Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart honored 44 Florida businesses with the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award. The award recognizes businesses for their extraordinary contributions to public education in Florida.
“I am pleased to present these businesses with the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award as a token of our appreciation for their ongoing support,” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. “Strong partnerships between the education and business communities are essential to student success, and I hope more businesses will take advantage of this mutually beneficial opportunity.”
During the awards ceremony, Commissioner Stewart highlighted a few of the initiatives that businesses are embarking on to help Florida’s students:
- In Alachua County, Pappas and Tapley Orthodontics hosts hundreds of first grade students over six days. During their visits, the students learn about careers in dental health and how to take care of their own teeth.
- In Hillsborough County, the Tampa Bay Lightning has invested $6 million into its 5-year Build the Thunder Program. Through the program, the Lightning donates hockey gear to underprivileged children and seeks to teach them critical life skills.
- In Osceola County, Lowe’s actively supports The Green Bag Project, which helps ensure students in need have food during non-school hours, such as weekends and holiday breaks.
- In Pinellas County, Ajax Building Corporation dedicated more than $1 million in time, labor and resources to transform a vacant school building into The Starting Right Now facility, which serves homeless and unaccompanied youth.
- Wells Fargo has been a longstanding partner of the Foundation for Lee Public Schools and the School District of Lee County, contributing nearly $110,000 to education in 2016.
To view a list of awarded businesses and organizations, visit Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards.
The Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards, presented by Wells Fargo, are administered by the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Education Foundation to encourage successful alliances within the business community and among local school districts for the benefit of Florida’s students. Other sponsors of the 30th annual awards program are MGT Consulting Group, Florida Power and Light, Kyra Solutions, and Gray-Robinson Attorneys at Law.
About the Florida Education Foundation
As a valued partner to public education, the Florida Education Foundation’s mission is to invest in high achievement for every student to contribute to Florida’s globally competitive workforce. The Foundation is the direct support organization for the Florida Department of Education. For more information, visit Florida Education Foundation.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.
