For Students

For the third consecutive year, The Education Foundation of Collier County – Champions For Learning has received the Luminary Award from the Take Stock in Children (TSIC) state office by earning a Gold rating and meeting or exceeding 100% of key performance indicator goals.

Take Stock in Children is a statewide academically focused mentoring program that guides students towards successful completion of high school and college enrollment. Take Stock in Children empowers students from households with low incomes, many of whom are on track to become the first in their families to graduate from high school, to overcome the barriers to higher education they face. Champions For Learning has been an affiliate of the Take Stock in Children program since 2000.

Key performance goals accomplished by Champions For Learning include over 3,200 mentoring sessions totaling more than 1970 hours which equals 99% of students meeting their mentoring session goal. Champions For Learning was able to match 100% of newly inducted 8th grade students with a mentor within 30 days of contract signing. Lastly, every student in Champions For Learning’s Take Stock in Children program completed one-on-one sessions with a College and Career coordinator. These are just a few of the key performance indicators accomplished by Champions For Learning.

“Receiving this award for a third year in a row is a reflection of the hard work our student programs staff provides to Collier County students to ensure they can be successful in postsecondary education and in life,” said Barbara Evans, President & CEO of Champions For Learning.

This multi-year program model integrates elements of highly effective college and career access programing, including mentorship, college and career access workshops, one-on-one college and career coaching, and scholarships.

Each student in the Champions For Learning Take Stock in Children program is matched with a volunteer adult mentor for the duration of their high school career. Mentors meet with their student mentees at least sixteen times per year on the school campus, at Champions For Learning office, or through monitored video meeting options. This Luminary Award also reflects the dedication our mentors have when it comes to serving as a catalyst for educational success for the students in Collier County.

For our students and program staff, campus tour days in June and July began by arriving at Champions For Learning before the sun was even up. Each trip hosted more than 40 Champions For Learning high school students who would board a charter bus to embark on an exciting, jam-packed day exploring one, or sometimes two, college universities here in Florida.

The bus rides to the universities were a little quiet. As you might expect, teenagers are not the most talkative or energetic when they wake up this early. However, that all changes when the bus arrives on campus. This year, Champions For Learning took students to tour Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Florida Polytechnic University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida and University of South Florida.

Once on campus, Champions For Learning students start the guided tour portion of the visit. Our students gain firsthand views of each campus and the surrounding community. They have opportunities to visit academic buildings, sit in on classes, and speak face-to-face with current college students, faculty, and staff.

“I think it was an amazing experience. The campus was really big and there were a lot of majors to explore,” said Uriel S., a Champions For Learning student who visited University of Central Florida for the first time. “I saw that Orlando is an amazing place to live and the lifestyle. I really enjoyed being there.”

Part of the campus experience is having our students eat lunch in the dining hall and trying the meals they would be eating if they attended that school. After lunch, the tour of the campus continues with one last stop at the bookstore for some campus merchandise, that is, if time allows.

Once back on the bus, either headed back to Naples or to a second university to tour, the games begin! Champions For Learning’s two Bank of America Student Leader interns took the time to make trivia games that correlate to the day’s campus tour. Consisting of five questions and a bonus question, students must answer trivia questions, such as the name of a statue or building they saw during the tour. The person with the most correct answers in the shortest amount of time then wins a piece of merchandise from that college campus.

Many of our students have never visited a college campus, and brochures, catalogues, and websites do not offer a comprehensive picture of the college experience. Their parents often work full-time and cannot afford to take off work to visit a college campus hours away. Others simply cannot afford to make the long drive. It is because of these reasons and more that Champions For Learning provides college campus tours.

Campus visits are an essential step in the college search process. By providing this opportunity, Champions For Learning is empowering students to dream big and work towards realizing their post-secondary goals.

Champions For Learning student programing does not stop once the school year ends. From June 12 to June 22, 19 students from Champions For Learning’s Technical Pathways, Take Stock in Children, and College and Career Preparation programs, attended Lorenzo Walker Technical College’s annual Technical Pathways summer camp. This two-week long camp allowed students to receive hands-on exposure helping teach real-world concepts and how to apply them.

Lorenzo Walker Technical College hosts this opportunity each summer to give high school students the opportunity to explore a variety of technical disciplines to help students discover to alternative educational pathways that lead to careers which do not require a traditional four-year degree.

Students at the camp were offered three different technical pathways to explore, Transportation, Culinary, and Health Sciences. Each group was led by industry educators, providing guidance and expertise to students. The curriculum for the Health Sciences portion was developed with the help from two current Champions For Learning students, Gaby and Evansley.

Champions For Learning’s helped eliminate transportation barriers for students with working parents. Before and after camp, students were allowed to be dropped off at Champions For Learning until their parents could pick them up. Students were transported to and from Lorenzo Walker Technical College.

“I am so grateful for Champions For Learning for offering this opportunity. My parents work late and cannot pick me up until after work. Thanks to Champions For Learning, I have somewhere to stay so my parents do not have to worry,” shared Emily C., an incoming tenth grade student at Barron Collier.

Emily is interested in pursuing Hospitality as a career. She chose the culinary track not only because cooking is one of her hobbies but more importantly, she was able to explore her academic interest. Emily participated in camp last year and had so much fun, she returned this year.

“I am having so much fun making all sorts of new foods dumplings, wontons, cookies, and pasta. We went on two field trips that taught us how to practice teamwork, communication, and how to collaborate with others. Without Champions For Learning, I would not have any plans this summer and would miss out on all these memories. I plan to go again next year,” said Emily.

This summer camp demonstrates to students the possibilities of what their future could look like helping them make informed decisions.

By providing relevant educational experiences for our students, they are better prepared with academic, technical, and employability skills necessary to succeed in their chosen careers and in further postsecondary education.

Champions For Learning is proud to serve as a catalyst for educational success by investing in Collier’s students and educators. For more ways to support our Champions For Learning’s student programs, please visit our website.

Summertime does not always mean a break from school. For Champions For Learning students, many utilize this time to get ahead for the next school year. This is why Champions For Learning is already starting labs on applying for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to help rising seniors prepare for what is to come during the school year.

Applying for free student aid can be challenging for many, especially for first generation students whose parents did not attend college. The application is lengthy and requires personal information to be submitted.

“A lot of times, you’re not 100 percent sure what is required and what isn’t, so this took a lot of pressure off of doing it myself,” said Zaden M., a rising senior at Palmetto Ridge High School who attended one of the Champions For Learning FAFSA Labs.

To prepare for applying for the FAFSA in the fall, Champions For Learning is preparing students in the summer. Champions For Learning hosted three labs that went

“A lot of times, in school, you are not going to learn things like this so this is actually a great resource to learn these things,” said Zaden.

Topics such as being aware of non-government websites that impersonate the FAFSA website, preparing an account for the student and their parent, and making sure the right information and paperwork is being gathered for when it does come time to apply were all items covered during these labs.

Preparing Champions For Learning students early on for the FAFSA completion will hopefully lead to students submitting their applications earlier and it being easier to do so. An early submission could mean more money awarded to the student. You are more likely to qualify for federal, state, and college-offered grants if you file the FAFSA early. In fact, some studies show that students who fill out the FAFSA early get twice as many grants, on average, as compared with students who file the FAFSA later. It is because of this that Champions For Learning is preparing students during the summer, and will then will help students complete the FAFSA in the fall.

As high school graduation for Collier County Public Schools approaches, Champions For Learning celebrated the 2023 graduates of the organization in a separate ceremony on May 2^nd. This graduation, Countdown to Cap and Gown, was hosted at Artis – Naples and was a fun opportunity for the 80 graduating seniors, their families, and their mentors to come together and celebrate all the success this class has accomplished so far.

The Champions For Learning’s 2023 graduating class has put in countless hours and work to help better themselves as well as our community. Despite the challenging circumstances this class has been faced with over the past four years, a pandemic and a catastrophic hurricane, the graduates of Champions For Learning have persevered and have produced extraordinary results because of it. Collectively, the class of 2023 has accomplished the following to date:

• 297 applications submitted for college or technical programs
• 187 college acceptances
• 67 Industry certifications and counting
• 6 students will be graduating with their associate degree at the same time as graduating from high school because of dual enrollment

On top of these amazing statistics, the Champions For Learning class of 2023 has collectively served over 10,400 hours of community service.

“These accomplishments are no easy feat. All of our programs’ graduates have done an amazing job utilizing opportunities to meet their goals,” shared Jessica Manchette, Chief Programs Officer, Champions For Learning. “Four years ago, when these students were inducted into our program, we could have never predicted all their accomplishments. We commend their hard work toward reaching their goals for the future.  Each student brings unique attributes to the collective class. We are so proud of our students and excited to see all that they will accomplish.”

The Champions For Learning’s 2023 graduating class is made up of students enrolled in one of the two programs the organization offers, Take Stock in Children or College and Career Preparation.

The Take Stock in Children program is a mentoring program for students, from families with low incomes, in 8^th through 12th grades. Students commit to staying drug and crime free, maintaining their grades and meeting with their mentor regularly.

When Take Stock in Children students enter 11th grade, they are dual enrolled in the College and Career Preparation program as described. Upon graduation, Take Stock in Children students earn a two-year state college scholarship.

“The staff at Champions never failed to make me feel like whatever I was going through was going to be okay,” said Hector R., a 2023 graduate from Champions For Learning’s Take Stock in Children’s program. “Having an organization like Champions For Learning care so much about my future and about my success makes me feel so grateful.”

The College and Career Preparation Program works with 11th and 12th grade students enrolled in Collier County Public Schools, charter, and private schools who are working towards high school graduation and postsecondary education or technical training. These students come from households with low incomes and middle-class gap who cannot afford the full cost of post-secondary education or technical training without help.

The program incorporates college- and career-preparation program components that have been proven to be highly effective: academic support, college and career planning, leadership development, college access and visits, coaching, service learning, and financial literacy. College and Career Preparation students may earn an In-Demand Careers or Project STARS Scholarship in this program.

The impact these programs have on students within our community is made possible through generous donors. Consider making a gift to Champions For Learning to support our student programs.

To view more photos from the Countdown to Cap & Gown event, click HERE.