2024 Miami Lakes Town Foundation Grant Recipients Announced

2024 Miami Lakes Town Foundation Grant Recipients Announced

October 28, 2024

Miami Lakes, FL – The Miami Lakes Town Foundation, supported by the Miami Lakes Food and Wine Festival, was created to encourage, foster and provide programs for the literacy and continuing education of the community, as well as, develop and implement complementary youth programs, beautification projects, and cultural events to benefit the Miami Lakes community and its citizens. In its efforts to advance this mission, this year it has awarded mini-grants to the following recipients:

• Integrated Education and Training Program Students, submitted by Julio A. Echemendia, Assistant Principal of Hialeah Miami Lakes Adult & Community Education Center
  • “Our school strives on serving our community. Our goal is to promote local workforce. Our students can provide services in the healthcare facilities throughout our town and help entice our local economy.“
• Expanding Keyboard Access for Enhanced Music Education, submitted by Emily Ramos, Hialeah Miami Lakes Senior High Choir and Keyboard Director
  • “By providing individual keyboards to each student, this project will significantly improve the quality of music education in our program. Students will be able to practice more effectively, fostering greater musical proficiency and confidence.”
• Miami Dade Civic Knowledge Bowl, submitted by Maurits Acosta, Executive Director of Virtutem Populo
  • “By encouraging students to delve into U.S. history and government, the competition cultivates informed citizens who understand their rights and responsibilities.”
• TrojanMUN III, submitted by Ms. Rukayat A. Adebisi, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High Legal Studies Academy Lead Teacher
  • “We hope that this conference will become a unique education offering and a way to bring schools in the Hialeah/Miami Lakes communities together.”
• Developing Strength Character and Good Habits, submitted by Miriam Ochoa, Teacher & Coach, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High
  • “Our students are the future leaders, athletes, and professionals and by investing in their physical and mental well-being now, we empower them to make informed choices throughout their lives. I envision a generation that not only excels academically but also prioritizes self-care, resilience, and community support.”
• Be Kind Broadcast, submitted by Ada Romeu, Miami Lakes K-8 Center Electives Teacher
  • “It will benefit the community by encouraging our students to perform acts of kindness and also share inspirational messages to one another through our morning broadcast. This will foster a more positive atmosphere by boosting individual happiness, reduce stress, improve social connections, and encourage others to replicate kind behaviors, essentially creating a ripple effect of positivity throughout the community.”
• Owl MUN and Debate Club, submitted by Jennifer Simeon of Miami Lakes K-8 Center
  • “By engaging in fundraising and outreach efforts, the club will also create opportunities for local businesses and residents to support and engage with our educational initiatives. This collaborative effort strengthens community ties and highlights Miami Lakes as a town that values and invests in its youth.”
• Pickleball Passion, submitted by Lorena Salgueiro Gonzalez of Miami Lakes K-8 Center
  • “Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Pickleball Passion will help bring the sport to our school at the elementary level… Pickleball Passion will give our students the opportunity to learn a new sport and encourage their own families to join in on the fun.”
• Read with Me, submitted by Lisolette Garcia, 3rd Grade Teacher from Miami Lakes K-8 Center
  • “Each student will take a book in a bag with fluency and comprehension activities to complete in one week. Students will read the same book every day with a family member and discuss the sequence of events and how the characters develop.”
• Enhancing Language Arts Learning Through Technology, submitted by Rachael Rhodes of Miami Lakes K-8 Center
  • “By providing tools that support diverse learning preferences, the project ensures that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed. Allowing students to create their own podcasts encourages creative thinking and problem-solving.”
• Reflex Math, submitted by Teresita Turino, 3rd Grade Teacher from Miami Lakes K-8 Center
  • “Mathematics is essential in our everyday lives, and as an educator, I am invigorated when I discover effective resources that offer new pathways for understanding. I recognize that students absorb information in diverse ways, and providing additional platforms for learning has proven transformative for my students in the past.”
• String Orchestra Project for Elementary Students at Miami Lakes K 8 Center a Platinum S. T. E. A. M School, submitted by Sharon Loyd, Music Teacher from Miami Lakes K-8 Center
  • “Having string instruments would help students progress to the next level and be able to join these Orchestras. The opportunity to grow Orchestra skills can start in an elementary school classroom. Giving children the opportunity to engage and explore in a musical path can open amazing avenues for them.”

The 2025 Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival will take place February 1, 2025 with tickets available at mlfoodwinefest.com.

The Town is proud to support initiatives that make Miami Lakes a more kind, beautiful, and involved community. Congratulations to all of the recipients!