Education

Scholarship recipients of 2025’s College Fund of Pinellas County at the annual Christmas Party. Image Courtesy of Board Member Heaven Taylor-Wynn. The College Fund of Pinellas County celebrates 60 years of service as a student financial support pillar to the Pinellas County community. The non-profit has awarded nearly 1,000 scholars over $1.7 million in grant dollars toward their collegiate education throughout its 60-year run, and its upcoming deadline to apply for the 2026

Students at Pepin Academies and dozens of other Tampa Bay schools are using a kid-friendly artificial intelligence platform that uses dogs as mascots for personalized assistance. All photos: Scholar Education. While classrooms across the nation are slamming the door on artificial intelligence, dozens of Tampa Bay schools are rolling out the red carpet for a specialized breed of the cutting-edge tech. ​A new end-of-school-year report highlights how AI is beginning to reshape

Beginning as a civic organization in 1982, the Improvement League of Plant City, CDC was founded by the late Jerry Bailey to address the needs of the Lincoln and Madison Park communities. Screengrab: Plant City Observer. The Improvement League of Plant City, CDC will host its 2nd Annual Summer Solstice Soiree on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Norman McLeod American Legion Post 26 in Plant City. The annual fundraiser will take on a Derby-inspired theme t

Entrepreneurs attending a Q&A workshop and receiving constructive criticism and feedback on their marketing ideas. Photo courtesy of the Minority Business Expo. The countdown has begun for the 2026 Minority Business Expo this weekend at the SpringHill Suites, 511 W Lime St, Lakeland, FL 33815. This year marks the third annual Minority Business Expo — powered by The Well Center for Business & Culture, a hub committed to the empowerment of entrepreneurs who are underserved and

Pictured: (l-r) Bishop Dr. Clarice H. Pennington, Thomas “Jet” Jackson, and Lois Grayson. All images courtesy of the Woodson Museum. In a city rich with history, yet too often absent from the written record, the Woodson African American Museum of Florida ensures that the stories of those who lived it are not lost to time, but lifted, preserved, and passed on. Launched in August 2025, “At the Feet of the Elders” was not only an oral history series; it was a sacred gathering o

Dr. Shelly Wagers (left), director of USF’s Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Lab, and representatives of the Tampa and Miami field offices of Homeland Security Investigations signed a groundbreaking agreement on May 22. Photo: USF. By merging federal muscle with academic innovation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the University of South Florida are launching a new offensive against human trafficking that prioritizes victim support. On May 22, the HSI Ta

Hillsborough County, Florida, native Henry Lee Parker, Jr. became the first student to complete a degree through Bethune-Cookman’s new fully online program, ‘B-CU Global.’ Lee Parker, Jr. is the official first graduate of ‘B-CU Global,’ the university's new program designed to expand degree-completion opportunities for working adults, military service members, veterans, and re-admits. His successful matriculation through their program marks a key milestone for the institution

Attorney Kimberly G. Jackson (left), former executive director of the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at St. Petersburg College, will help former U.S. Rep. David Jolly make educated policy decisions as he campaigns to become Florida’s next governor. Photo: kimberlygjackson.com, davidjolly.com. With multiple polls confirming his frontrunner status among the Democratic field in Florida’s gubernatorial race, former Congressman David Jolly is establishing a new arsenal

From left: Sakeya Donaldson, founder of the Science of Beauty; Mayor Ken Welch; Robyn Donaldson, founder and CEO of STEM Xposure; and Dr. Sheron Brown, director of education and youth opportunities for the City of St. Petersburg. Photo: City of St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg has made a $750,000 investment in its youth after selecting a local nonprofit to design and deliver a new hands-on afterschool experience - the Genius Lab. ​City council members approved a three-year con

Pictured: Florida A&M University “Marching 100,” blossomed under the wings of Dr. Julian White, band director from 1998-2012. Image: Screengrab. This summer, Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church and Mt. Zion Human Services bring “Summer Band Camp 2026” to St. Pete youth from June 8–12, an experience senior pastor, Rev. Louis M. Murphy, Sr., calls “a turning point.” “This camp is personal for me. The HBCU band experience shaped who I am — as a leader and as a man,” s

The nine-week College for Kids summer program returns to St. Petersburg College’s Gibbs Campus on June 1. Photos: SPC. ​For over 40 years, St. Petersburg College has been planting seeds of ambition in local youth by combining the fun of summer camp with the look and feel of higher education. ​College for Kids is returning to SPC’s Gibbs Campus, its oldest, on June 1. Participating children, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, will spend nine weeks exploring a wide range

Nancy Dunham, known throughout the community as Fancy Nancy, is the owner of Fancy Nancy’s Professional Services and Fancy Nancy’s Bail Bonds. In Pinellas County and surrounding communities, she is known as a connector and resource for families and individuals. Photo retrieved from Fancy Nancy’s Facebook page. An arrest can throw a family into panic before they even know what questions to ask. There is paperwork to understand, money to gather, and a loved one waiting to come

Stetson Law Pathways to Justice Academy for teens application is now open to students ages 15 to 17 in the Tampa Bay area. Photo courtesy of Stetson University College of Law Stetson University College of Law’s Pathways to Justice Academy youth summer application is now open to students ages 15 to 17 in the Tampa Bay area. Local high school students will have the chance to participate in this immersive, hybrid program that provides real-world experience in the legal system an

Video of a Hillsborough County teacher hanging a Black doll from a television on Monday has since gone viral. Images: Screengrabs, Facebook. An art teacher in Hillsborough County has been removed from her classroom following a disturbing incident where she appeared to wrap a charger cord around the neck of a Black doll and hang it from a television. ​The incident, which occurred on Monday, was captured on video by a student and subsequently shared by their mother on Facebook

From left to right: Christian Pyror Hurst, Mendee Ligon, Tamisha Darling-Roberson, Carolyn Brayboy, and Shawntavia Turner at Black Leaf Cigar & Wine Lounge for W.I.R.E. Photo by J.A. Jones. Last month, the Pinellas County Chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) hosted the W.I.R.E. (Women Investing in Real Estate) event at Black Leaf Cigar & Wine Lounge in St. Pete. Pinellas County Association of Realtists (PCAR) President Tamisha Darling-Roberson m

On May 6, American Express announced two programs focused on AI training and workforce development American Express issued a press release in early May announcing partnerships with two nonprofits — Generation and Scholarship America — to introduce new artificial intelligence (AI) education initiatives designed to help small businesses and their employees integrate AI into their day-to-day operations. Jennifer Skyler, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at American Express, noted

Dr. Jeffery Johnson, chairman of the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency, plans to eventually add “mayor of Tampa” to an already extensive resume. Photo: Facebook. Dr. Jeffery Johnson is a pastor, founder, executive, U.S. Navy lieutenant, global ambassador, and Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award winner. He also has unfinished business in the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). ​Johnson was reelected, unopposed, to a second one-year term as chairman of F

Host Owen LaFave (left), senior vice president for the Bank of Tampa, and Dr. Ken Atwater, president of Hillsborough College. Hillsborough College is on the precipice of a monumental partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays, and its long-time president believes community integration will continue fostering the school’s success. Dr. Ken Atwater has led Hillsborough College […]