrating business, community and school resources for all students in Broward County Public Schools. All Broward County Schools are available for new partnerships. Businesses may make commitments of time, financial resources or other support, based on the need of the school and the type of business. In the 2010/2011 school year there were more than 2700 school partnerships that contributed $3.14 million in added resources to schools through cash and in-kind donations and the value of volunteer services. For information about the program, please contact Nina A. Randall, APR, Executive Director at 754-321-1974 or nrandall@browardschools.com or visit the PIE website at www.browardpartners.com