Businesses, community leaders, partners, and the public joined forces and donated a record-breaking $376,169 in school supplies and funding so 13,978 students in Broward County Public Schools could kick off the school year ready for success.
Boasting Broward’s largest and longest-running annual School Supply Drive, Broward Education Foundation is the only 501(c)3 charitable organization solely dedicated to serving students and teachers in Broward County Public Schools.
“We are so thrilled by the community’s unwavering and generous support, which helped so many students start the school year off positively with the supplies they need to succeed,” said Shea Ciriago, CEO of Broward Education Foundation. “With more than 200,000 Broward students living in poverty, our annual School Supply Drive is vital in filling that gap for the nation’s sixth-largest school district.”
To help equip students with necessary tools to thrive during the 2023-24 school year, Broward Education Foundation received the generous support of its Adopt-A-School/Adopt-A-Class program from the Chris Hixon Foundation, UpChurch Management, Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), Coke Florida and Gummakonda Reddy Foundation as well as Broward Health, Harmony Development Center, Centennial Bank, Harrah’s Casino, Seacoast Bank, Chen Moore and Associates and the Lion’s Club of Fort Lauderdale.
Office Depot’s nationwide Start Proud! program donated 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies for elementary school students at two Broward County Public Schools, and Palmview Elementary School teachers even received a $20,000 shopping spree for their students and classrooms. Financial contributions of $10 or more were made through online donations and personal checks. Partnering with the Broward Sheriff’s Office and more than 80 other businesses and organizations of all sizes resulted in truckloads of school supplies to ensure Broward students are equipped for academic success.
A few of Broward Education Foundation’s outstanding partners that made the 2023 School Supply Drive a success include:
The ODP Corporation including – Office Depot, ODP Business Solutions, and VEYER teamed up with Broward Education Foundation to support students, parents, and teachers at Palmview Elementary, a Title I elementary school in Pompano Beach, through the company’s Start Proud!® program
Broward Sheriff’s Office Pompano Beach Department’s Mikail Masood, Pierre Cenatus, Tyler Anderson, Tcharlkowsky Nazister, Officer Aaron Moore, Hector Javier, and Franklin Adams
Broward Sheriff’s Office Pompano Beach volunteers Aalyah Galette, Brian Bachmann, Pierre Cenatus, Brook Sullivan, Mikail Masood, Tcharlkowsky Nazister, Matt Winninger, Crystal Senatus, Tyler Anderson and Franklin Adams
Broward Health Coral Springs’ Melissa Leamon, Tamara Souza, Jamie Klein-Zoref and Alexis Hernandez at Village Elementary School
Shea Ciriago, CEO, Broward Education Foundation with Bennett Elementary Student; School Board Member Debbi Hixon; Bennett Elementary School Principal Danielle Smith holding Bennett Elementary student; Coco Burns, Program Director, Broward Education Foundation and Sarah Leonardi, School Board Member at Bennett Elementary School
Broward County Public School Board Member Debbi Hixon with Hindu American Youth Volunteers
Broward County Public School Board Member Brenda Fam at Davie Elementary
Broward Education Foundation Board Member Sue Colton with the Harrah’s Casino team Amanda Griswold, Kim Butler, Melissa John and Daren Nonortas with Pompano Beach Elementary Principal Shezette Blue-Small (pictured center)
Dania Beach Commission Board Members Vice Mayor Lori Lewellen; Commissioner Tamara James; Mayor A.J. Ryan, IV; Commissioner Joyce L. Davis; Broward Education Foundation CEO Shea Ciriago; UKG Sr. Director of Social Equity Heather Geronemus and Collins Elementary Principal Dr. Tracy Jackson
Pompano Beach High Honor Students Kaitlyn Drew, Kayla Joiner, Michael Drew, Natalia Astaiza, Aydin Kadribasic and Centennial Bank VP Fonnie Gill prepare backpacks for under-served students.
Photo credit: Broward Education Foundation
About Broward Education Foundation:
The nonprofit Broward Education Foundation aligns with Broward County Public Schools by providing grants for teachers who develop innovative curriculum that increases student outcomes; vitally needed school supplies for students and teachers in Title I schools; scholarships for qualified high school seniors; and support for programs and initiatives like Debate, TurnAround Arts, STEM and more. Each year, Broward Education Foundation contributes nearly $5 million to Broward County schools, serving as the catalyst for educational excellence.
In 2018, and responding to the Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, Broward Education Foundation initiated a GoFundMe, established the official Stoneman Douglas Victims’ Fund and raised $10.5M for victims’ families, survivors and those impacted. Broward Education Foundation is proven agile, adept and responsive to shifting needs in education and our community. For more information visit Broward Education Foundation, email BEFInfo@
