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Florida SouthWestern State College to host financial aid sessions
Florida SouthWestern State College will host two “Yes! You can! Get Cash for College Virtual Information & FAFSA Help Sessions,” today, May 14, from noon - 2 p.m., and Saturday, May 15, 10 a.m. - noon.
Jody Walker, director of Student Financial Aid, will provide five quick tips for students and parents to get cash for college, followed by financial aid and FAFSA help for students and families via private virtual breakout rooms with a financial aid staff member.
Events are limited to 50 participants each day, and pre-registration is recommended. To register for a virtual session or to learn about scholarship opportunities available at FSW, visit www.fsw.edu/yesyoucan/eligible.
Florida SouthWestern State College is Southwest Florida's largest and most affordable institution of higher education. Annually serving nearly 22,000 students globally, FSW offers a variety of nationally-ranked, career-focused academic programs with two- and four-year degrees and professional certifications, several with 100 percent licensure pass and job placements rates. Study and travel abroad opportunities are available for students through FSW's Center for International Education. Students are also active in clubs and programs catered to their interests.
Visit www.FSW.edu for more information.
Fort Myers Christian School students help Lee County families facing homelessness by creating and distributing care kits
Fort Myers Christian School National Junior Honor Society students created a GoFundMe page and built care kits to help people experiencing homelessness in Lee County.
Earlier in the school year, NJHS students discussed the best way to help the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were passionate about helping the homeless and met with Janet Bartos, executive director of the Lee County Homeless Coalition. Bartos shared with students over a Zoom call what homelessness looked like in Lee County and suggested different ways they could help.
NJHS students raised $604 to build care kits. They decided the kits needed to include three necessities: food, toiletries and a Bible for spiritual support. Students created a list of items on Amazon to purchase these items along with reusable drawstring bags.
After budgeting, students were able to create homeless kits that included a toothbrush and two tubes of toothpaste, waterless shower kits, deodorant, a Bible, bug spray, a first aid kit, a $25 Publix gift card and a personal note of encouragement.
NJHS students hand-delivered the kits to Bartos at the Lee County Homeless Coalition.
FMCS was established in 1979 by First Assembly of God in Fort Myers. The school is celebrating over 40 years of Christian education in Lee County. In 1987 FMCS became a fully accredited VPK4 through 8th grade school through the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Florida Kindergarten Council. Fort Myers Christian School's mission is to work with the home and the church to academically train and spiritually nurture students to become productive citizens in society and impact others for Jesus Christ. Learn more at www.fortmyerschristianschool.org.
The Lee County Homeless Coalition is a non-profit advocacy group made up of community and faith-based service providers, local businesses, people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, and other advocates committed to ending homelessness. Learn more at www.leehomeless.org.
Southwest Florida Community Foundation awards over $1 million in scholarships
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently granted $1,022,350 and 146 scholarships through a competitive process to local high school students and undergraduate and graduate students from Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. For the third year, the Foundation awarded 25 of the scholarships as multi-year awards which will help the students each year until completion.
For the 2021 scholarship season, 648 eligible students applied and their applications were reviewed by 180 volunteer reviewers.
The Foundation's process allows each applicant to submit one application and apply it to several scholarship funds they were eligible for. This enables the students to get the most out of the application process and cut down on time spent on the application, so that they can focus more on completing the school year.
The Foundation also had more volunteer reviewers this year, 180, which allowed each applicant to receive three scores from three different reviewers.
Examples of some of the more unique scholarships not as highly sought after included scholarships for students with disabilities, student athletes, students pursuing a specific field of study such as teaching deaf or blind individuals, specific church membership or community service hours in a particular facility such as a veterans hospital, adult students going back to school, students from particular schools or communities, and students pursuing a graduate or professional degree.
Details of the scholarships and a list of recipients can be found on the Foundation's website at https://floridacommunity.com/2019-scholarship-recipients/ or by visiting the website www.floridacommunity.com and clicking on "Scholarships" page.
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation, founded in 1976, cultivates regional change for the common good through collective leadership, social innovation and philanthropy to address the evolving community needs in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Foundation partners with individuals, families and corporations who have created more than 400 philanthropic funds. The Southwest Florida Community Foundation's regional headquarters are now located in the historic ACL Train Depot at Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers, with a satellite office located in LaBelle (Hendry County). For more information, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com