Capital Soup

Florida News Straight From the Source

You are here: Home / Archives for Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Host Contest Winners at Governor’s Mansion

Posted on

Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. and Volunteer Florida CEO Josie
Tamayo joins Governor Ron DeSantis to recognize student and educator winners

Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis this week announced this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month student and educator contest winners [Read more…] about Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Host Contest Winners at Governor’s Mansion

Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida Announce Extension for Hispanic Heritage Month Contests for Communities Affected by Hurricane Idalia

Posted on

The Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida today extended the student contest submission deadline [Read more…] about Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida Announce Extension for Hispanic Heritage Month Contests for Communities Affected by Hurricane Idalia

Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida Encourage Students to Participate in 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Contests

Posted on

Student essay contest winners will receive a 2-Year Florida College
Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation

The Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida today encourage students to participate in Hispanic Heritage Month student contests [Read more…] about Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida Encourage Students to Participate in 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Contests

First Lady Casey DeSantis Announces Orestes Bouzon as Florida’s Featured Artist for Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted on

First Lady Casey DeSantis today announced contemporary artist, Orestes Bouzon as Florida’s featured artist for Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated September 15 to October 15. [Read more…] about First Lady Casey DeSantis Announces Orestes Bouzon as Florida’s Featured Artist for Hispanic Heritage Month

Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott Announce Hispanic Heritage Month Contest Winners

Posted on

Contest winner

Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott last night announced the 2018 Hispanic Heritage Month student and teacher contest winners. This year’s theme was “A Celebration of Innovative Hispanic-American Leaders,” and the winners were honored during the annual Hispanic Heritage Month reception at the Florida Governor’s Mansion. [Read more…] about Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott Announce Hispanic Heritage Month Contest Winners

Gov. Scott and First Lady Ann Scott Invite K-12 Students to Participate in 2018 Hispanic Heritage Month Contests

Posted on

Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott announced the 2018 Hispanic Heritage Month contests for students and educators and invited Florida K-12 students to participate in the essay and art contests. Parents, students, teachers and principals are also invited to nominate full-time, outstanding educators for the Hispanic Heritage Month Excellence in Education Award.

Governor Scott said, “I encourage all Florida students to take advantage of the summer break to learn about the many influential Hispanic-Americans who have helped shape the Sunshine State. This year, students will be competing for a four-year Florida College Plan scholarship, which will help them live their dreams in Florida.”

First Lady Ann Scott said, “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is an exciting opportunity to focus on Hispanic-Americans and the role they played in shaping today’s Florida. When I visit schools to share my passion for reading and literacy, the students are always so enthusiastic about learning. I hope Florida students use this opportunity to explore Florida’s rich Hispanic culture. I am also honored to highlight the work of the immensely gifted Juan “One” Sepúlveda, our 2018 Hispanic Heritage Month featured artist.”

The theme for this year’s essay and art contests is “A Celebration of Innovative Hispanic-American Leaders.” Students are asked to share how Hispanic Floridians have impacted our state’s history and culture. More information about the contests and Florida’s Hispanic Heritage Month is available at FloridaHispanicHeritage.com.  

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month featured artist is Juan “One” Sepúlveda.

About the Student Contests
Art Contest for Grades K-3: The Hispanic Heritage Month art contest is open to allFlorida students in grades K-3, and two winners will be selected.

Essay Contest for Grades 4-12: The Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest is open to allFlorida students in grades 4 through 12. Three winners will be selected: one elementarystudent (grades 4-5), one middle-school student (grades 6-8), and one high schoolstudent (grades 9-12). Winners will receive a four-year Florida College Plan scholarshipprovided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

About the Excellence in Education Award
Governor Scott’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month Excellence in Education Award Contest is open to all Hispanic, full-time educators in an elementary, middle or high school in Florida. Three winners will be selected: one elementary school (grades K-5) teacher, one middle school (grades 6-8) teacher and one high school (grades 9-12) teacher.

All entry forms and guidelines for the contests, as well as additional information about Florida’sHispanic Heritage Month and other related events, can be found at FloridaHispanicHeritage.com.

Contest Entries and Nominations
Student contest forms and educator nomination forms must be mailed to Volunteer Florida or submitted online at FloridaHispanicHeritage.com.  Please mail your forms to:

Volunteer Florida
3800 Esplanade Way
Suite 180
Tallahassee, FL 32311

All entries must be mailed to Volunteer Florida or submitted online and received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 15, 2018.

For additional information about Florida’s Hispanic Heritage, contests and other related events, please visit FloridaHispanicHeritage.com.

 

Image source: FloridaHispanicHeritage.com

Tower Hill Honors Hispanic Heritage Month with Record-Setting Contribution to Step Up For Students

Posted on

More than 4,800 lower-income children in Hillsborough County on scholarship

Step Up For Students and Tower Hill Insurance Group joined together Tuesday at Florida College Academy to celebrate the insurance company’s record-setting contribution to the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program during National Hispanic Heritage month.

Since 2011, Tower Hill has contributed more than $3 million to Step Up For Students, providing scholarships to more than 600 of Florida’s underprivileged students who are given access to a private school or financial assistance to attend an out-of-district public school.

“During a time when we recognize the prominent role the Hispanic community has played in building this great nation, I am proud that Tower Hill is working to fund hundreds of scholarships in order to help serve more students,” said Don Matz, CEO of Tower Hill. “It has been a pleasure meeting with so many brilliant, caring students this morning.”

Step Up For Students, the nonprofit organization that helps administer the income-based FTC scholarship program, provides opportunities to nearly 105,000 students across Florida this school year. Roughly 38 percent of students statewide are Hispanic, and the typical scholarship student comes from a single-parent household where the average income is $25,353.

In Hillsborough County, 40 percent of the 4,850 students benefiting from the program are Hispanic. Step Up For Students praised Tower Hill’s generosity, which has been crucial to fueling the growth of the program.

“The impressive level of support from Florida’s insurance industry is critical to advancing our mission of providing educational options to underprivileged children across the state,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students. “Tower Hill’s contribution is an investment in students and allows them to access the education that best meets their individual learning needs.”

Families and students that have benefited from the FTC scholarship program spoke out in support, urging other leading companies to consider participation. Florida College Academy, located in Temple Terrace, has 258 students in pre-K through eighth grade, approximately 50 percent of whom are Step Up scholars.

“As both a teacher at Florida College Academy and a parent of two scholarship students, I have witnessed first-hand the overwhelming transformation this program has made in the lives of its recipients,” said Stephanie Meier, mother to third- and fourth-grade scholarship students. “I hope that all interested families who qualify for this program are granted the same opportunity that my family has been privileged to experience.”

A recent study of the program found that FTC scholarship students are significantly more likely to attend college and receive a degree. The study compared FTC students to a comparable set of Florida public school students, assessing college enrollment, persistence, and attainment rates. The widely reported study found that students who are on the FTC scholarship program for four or more years are 40 percent more likely than their public school counterparts to attend college and 29 percent more likely to earn an associate degree.

To learn more about Tower Hill, visit https://www.thig.com. More information on the impact of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program and how to support Step Up for Students is available at https://www.stepupforstudents.org.

UCF Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With Adelante Message

Posted on

ORLANDO – Latinos at UCF won’t let Hurricane Irma stop its Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Although off to a late start, the celebration is moving ahead starting this week.

“I think it is appropriate that our theme is “¡Adelante! Leading with Courage,” said  Cyndia M. Muñiz, president of the Latino Faculty and Staff Association and advisor to the Latin American Student Association. Both organizations are sponsoring this year’s events. “Adelante means to move ahead despite challenges. The programs we’ve prepared this month are aimed at encouraging and empowering the Latino community to lead with courage and acknowledge Latino contributions here, nationally and around the world.”

Those looking to learn more about Hispanics and their impact on the community can check out an array of events from Cuban Chef and author Ana Sofia Palaez demonstrating simple and delicious recipes today to talks about the economic crisis in Puerto Rico and how to identify as Hispanic or Latino.

A diverse panel of Latino professionals will provide advice for combating adversity in the workplace and the documentary Made in L.A. will be screened as well. For a full listing of more than 15 events visit http://ucflafasa.org/.

The Closing Celebration is set for Thursday, Oct. 12, with Keynote Speaker Juana Bordas, President of Mestiza Leadership International. Her talk is entitled “Shaping the Bright Future of America.”  Bordas will also lead a workshop on the Power of Latino Leadership on Oct. 11.

“There are more than 15,000 students at UCF who identify as Hispanic/Latino at UCF,” Muñiz said.

The month-long celebration is not the only time the organizers work together. LaFaSA and LASA work throughout the academic year to highlight Latino contributions and achievement, with events like Nuestra Graduación, UCF’s Annual Latino Graduation Celebration, coming in May 2018. LaFaSA and LASA also support UCF’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion and its Hispanic Serving Institution Task Force, which is leading the university initiative to achieve the federal designation of Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

CONTACT: Cyndia Muñiz, LAFaSA, 407-823-2718 or [email protected]

About the Latino Faculty and Staff Association at UCF

The Latino Faculty and Staff Association (LaFaSA) at the University of Central Florida is an organization dedicated to raising awareness and advocating for the needs and goals of Latino community at UCF. LaFaSA seeks to advance educational and work opportunities that would enhance the status of Latinos/as within the university community. LaFaSA promotes a family environment that embraces and respects the various identities within the Latino/a culture through quality, bilingual programming, networking opportunities and guidance, to UCF’s Latino students, faculty and staff; and the greater UCF community. For more information please visit http://ucflafasa.org or call 407-823-2718.

About the Latin American Student Association at UCF

Established in 1985, LASA is the oldest Latino based student organization and the second oldest multicultural-based organization in the history of UCF. LASA’s mission is to provide the UCF community with knowledge of the Latino culture. LASA has three goals that go unchanged: (1) To provide UCF students with educational and cultural activities; (2) To collaborate with the community and develop a relationship between the UCF student body and the Orlando Latino community; and (3) To provide a familial experience at the college level.

Zenaida Kotala

Associate Director

University of Central Florida, News & Information

407-823-6120