Educator leaders participating in the “Becoming Titans in Civics & History” professional development opportunity completed their two-week academy with a community engagement project at the Florida Dream Center.

St. Petersburg College has been a long time partner with the Florida Dream Center, who serves those in need in the Lealman area. They have community based projects that serve Pinellas County including Adopt a Block, helping neighborhoods and individuals one block at a time, utilize a mobile food pantry to fight food insecurity, support resident advocacy, and prepare for job readiness.

Participants were welcomed by former County Commissioner Charlie Justice, a long time advocate and volunteer for the Florida Dream Center. The team then worked on various projects, including stocking the food pantry and preparing snack bags for school age kids and packing Father’s Day treats for community members who will be out for Saturday’s weekly Adopt a Block event.

Florida Dream Center is one of many community based engagement projects that can be built into the classroom for high school students to learn how to activate their citizenship and become student leaders in the community while mastering Florida Civics and History course requirements.

The Center for Civic Learning & Community Engagement is developing community engaged projects for each of SPC’s Career & Academic Communities. This will help high school students explore their career interest while seeing how they can also serve their community.

For more information, please contact Tara Newsom at newsom.tara@spcollege.edu.

Mark your calendars for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service on Jan. 17.

Each year, SPC honors Dr. King’s legacy on this national day of service by participating in volunteer opportunities throughout the county.

This January, SPC has partnered with Hope Villages to fight food insecurity and will be passing out 400 boxes of food for families.

SPC will be serving our community in two locations, Clearwater Campus, and Midtown Campus on Jan. 17 from 9 to 11 a.m. Details on the flyer are below.

Faculty and staff are invited to volunteer on Jan. 16 and 17 to help unpack and distribute food. If interested, please register to volunteer.

Please help spread the word by sharing the flyer below with your students and community partners.

SPC may also participate in the MLK Day Parade in downtown St. Petersburg on Monday, Jan. 20. Keep an eye out in Titan Hub for more information.

St. Petersburg College is proud to be recognized as one of the Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting in 2024 by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge!

The college is honored to receive this recognition and can’t wait to build upon this success to strengthen democracy in the United States.

The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation. SPC joins a group of 471 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for creating greater access to civic life.

SPC’s Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement (CCLCE) is delighted to have earned this designation and welcomes creating innovative approaches to civic health and community advancement in the upcoming year.

For more information on how to get involved, please reach out to the CCLCE team at CCLCE@spcollege.edu or visit spcollege.edu/cclce.

This is the last call to register to vote in Florida or update your voter registration address! The deadline to register is October 7, so you still have time. Visit the Vote 411 website to check if you’re ready to vote.

If you need more information to be an informed voter, the League of Women Voters (LWV) election voter guide is available and packed with essential information to prepare Florida voters for the upcoming election season.

The 2024 Voter Guide covers everything Florida voters need to know, including:

• A comprehensive breakdown of the six constitutional amendments on this year’s ballot
• A summary of key changes to voting since the 2020 and 2022 elections.
• Guidance on recognizing and combating the dangers of mis- and disinformation.
• Detailed information about the statewide candidates Floridians will be voting for in November.

This resource is designed to help voters feel confident and prepared when they cast their ballots in this critical election.

You can access the voter guide online in English, Spanish, or Haitian Creole. You can also view recorded LWV presentations that explain each of the six constitutional amendments on the ballot in detail. Get tips on navigating the election process in Florida.

For more resources, visit VOTE411.org or LWVFL.org/vote2024.

This year, our community remember’s 9/11 with a ceremony and presentation of the inaugural Phoenix Award, created and presented by RISE St. Pete, and co-sponosored by SPC. The award is given to those inspired by the heroes of 9/11 and honors three members of the St. Petersburg community whose tireless and selfless work goes unrecognized and is deserving of public praise.

The ceremony will be at the Rise St. Pete Monument on the ArtsXchange Campus (515 22nd Street South) and featuring a fantastic lineup of speakers. Ceremonies include a performance of the National Anthem, an invocation, and presentations by Admiral Farragut Academy students. Attendees are encouraged to register in advance, and all are invited to join in on a light reception following the program, catered by Bagel Babe at Foodie Labs.

The stellar lineup of speeches, emcee’d by 10Tampa Bay Anchor Courtney Robinson, showcases influential community leaders, including Kevin Lockerbie, President and Head of School, Admiral Farragut Academy; Celeste Davis, Director of Arts, Culture, and Tourism for the City of St. Petersburg; Colonel Jim “OB” O’Brien, MacDill Air Force Base; and Mark Aeling, Sculptor and WADA Board President.

Each recipient of this prestigious award will be presented with a small replica statue of the iconic Rise St. Pete sculpture at the 9/11 ceremony, meticulously crafted by artist Mark Aeling using steel salvaged from the Twin Towers. In addition to the statue and recognition, each honoree will also receive $1,000 as a further award for their selfless and tireless dedication to their community.

“The Phoenix Award is an annual tribute honoring unsung heroes from our community who embody the spirit of selflessness and sacrifice exemplified by 9/11 first responders,” WADA Executive Director Markus Gottschlich said. “These individuals, selected from diverse walks of life, are recognized for their exceptional contributions and positive impact on their communities.”

The 9/11 Commemoration and the Phoenix Award are both made possible thanks to the generous support of local sponsors: Tunnels to Towers Foundation, General Dynamics, Valspar Championship and Copperhead Charities, and St. Petersburg College.

The inaugural Phoenix Award winners to be honored this year:

• Zulgeil Ruiz Ginés, LM, CPM: Zul is a midwife, educator, and advocate for culturally safe midwifery care, serving low-income and historically underserved women of color in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zul selflessly provided homebirth and prenatal services to pregnant women who were unable to access hospital care. She is also the founder of the Kolibrí International Birth Institute (KIBI) to offer multicultural continuing education for professionals.
• Colonel Jay Powers (Ret): With 22 years as a Special Forces Green Beret, Colonel Jay Powers led nine combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, earning five Bronze Stars for Valor. Since retiring as Deputy Commander of Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), Jay has chosen to focus on shaping future leaders in Tampa Bay. He serves as a high school wrestling coach, leadership instructor for the USF Office of Corporate Education, and Chief Operations Officer for Tampa Bay Wave, a nonprofit dedicated to propelling young entrepreneurs and their game-changing companies.
• Professor David Manson: A composer, trombonist, and educator who has had a lasting impact on the St. Petersburg arts community. He has been a key figure at St. Petersburg College since 1991, where he co-founded the MIRA (Music Industry/Recording Arts) program. David also directs the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival and the innovative EMIT series, which has brought over 500 concerts and workshops to the area.

If you haven’t already voted, just a friendly reminder to VOTE today, August 20, Primary Day! Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

You can find your precinct, sample ballots, and more voter-ready information on the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections webpage. Let your voice be heard!