BREVARD COUNTY, FL – Take Stock in Children (TSIC) of Brevard County proudly announces its outstanding achievements at the 2023 Take Stock Student Success Summit held in Orlando, FL. The program has been honored with the prestigious Gold Level Excellence Award for the 2022-2023 school year, recognizing its commitment to scholarship and mentoring for at-risk, low-income students in the region. In addition, the Brevard TSIC team has once again received the esteemed Luminary Award, demonstrating their unwavering dedication to excellence and exceptional support for their students. The Brevard TSIC team has been awarded the Gold Level Award since its inception in 2009 and the Luminary Award since its inception in 2016.
Take Stock in Children of Brevard County, sponsored locally through the Brevard Schools Foundation, has been at the forefront of empowering students in their educational journey since its inception in 1996. This year’s Gold Level Excellence Award showcases the program’s exceptional efforts in promoting college and career readiness among its scholars.
Take Stock in Children of Brevard Staff with Take Stock in Children State President and CEO Jillian Hasner
Mrs. Susan Knowles, the Lead College Success Coach of the Brevard TSIC team, expressed her gratitude, saying, “We thank all of our mentors, schools’ support staff, and supporters for assisting us in exemplary support of our TSIC Brevard Public Schools students. The Luminary Award is a testament to the dedication of our team, which consistently exceeds Take Stock in Children’s targeted goals in areas involving mentoring, college success coach visits, and college readiness workshops. Our Take Stock in Children team works diligently every day to ensure our program meets the rigorous standards required by TSIC and its funding partners in the State of Florida.”
Mentoring plays a pivotal role in the success of the TSIC program. Mrs. Knowles and Ms. Del Jordan, the College Success Coaches for the Brevard TSIC team, highlighted the significance of mentoring in their scholars’ journey. “Mentoring is a key to TSIC’s success by involving another caring adult that can provide an alternate perspective to their mentee,” shared Ms. Jordan. “Our mentors range from local CEOs to retired individuals and everywhere in between. In addition to mentoring, our scholars meet with their TSIC college success coach multiple times per semester, as well as attend college readiness workshops throughout the school year. Mentoring, paired with the additional support systems, propels our TSIC scholars to success.”
Currently, the Brevard TSIC program enrolls 156 middle and high school students in Brevard County Public Schools. Over the last five years, the program has achieved an impressive 100% high school graduation success rate.
The selection process for TSIC scholars in Brevard County takes place in seventh through ninth grade, based on financial need, academic achievement, good character, and community involvement. Scholars selected for TSIC commit to weekly meetings with their mentors, maintain a crime/drug/alcohol-free lifestyle, and achieve a 2.5 grade point average. Upon high school graduation, Brevard TSIC scholars who meet these requirements are awarded a two-year Florida Prepaid college tuition scholarship, offering them the opportunity for a brighter future through higher education.
Take Stock in Brevard Staff from left: Susan Knowles, Lead College Success Coach, Del Jordan, College Success Coach and Krista Petty, Mentor Coordinator
“Many of these students had only dreamt of a college education until they received the opportunity to participate in Take Stock in Children and realized it could come true if they worked diligently in high school,” stated Janice Kershaw, President/CEO of Brevard Schools Foundation. “These amazing college tuition scholarships are funded through community and individual donations, as well as proceeds from fundraisers presented by Brevard Schools Foundation, such as our fall Reach for the Stars Gala.”
Donations to purchase scholarships are accepted throughout the year, and mentors are continuously being recruited for students. Anyone interested in contributing to scholarship purchases or becoming a volunteer mentor, dedicating 30 minutes each week on school campuses, can contact Krista Petty at Petty.Krista@BrevardSchools.org or 321-633-1000, ext. 11415, for additional information.
Take Stock in Children of Brevard County is immensely proud of its Gold Level and Luminary Awards, and the program remains steadfast in its commitment to empowering and uplifting the lives of at-risk, low-income students in the region.
ABOUT LUMINARY AWARD:
Take Stock in Children (TSIC) affiliates achieve Silver, Gold, and/or Luminary status by fulfilling the Take Stock Balanced Scorecard criteria. This scorecard indicates goals per pillar of student success, including mentoring, college readiness, compliance and data, and TSIC standards. Affiliates recognized with the Luminary Award not only achieved an “A” on their scorecard but accomplished a perfect score in all pillars – indicating the highest level of performance.
ABOUT TAKE STOCK IN CHILDREN:
Established in 1995, Take Stock in Children, a Florida 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, provides volunteer mentors, postsecondary scholarships, and hope to more than 26,000 currently enrolled Florida students from low-income backgrounds. Consistently achieving high school graduation rates that exceed the state average, Take Stock in Children is Florida’s flagship and most successful mentoring and scholarship program. To donate, volunteer, or learn about Take Stock in Children, please visit www.takestockinchildren.org.