MEDIA RELEASE


August 8, 2001
For Immediate Release 

For Further Information:
Sisty Walsh, Communications Director
South Florida Annenberg Challenge
305-377-9909

 

Million Dollar Plus Initiative for Education!
Governor Bush to Acknowledge Outstanding Contribution

Miami - On Monday, August 13, 2001, Florida Governor Jeb Bush will recognize Cordis and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, Inc. for their extraordinary commitment and substantial contributions to the One Community One Goal biomedical initiative. The occasion is a special check presentation ceremony to the schools and students who directly benefit from this outstanding program. The Initiative also receives major funding from the South Florida Annenberg Challenge (SFAC), and the Miami-Dade County Public School system.

The event begins at 9:30 a.m. It will take place at the Wyndham Hotel, 1601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Students and mentors in the program, including summer interns, will be on hand to give a first hand account of the program in action.

The check for $1,005,000 comes from the grant partnership funding:

  • Johnson & Johnson, Inc. and Cordis, a Johnson & Johnson Company--$335, 000
  • SFAC--$335,000,
  • Miami-Dade County Public Schools--$335,000

This is the second of seven SFAC partnerships with OCOG, which is committed to the project's potential to stimulate biomedical economic development through a trained workforce. The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the County of Miami-Dade have identified the biomedical industry as one of the seven most promising sectors for future job growth in South Florida.

The grant also targets improved student achievement through enhanced academics. According to SFAC Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Liftin, "SFAC supports this grant because it raises the bar, calling for more rigorous math and science curricula necessary for globally competitive students. The programs also advance principal leadership, a key SFAC focus area, that is integral to the program's success."

Before the establishment of this grant, Cordis, Johnson & Johnson Company, started a biomedical program at North Miami Beach Senior High, called the Bridge to Employment Program (BTE). It is conducted at the school and at Cordis. BTE is the model for the second grant that created two additional Biomedical Academies and enhanced the original program. The new career academies are at Coral Reef Senior High and Miami Coral Park Senior High, both Miami-Dade Public Schools.

Some features of the grant program are:

  • Upgraded, focused curriculum
  • High level math and science skills
  • Lab activities
  • Summer internships
  • Site training at Cordis
  • Mentoring
  • Cooperation between teachers and Cordis personnel
  • Cordis workshops
  • Training partnerships with local higher education institutions

Leonard Miller, Chairman of the Board of Lennar Corporation and the South Florida Annenberg Challenge, will be in attendance at the event. SFAC is a $100 million public-private initiative to raise student achievement and to make improvements in the way schools operate, teachers teach, and students learn, benefiting approximately 700 public schools in the tri-county area.

Also present at Monday's event will be representatives of Cordis, Johnson & Johnson, One Community One Goal, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, as well as principals and student interns from the beneficiary schools.

###

Back to News Room