Monroe County Education Foundation

The Monroe County Education Foundation (mcef), through its flagship program take stock in children (tsic), provides funding, summer educational enhancement opportunities, and mentorship to help Monroe County students achieve their potential. Mcef provides access to higher Education for Florida students who are at risk of not attending college or university. Through the program, mcef matches at risk students with mentors, guides students in making smart career choices, and guarantees resources so that Monroe County students may complete a college degree or certificate. Tsic Monroe grants college scholarships upon high school graduation to qualified 7th-12th grade student-recipients of low-income families residing in the County. (continued on schedule o. )tsic Monroe is an award-winning model in the state of Florida, a concerted endeavor consisting of approximately 350 dedicated volunteer mentors and students with a network of individual donors, corporate sponsors and a hardworking staff. Mcef recognized the accomplishments and celebrated the graduation of 64 tsic scholars in may 2024 during a live outdoor ceremony. A total of 1,082 students from Monroe County have received scholarships since the program was founded.

Project lead the way (pltw): students are empowered to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges. Through our pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, students not only learn technical skills, but also learn to solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate, and collaborate. We also provide teachers with the training, resources, and support they need to engage students in real-world learning. Pltw programs are offered in 14 of the 17 district schools and serve nearly 3,200 students.

Experiment in individual living (eil), Monroe County is a companion program that's been sponsored by mcef since 2006. Area high-school students benefit from the experience of living abroad with families for 3 to 5 weeks during the summer. A variety of program themes are designed to instill a deeper cultural awareness, nurture relationships through the development of language skills, and encourage many other hands-on activities. Eil has offered these opportunities, nationally, since 1932. During the summer of 2024, 17 tsic students participated in an eil program.

College and career readiness projects address the challenges facing at-risk, low-income students on a path towards high school completion and post-secondary enrollment. These initiatives prepare participants for college and career pursuits after high school, whether they enroll in college or a career-technical Education program, and provides support along the secondary Education continuum with workshops and resources focused on preparedness and success in college and career.mcef, through additional grant-funding, provides 4 college campus visits and tours during the year as well as several college and career readiness workshops to tsic students in middle and high school.