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THE PARENT ACADEMY RECEIVES $300,000 DONATION FROM MIAMI – The Parent Academy, Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ new community outreach program designed to help parents become full partners in their children’s education, received a $300,000 donation from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida at the August 2 meeting of the Miami-Dade County School Board. The donation is the largest donation to date and will be used to launch a health & wellness module that will promote the importance of leading healthy and balanced lives to students and their families. The brainchild of Dr. Rudolph Crew, Superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools, The Parent Academy (TPA) is the first of its kind in the country. Established in 2005, TPA is a community-based program offering a variety of courses in more than 80 locations and settings throughout the school district. Classes and activities provide parents the tools and skills they can use to help their children succeed in school. “At the heart of our mission is a commitment to improve the quality of life for all Floridians,” said George Foyo, market president of South Florida Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. “The Parent Academy has the potential to positively affect so many people in South Florida – children, parents and, in the longer-term, community businesses and employers. We’re very proud to be part of this innovative program that will do so much for so many Dade County residents,” Foyo said. “The Parent Academy is honored to be the recipient of such a generous donation to help us further our mission of building the community, one parent at a time. It will benefit parents, their children, and ultimately, our community,” said Sandy Moise, Dean of The Parent Academy. In its first year, TPA offered more than 400 courses on such topics as citizenship, G.E.D. preparation, reading tips, notetaking and study skills, hurricane preparedness and computer studies, among others. The first year goal for participation was 10,000 incidents, but TPA far exceeded its goal, issuing 18,200 certificates of completion to parents. For more information on The Parent Academy, call Sandy Moise at 305-995-2620. # # # 06-LJG/007/TEL |
