Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: YOUTH & EDUCATION

  • Pinellas County journalism students write St. Pete’s story  

    Pinellas County journalism students write St. Pete’s story  

    By Hannah Edgeman

    Pinellas County student journalists are reporting the stories that shape St. Petersburg, and they are doing it all before they get their high school diploma. 

    Journeys in Journalism is a countywide magnet program that trains students in journalism as part of their curriculum. The program is open to young students and teenagers alike, and it is currently available to attendees of Melrose Elementary School, John Hopkins Middle School and Lakewood High School. 

    “I like to say we don’t practice journalism, we do journalism,” said middle school journalism teacher Joyce Pink. “They’re doing all the things that journalists do in the professional world.” 

    Recently, the students published a documentary examining the redevelopment of the Gas Plant District. The project is posted on their website under the title “Addressing a Broken Promise: The redevelopment of St. Petersburg’s Gas Plant District”, a fitting descriptor as the video shows former residents of the area heartbroken over the destruction of the streets that, decades ago, they called home. 

    The neighborhood went through a controversial redevelopment 40 years ago during the construction of the Tropicana Field. Residents of the district were displaced to make way for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and the assurances of new jobs and affordable housing were never fulfilled. Now, the creation of a new baseball stadium feels to some like history repeating itself. 

    “We talked to people who lived in the area and reexamined their childhood,” Pink said. “How do they feel now that the area had been torn down, and now they’re talking about doing something very similar with yet another redevelopment of the area? So we’re looking at the promises that weren’t kept then, and asking will those promises be kept now?” 

    John Hopkins students interviewed Gas Plant District residents and Tampa Bay Rays officials for their podcast, “Oral Histories.” 

    “Oral Histories” tells two sides of the same story; former residents of the area who feel grief over the redevelopment of the area and the businessmen who see the change as a brighter future for Tampa baseball.  

    The Gas Plant reporting was part of a capstone project the students completed in the 2023-24 school year. Aside from capstone projects, each school has a news site where they publish articles, opinion pieces and photos. They have a goal of posting content weekly, according to their teacher. 

    Despite the articles and podcasts that are published each week, deadlines are not the central focus of the leaders of the program. 

    “We don’t look at it like we’re training the next generation of journalists,” said Journeys in Journalism adviser Christopher Mosher. “We’re really looking at it like there’s a hundred students who come through our school and they’re building the writing skills, the rationality skills and their people skills.” 

    The courses offered by Lakewood High School foster skills that students can bring into their everyday life, even if they do not graduate to become journalists. Freshmen begin their courses by learning a foundation of ethics and factual reporting, and they finish their academic journey as seniors with the ability to write effectively, work with peers and adhere to the firm deadlines they will encounter after graduation. 

    “Media literacy is almost like a dying understanding right now,” Mosher said. “I think the students, they really need that practice of how to fact check, how to interview, and really there’s a lot of soft skills that go along with it as well. Like, how do you talk to people? How do you look people in the eye?” 

    The program was founded in 2001 with this same hope. According to Margo Hammond, friend of Journeys founder Cynda Mort, the curriculum was created with the hope that it would teach new generations important life and communication skills. 

    “I’ve grown a lot because I’m learning more about the software we’ve been using, so when it comes to editing and all that other stuff, I’m like way better now,” junior Ja’Nes Lyons said. “And then I’ve learned about different angles and how I should take pictures. So, the photos have definitely progressed from when I was in ninth grade.” 

    As for the future of Journeys in Journalism, readers can expect to see another capstone project by the end of this school year. Until then, the student journalists will continue their weekly 
    publishing on current events.  

  • Earning while learning: The art of working on campus

    Earning while learning: The art of working on campus

    By Nathan Poinsette Community & Culture Beat Reporter

    Why work on campus?

    What are the benefits and challenges?

    Meet Ananda Myers

    She is a senior Psychology major on a pre-med track at USFSP. Currently, she holds three on-campus jobs: Harborside Activities Board vice president, New Student Experience transfer peer coach and UMatter academic & residential mentor. Ananda lives locally with her parents and commutes to school by car.

    Ananda’s why

    1. More convenient than off-campus employment

    “Going to work and then going to class and then being able to return to work is a benefit. Since I already commute to campus for classes, being able to stay on campus to work and then go home at the end of the night is a plus for me,” she said.

    2. Opportunities to make new connections with students, faculty and staff

    “With these roles, I can make new friends and help other students along the way.”

    3. Not too demanding

    “Most on-campus jobs are 9 hours each, so It does not take up too much of my time and fits my schedule better than working with an off-campus job,” she said.

    Since she works on campus, there is no work on weekends, which she appreciates dearly.

    Meet Steven Duvrge

    He is a senior political science major at USFSP. He is a career peer advisor at the Center for Career and Professional Development, beginning this role during his freshman year. His family lives in Ruskin and he lives on campus but does not own a vehicle.

    Steven’s why

    1. Accessibility

    “Since I didn’t have a car, I knew I wouldn’t want to walk or take public transportation to work. Having an on-campus job meant I could get to and from class very quickly,” he said.

    2. Accommodations

    “Since they know I am a student, they understand that my classes come first, which is universally understood by employers on campus,” Steven said.

    Steven also mentioned how they are very flexible with his work hours.

    3. Awareness

    “You are working with professional staff where they know all the resources available to students. Since you are constantly communicating with them, there is so much information that is being thrown at you. It helps you feel better prepared and more connected to faculty and staff,” Steven said.

    Challenges

    If you’re aiming to boost your finances, the key is multiple on-campus jobs; a single job just won’t cut it.

    Amanda Myers, senior Psychology major on PreMed track at USFSP

    Given that general student employees at USF are only paid Florida’s minimum wage, one on-campus job won’t suffice to support yourself.

    “In general, off-campus jobs offer better pay. As an on-campus worker, you might find securing the hours you desire challenging,” Steven said.

    Another concern for Steven that was a benefit for Myers is that you can’t work on weekends.

    If I were to have a job off campus, chances are I would probably put the bulk of my time on the weekends to have enough time throughout the week for class and extracurriculars

    Steven Duvrge, senior political science major at USFSP

    Directors

    Lesa Shouse Director of the Center of Career and Professional Development
    Lesa Shouse, Director of the Center of Career and Professional Development

    Faculty perspective

    “I suggest on-campus employment over off-campus employment”

    Kyonna Henry, Director of Student Life and Engangment

    “We as supervisors know course schedules and when final exams are. We understand you have an academic journey that needs to be number one. When you go to Publix or Target, they don’t care about your course schedule; they could care less about what you are doing on campus, “ Kyonna said.

    Student employee

    “I joke with supervisors, parents, and students all the time that a student employee is a STUDENT first, “ Lesa Shouse said. “ A student can tell their supervisor that they have to study for an exam tomorrow, and their supervisor would be more sympathetic to that than maybe some large company externally.”

    Video Essay designed by Nathan Poinsette Download
  • Hillsborough educators waiting for updates on salary increases

    Hillsborough educators waiting for updates on salary increases

    A proposed tax referendum is crucial for the reputation of the new superintendent.

    By Zaniya Graham Education Beat Reporter

    HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – Hillsborough County teachers and staff are eager to see how the district’s new superintendent will carry out the much-needed pay referendum.

    The 2023-2024 school year in Hillsborough County Public Schools started with over 500 unfilled teacher positions, which is a decrease from the 691 vacancies in the previous year.

    The district is facing difficulties in attracting and retaining teachers and one of the main reasons is low pay.

    Florida ranks among the bottom five states nationally for teacher salaries. Additionally, the cost of living in Tampa, which was recently reported as the most expensive city in Florida relative to income, has only added to the worries of educational staff.

    Teachers like Mai ly Ho are waiting to see what the district’s next move will be regarding a raise in pay.

    Ho recently left HCPS after six years and switched to a charter school for better support and pay.

    “Every time I blink, something is more expensive, yet my salary wasn’t changing,” Ho said.

    Ho said she has not lost hope for a pay increase in the school district following a recent news conference held at Town and Country Elementary School.

    The newly appointed Superintendent Van Ayres expressed his priorities and emphasized the urgent need for pay raises.

    He stated that the district requires more funds to recruit teachers and retain those who are leaving due to low pay.

    The school board unanimously voted for Ayres to schedule a workshop in January where they will further discuss a tax referendum proposed for the November 2024 ballot.

    The referendum proposes a one-millage increase in property taxes for the next four years, translating to an additional $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value. The referendum would secure a projected $146 million annually to increase compensation for instructional positions (teachers, counselors, media specialists, etc.), bus drivers and transportation assistants, classroom assistants and other non-instructional support staff.

    However, the referendum did not pass when former superintendent Addison Davis initially proposed it in August 2022.

    Davis, 47, was hired in 2020 to replace Jeff Eakins, a longtime Hillsborough County educator who served five years as superintendent and then retired. He had just started his new job when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. During his first week, the state ordered the closure of all schools. As a result, Davis was compelled to shift his focus from executing his business plan, “Accelerate Hillsborough,” to leading the transition to distance learning.

    Davis’ job was in jeopardy when school principals complained about his management style in an anonymous survey submitted to the board. 

    Danielle Weigand, a full-release teacher at Shields Middle School, says she was hesitant to vote on the initially proposed referendum because the district lacked a clear plan for how the tax money would fund teacher salaries.

    “As a teacher, I voted against it [the referendum],” Weigand said. “Addison Davis had misappropriated so much money in his term since 2020 that there was no trust between teachers and district leadership.”

    Weigand is optimistic about the upcoming referendum’s chances if Ayers can quickly approve new contracts.

    “I’d like to see what the budget looks like going into next year because that’s not going to be voted on until November and the teacher contract comes up again in August,” Weigand said. “I think the faster he can ratify that teacher contract and keep teachers on his side, the better.”

    Staff across the Hillsborough County School District have noticed that Ayers has been successful in improving the reputation of leadership so far.

    Henry Washington Jr., AP across the county, values Ayers’ approach and connection to the district.

    “He’s homegrown and he gets it. He’s not trying to use his platform to be governor like we all felt that the old superintendent was doing,” Washington said.

    Educators in Hillsborough County Public Schools are optimistic about the appointment of the new superintendent, feeling that the county is heading in the right direction. After experiencing misuse of power from previous leadership, some teachers feel they are in desperate need of support from a leader they trust. Ayers is determined to increase pay, and his reputation will depend on following through with the proposed tax referendum.

  • Teachers on teaching: Education professors reflect on K-12 years

    Teachers on teaching: Education professors reflect on K-12 years

    USF professors share what impact their K-12 teaching experience has had on the way they approach teaching in their higher education classrooms.

    By Annabel Hutchings Education Beat Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG – Teaching how to teach is a concept that is difficult to master. The best of the classroom can only be conquered with the skill and finesse that comes with experience. So how does one begin to mold the young minds of college students to be able to mold even younger minds?

    The K-12 teaching experience can give professors the perspective that is necessary to teach education students.

    It is not required, and many professors do an amazing job providing an education based on their studies and research for these students who wish to become teachers, but that personal experience can provide what is necessary to turn a good teacher into a great one.

    Every classroom is different just like every student is different, but many patterns in education can be considered when teaching approaches.


    Dr. Bill Black is a professor who can attest to the importance of experience when it comes to teaching how to teach.


    As a Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of South Florida (USF), Black focuses on shaping masters, educational specialists and doctorate students into the best teachers they can be.


    Teaching a subject like this one at a higher level of education requires a lot more than just what can be learned in a classroom.

    Before this position, Black worked both in and out of Florida, as a community educator and immigration paralegal, bilingual elementary school teacher, and Elementary Administrator in Costa Rica and Texas.


    “From that experience, I can connect actions to theory to make it useful for people. It makes it easier for me for listening to their experiences to make connections between content and practice,” Black said.


    It is the varied types of teaching experiences that make teaching that much more impactful. The ability to take personal experience and combine it with knowledge and theory can make someone the perfect type of teacher in this subject area.

    This type of classroom experience also reminds professors why they are passionate about their work. Teaching higher education students isn’t just about telling them how to handle the classroom, but why they should want to.

    “That’s a privilege to know that you can shape things. Even though you’re underpaid and not always as appreciated…Teaching is a form of human rights work,” Black said.


    A professor who isn’t passionate about the subject they are teaching their students about is not able to fully do the job. Working in the field that the students are pursuing provides the perspective of passion that is necessary to help them succeed.


    Dr. Ann Marie Gunn is another USF professor who uses her personal teaching experience to shape the way she teaches her higher education students.


    Having taught at a Title I elementary school, where most of her students were from Puerto Rico, Cuba and Haiti, Gunn has a great understanding of multicultural students with all different types of diverse lives.


    She uses this experience to prepare her students to be teachers who can understand and thrive in diverse classrooms in her graduate and undergraduate courses on literacy learning with a focus on multiculturalism.


    “As a classroom K-12 teacher, I know how important it is to be able to reach kids…It wasn’t until I went to graduate school that I really felt I understood how to serve all children as a teacher,” Gunn said.

    The culture of a classroom is not something that can be covered in a textbook; it needs to be experienced first-hand.

    Students can learn a lot before they step foot in a classroom themselves, but their learning becomes so much more impactful when they are being taught by someone who has the classroom experience to teach about it.

    Gunn was adamant about the impact that her classroom experience had on her ability to teach higher education. She attested to the fact that she could never understand the classroom the way she does now without her experience with the different types of students that she had experience with.

    Drawing upon experiences that happened in the K-12 classroom to help further her ability to teach is what helps Gunn excel in her position.

    Dr. Janet K. Outlaw is a former elementary and high school teacher who is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Literacy Studies at USF. She attests to her ability to teach authentically according to her own experiences in the classroom.

    Outlaw started her career volunteering with students with autism during her time working on her bachelor’s degree, which led her to her passion for teaching. She formed a connection with these students and had an appreciation for their intelligence that inspired her to continue down that path.

    Outlaw has experience teaching in rural and urban Title I schools with many students who identify with exceptionalities and students who are multilingual. Working with many diverse types of students gives her the ability to be flexible with her instruction and understand how important student individuality is.

    “It takes what you read and talk about in your preparation programs and makes it more authentic and relatable when you can actually put it into practice and have some experience doing that,” Outlaw said.


    Something cannot be taught unless it is known by the person teaching, and teaching is known through doing. There are so many unique experiences that come with teaching that cannot be summarized just by being told by someone else.


    An Inside Higher Ed article shines a light on this concept. A veteran K-12 teacher shares what she had learned through her teaching experience that should be applied to higher education. This is not specific to teaching education, but the sentiment itself remains the same. Working in K-12 can provide experience to these teachers that cannot just be taught in higher education classrooms.


    Teaching is a personalized experience. The art of running a classroom is handled differently by everyone who does it. Professors who have experience in K -12 classrooms can teach their higher education students how to approach situations in a unique and personal way.

  • Exploring the teacher shortage: Hillsborough educators speak out about lack of support

    Exploring the teacher shortage: Hillsborough educators speak out about lack of support

    By Zaniya Graham Education Beat Reporter

    HILLSBOROUGH, Fla.- One of the biggest reasons for the current teacher shortage in Hillsborough County is a lack of support amongst educational staff, but the definition of support changes depending on who you ask.

    The U.S. has been battling a teacher shortage, for different reasons, for years.  Consequently, larger school districts like Hillsborough County are struggling to maintain the educational dynamic necessary for students to thrive.

    As the third largest school district in Florida, and the seventh largest in the nation, Hillsborough County Public Schools are desperate to attract new teachers, and retaining staff is becoming almost impossible.

    At the start of the 2023-24 school year, HCPS had over 500 teacher vacancies, down from 691 vacancies last school year. That leaves classrooms full of students, overworked teachers, disorganized sub plans, frustrated staff, and an overall difficult school year for all.

    The Florida Education Association listed several reasons for the shortages, including pay, with Florida ranking in the bottom five nationally for teacher salaries, lack of support, lack of flexibility in instruction and the need to “teach to the test,” lack of multi-year contracts for teachers and overcrowded classrooms.

    Lack of support, the most vaguely explained reason, is what Hillsborough County teachers agree makes it difficult to attract and retain dedicated and qualified education professionals.  Each educator shared different thoughts about what lack of support means to them.

    Diana Wohlgamuth, the math department head at Lennard High School, says she hasn’t had a full staff of math teachers in 3 years.

    Wohlgamuth has been an educator for nearly two decades. In her time as a department head, she has noticed that the county is lacking in providing support to new teachers who are entering the profession.

    She mentioned how when a new teacher starts in Hillsborough County, there is a person from the district who is assigned a mentor, along with a dozen other people across the district, making it difficult for the mentor to properly provide support to newcomers.

    “Last year one of our new teachers said she saw the mentor once in a semester. I feel like new teachers definitely need more support to keep them going,” she said.  

    She believes if the county reinforces a better mentor system to support new teachers as they navigate a new career field, it won’t be as difficult to motivate new educators to continue in their profession.

    Part of the problem lies in the district’s inability to retain teachers. Those who do become teachers leave the profession sooner. The FEA reported that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 40 percent of Florida’s new teachers left the classroom in their first five years in the profession, state records show.

    According to a survey by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, deans of colleges of education said the number 1 reason for dropping enrollment numbers was the perception of teaching as an undesirable career. That perception is likely based on complaints about a lack of professional autonomy and low wages, the deans said.

     “As I communicate with all my friends who are still teaching, I really don’t have any regrets because it’s[education] not getting better. If anything, it’s just getting worse each year” said Sam Ziss, a former HCPS teacher.

    Ziss is referring to student behavioral issues and a lack of support from the administration.

    He taught high school students for 8 and a half years before he decided to go back to school to pursue a career in civil engineering. He was unsatisfied as a teacher and resigned in hopes of doing something he actually enjoyed.

    “When kids are acting out and the teacher has no option to discipline them, and we need to go to the administrators, they wouldn’t supply that support. There were just never any consequences for what the kids did, and I was feeling that I could not make any changes in them,” Ziss said.

    Today’s culture is leaning towards a softer approach to disciplining young people in school. Teachers are left to stand by and warn students about administrative action for punishment, however, after those referrals, they usually are left to deal with the same disruptions and disobedience.

    Never being told no or having to answer for their mistakes, having as much authority as adults, and gliding through early years of life without taking accountability for their actions is frustrating for the teachers that really care, and can have dangerous consequences for those students in the future.

    In addition to a better mentorship program, and better disciplinary action, teachers can be better supported if the district hires qualified professionals rather than underqualified and undertrained individuals.

    According to the Florida Department of Education, “Districts prefer to hire teachers certified in the appropriate field(s) for the courses they teach, when possible, to ensure students receive instruction at the level of rigor measured by statewide, standardized assessments.”

    However, substantial proportions of teachers who are not certified in the appropriate field are being hired to teach.

    “For someone like myself who is certified and has done this job for a long time, they’re a strain on me,” veteran educator Joe Diaz said.

    Diaz has been a teacher for 17 years, spending 9 of those in the Hillsborough County Public School district. Diaz mentions that the county is filling hard-to-fill positions with people who don’t have the same skills as the average teacher, making his job harder because he then must try to catch them up.

    “These teachers are coming in without the training that they need, whether it’s in classroom management, or curriculum, or anything. So, I’m literally almost like a teacher for the teacher which isn’t my job. It almost is more difficult, and I would rather not have that person there because then I don’t have to babysit and make sure they’re not doing something I don’t want them to do,” he said.

    The county may be filling positions, but teachers are frustrated picking up the slack from those appointed people who aren’t properly doing the job. The solution is not to hire unqualified people but to properly prepare new aspiring teachers so they qualify for the job at hand.

    Hillsborough County Public School teachers say that in order to address the growing teacher and staff shortage crisis in Hillsborough County Public Schools, lawmakers must instill better support systems for all educational personnel. Ways they believe the district can better support staff include providing needed mentorship programs to new teachers, considering better disciplinary action for disobedient students, and hiring more qualified people to teach, to name a few.

    Ultimately, the district must listen to the professionals who are in the schools every day to make sure they provide the necessary support that teachers desire.

  • Tampa Bay teachers face new and evolving barriers as school year begins

    Tampa Bay teachers face new and evolving barriers as school year begins

    Societal changes due to the pandemic and the influence of social media are significantly impacting students. Educators are feeling the effects.

    By Annabel Hutchings Education Beat Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG – The majority of educators are in their careers because they love what they do, but this love can only go so far with the difficulties that keep presenting themselves.

    The beginning of the school year elicits strong emotions in both students and educators. There is always optimism and excitement for students and teachers alike, with a little bit of the nervous jitters, but teachers are still met with challenges that are hard to gloss over.

    Many educators want the best for their students, but providing a quality education is an experience many teachers are finding increasingly more difficult to deliver.

    Student behavior has always been a challenge that comes with the job, but with changes in society comes a change in children, and many teachers are finding the difficulty level to be rising.

    With the rise in social media and general exposure to more, students have picked up habits that do not translate well into a classroom setting.

    Child Mind Institute delved into many of the impacts that social media has on students, touching upon the lack of social awareness that students now have worse than ever because of what they are seeing online. This type of issue does not translate well in the classroom.

    “The decisions that they make are more short-sighted,” said Brooke Giles, a middle school chorus teacher in Hillsborough county. “I think that this is part of the world that we live in of instant gratification.”

    Students don’t care as much as they used to about consequences, leading them to make decisions based on the instant reactions that they get from their peers that give them the validation that they are seeking.

    The pandemic had a lot of influence on this current situation. Students were at home, where all they were expected to do was complete their schoolwork or at least try their best to. The behavior expectations in an educational environment are typically much different from those at home, so students did not really learn how to act in a school setting appropriately.

    This article by Forbes shines a light on what the disruption of students learning structure did to their education and behavior. School is a fragile and vital time for students to continue learning important life skills and the pandemic interrupted that.

    Now that students are back in school, they missed a formative time of learning and maintaining those behavior expectations in the time that they were not in school, and it shows.

    The interference in the classroom has teachers feeling pressure. Creativity is at a minimum with state curriculum guidelines seeping more and more into the classroom, but the work expectation from teachers is not getting lighter.

    Teachers work tirelessly to perfect lesson plans that will give students everything they need to get out of the lesson, and a curriculum change can throw all of that off in a way that can take ages to repair.

    “Just when you think you’re getting something out of it, they change the material and everything that you’re working with,” said Dawn Bock, who is currently teaching at the fifth-grade level in Pasco County.

    The beginning of the school year requires preparation for the new group of students that are coming in, but teachers who have been around for a few years should have a solid lesson plan that they have perfected. This can’t be the case when so many teachers are thrown off regularly by curriculum changes that leave them having to constantly make changes to their plans.

    A new school year also means a need for new classroom supplies. This should be exciting for teachers, picking out fresh supplies for their students to use, but it becomes a bit more daunting when the financial burden lies with the teachers rather than the schools.

    The teachers either have to reach into their own pockets or find other ways to get the money to supply their students with the materials they need to learn.

    “You definitely do have to dip into your own pocket,” said Cheyenne Campell, a third-grade teacher in Hillsborough County. “Especially in this first year; I’m investing in my future. I will say that it is a lot at the beginning.”

    Parents often raise money to cover these costs, saving the teacher the financial burden, but it is still the teacher’s responsibility to seek this out.

    “It’s still the teacher’s work. I still have to ask for money. It would be so much easier if I could swipe a card and buy what I need,” Giles said.

  • Alternative Baseball Organization expands to Tampa Bay and beyond

    Alternative Baseball Organization expands to Tampa Bay and beyond

    Pictured above: ABO’s last national game was held in 2019, played against a team of former MLB players.

    Courtesy of Taylor Duncan

    By Baron Reichenbach

    The Alternative Baseball Organization, an association for youths with autism spectrum and related disorders, is looking to massively expand its teams in time for the 2022 season. 

    “We went from 20 teams to, now, approaching 80,” Taylor Duncan, ABO’s founder and CEO, said.

    “It takes about six months to a year to fill out a whole team, so why not go ahead and get started while we can, and try to get momentum going, so that when [the pandemic] does blow over, we’ll be ready to get back off the ground,” Duncan said.

    A number of these teams will be located in the Tampa Bay area including Tampa, New Port Richey, Bradenton and Lakeland. These teams will be run by the Men’s Amateur Baseball League, based out of Lakeland. 

    ABO is a nonprofit organization made of teams across the U.S., specifically geared to involve youths with disabilities in a sport they might ordinarily be barred from playing. 

    “They get to learn how to work as a team, work on physical skills, and learn how to deal with disappointment and different situations,” Duncan said.

    Besides using a different ball to accommodate different skill levels, ABO uses all the same rules and equipment as Major League Baseball. 

    Duncan aims to push for moving from autism awareness to practical inclusion. 

    “We’ve worked on autism awareness the past 25 years. But we need to be taking the next step, and that’s to encourage more integration, the step of inclusion,” Duncan said. “That’s where we’re going to get things done.” 

    Originally from Dallas, Georgia, Ducan first learned to play baseball at the age of 12, playing in a “typical youth baseball” league for a single season. The year after, a new coach cut Duncan from the team, considering him an injury risk. While he continued to build his skills through slowpitch softball, continued discrimination pushed Duncan to establish his own team. 

    After reaching out to schools and organizations across his home county, Duncan founded the first team of six players that would act as a precursor to ABO in 2013, originally envisioned as a campaign to raise awareness. Growing from word of mouth and new coverage, the campaign expanded to multiple teams, and Duncan founded ABO in 2014.

    “The big thing [was] trying to find the individuals in the community,” Duncan said.”Because once many of them get out of high school… they’re not getting the resources to work toward living independently.” 

    Duncan noted that, while organizations like the Special Olympics exist, not everyone qualifies, due to factors such as scoring to high on IQ tests. 

    “Once they age out of the available services that are out there, there’s just nothing else for them,” Duncan said. “We’re trying to get them back out into society, and into this team scenario where they can work on a lot of those skills.” 

    He also commented on the disparity in available resources in metropolitan and rural areas. 

    “Not every place is a Tampa Bay or an Atlanta. You have places like Meridian, Mississippi… the rural areas in New Mexico. Those individuals in those areas don’t have the same ease of access to services as those closer to metropolitan areas,” Duncan said. 

    Duncan hopes ABO and organizations like it can help mend this imbalance in advocacy resources. He believes his personal experience with autism provides a necessary insight that allows the organization to succeed in its stated mission. 

    “We actually have the experience to be able to cater to others, [based on] our own individual experiences,” Ducan said.”I give credit to all the doctors who have done research on ASD the past 50 years, but here’s the thing: I believe the most effective plans and most effective work is gonna come from those on the spectrum themselves.

    “If you don’t have the experience, you’re only able to do so much, and you’re not going to touch that target demographic 100% if you don’t understand where they come from.” 

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ABO canceled all games for a year. However, this allowed them to focus on expanding outreach in preparation for the eventual end to the pandemic. 

    “A lot of our expansion came from COVID… because a lot of the news stations picked us up. Professional sports were cancelled, so they didn’t have anything to report on in sports in these minor-market areas. So we ended up getting a lot more coverage on a local level,” Duncan said. 

    They are now beginning to reopen with socially distanced games. 

    “For now, we’re using the same policies as Major League Baseball. You don’t need to have masks on on the field, but… if you’re not doing physical activity, then the mask has to go on,” Duncan said. “We’re highly encouraging the use of temperature guns and hand sanitizer, and not allowing players to have high-fives or… share water bottles or anything like that, which they shouldn’t anyway. We’re taking every possible measure we possibly can.” 

    Ducan looks forward to releasing information about ABO’s next national game, scheduled for Nov. 2022. 

    In the long term, Duncan hopes to expand ABO’s presence to Canada and beyond, pushing off of their media-fueled expansion over the past year. 

    “We reached… Hawaii, and Alaska. Our Canadian trademark registration recently finished up, so we’re working on getting that fixed so we can expand into Ontario and the other provinces,” Duncan said. 

  • A retired teacher and former students reminisce about Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary

    A retired teacher and former students reminisce about Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary

    By Rebecca Bryan

    Elementary school years define a child’s life. The experiences during these stages help develop children’s personality traits, how they interact with others, how they respond to trauma and more. 

    Although to most it may become a far-off memory, these long years leave a mark on everyone, whether they realize it or not. 

    Elementary school students live through a number of experiences both at school and at home. These experiences may be easy to forget but they are also a big factor in how a child acts later in life as an adult. 

    Within the realms of St. Petersburg, lies a small, yet sturdy community called Midtown. Most drive through it without ever knowing it has a diverse history of African American achievement. Midtown takes up a large portion of the south side of St. Petersburg, but it covers enough ground to encompass many schools from elementary to college. 

    Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary resides almost right in the center of Midtown. The school has a specific concentration on mathematics and engineering, and offers special programs such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and blended Pre-K. 

    When Melissa Stanton, a retired elementary school teacher, first stepped foot in front of a classroom back in the 90s, her nerves raced. The little faces of her elementary school kids would soon calm her anxiety as she learned to connect to these children in many ways.

    Any teacher could easily relate to this initial feeling of fear when encountering their first classroom full of excited kids.  It gets easier with time as they continue to form bonds with the kids  who light up their classroom.

    Melissa Stanton worked at Jamerson for 17 years, starting when the school first opened. She taught kindergarten the entire time, loving the way her life became easily inspired by the kids around her. When she retired in 2019, she had an abundance of memories that have changed her life to this day.

    “One child who stands out was a little girl who was just learning to speak English. Both her parents were from different Eastern European countries, so she was fluent in both languages. Her parents spoke very little English, and they were not able to help her with her homework,” Stanton said. “This little girl, like others in my class that were learning to read and write, not only became one of my top readers, but she was able to read and comprehend her homework assignments on her own. I was so impressed with her determination to conquer a new language on her own.”

    Stanton came a long way from nervously standing in front of a classroom full of 20 kids. While her students were shaping their lives, they had no idea that they were also shaping Stanton, despite the age difference that stood between them.

    “I had so many students who made a difference to me,” Stanton said. “In fact, every one of them.”

    Zaria Johnson, a 21-year-old college student, spent her entire childhood at Jamerson. With it being close to home, she was able to walk to and from school every day. She loves the way Jamerson created such a unique childhood for her and recalls that time with nostalgia.

    “I would wake up excited for school, which might seem weird to others,” Johnson said. “But I loved that school. As a kid, I didn’t have the best home life, and I still don’t, but Jamerson was able to take me away from that.” 

    With a smile on her face, Johnson added, “I thank Jamerson, honestly, with my upcoming graduation, for teaching me what I need to know today.”

    Similar stories can be heard from 22-year-old insurance agent, Rachel Bryan. She spent most of her childhood at Jamerson, because her mother worked in the front office.

    “Oh, yeah, are you kidding? Jamerson was practically my second home. When was I never not there?” Bryan said. “Sometimes I really wish I could go back to those days. My life seems to be nothing but stressful anymore, but back then, life was peaceful and fun. Being a student at that school was like being a part of a small community. Everyone knew each other and recognized your accomplishments.”

    Midtown may be a small community but it houses  opportunities for children to learn and grow..  Besides Jamerson,Perkins Elementary and Midtown Academy join the effort to inspire children and shape up their lives for a better future. 

  • St. Pete Youth Farm celebrates Earth Day

    St. Pete Youth Farm celebrates Earth Day

    Pictured Above: Carla Bristol and members of the Youth Farm pictured with the Proclamation. 

    Courtesy of the St. Pete Youth Farm on Instagram

    By Andrew Quinlan

    The St. Pete Youth Farm has been working diligently to promote healthy living and youth involvement in its community, including a spirited celebration of Earth Day on April 22. 

    The farm, which was founded in 2019, has become a fixture in the region in its two years of establishment. 

    Their urban farm project’s mission is to provide access to nutritious food to citizens of the south St. Petersburg area. They also hope to encourage young urban students to think creatively and grow as individuals, while learning important life skills in a variety of areas, such as agricultural knowledge and financial literacy. 

    Each week, members of the youth farm meet to learn and practice a number of topics, including planting and harvesting, communication and teamwork, artistic self-expression, resume building and job readiness and mental health and mindfulness. 

    “It’s been a really great experience working with the Youth Farm,” Youth ambassador, Anaya Graham, said. “In such a short time, and through a lot of obstacles, like the pandemic, we’ve managed to make a really big impact on our community. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done and look forward to build upon it as we keep growing.”

    Carla Bristol, the manager of the St. Pete Youth Farm, had a clear intention when she helped pioneer the group in 2019. She wanted to put younger people in a leadership position. She describes the program as 40% agriculture based, and 60% youth development. 

    “I look at it like, every young person that we touch, they then touch other people” Bristol told a University of South Florida St. Petersburg class in a January guest speaking event. “If we put our rich investment into each of the young people that we are touching, that’s part of the long-term strategy for building community… so that they are creating what they want the future to look like, and we’re just merely guides.”

    One of the biggest events for the farm so far in 2021 was their Earth Week Celebration in April. The group set up events over four days during Earth Week to promote a healthier environment.  

    They hosted a free workshop on April 21 at the farm on eating healthy with a vegan diet, and on April 22, Erica Hall spoke to listeners both at the farm and online about the intersections of community, food, and the environment, and how to grow a healthier planet together. 

    Hall is the Chair of the Florida Food Policy Council. On April 24, the council hosted a community workday and market, which included a Gadgets for Good drop-off. Their hard work was recognized that week, when they were presented with an Earth Day Proclamation from Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried. 

    Over the last two years, the St. Pete Urban Youth Farm has done a remarkable amount of work to help both the present and the future of their region. They are certainly a group to look out for as they continue to grow. 

  • How high schoolers stifle stress

    How high schoolers stifle stress

    By Brianna Brosch

    Playing a musical instrument provided unexpected benefits to teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The months of virtual school, uncertainty, social isolation, quarantines and canceled events have been particularly hard on teenagers. Those who have an outlet, like music, that they were able to continue to pursue, have been better off for it. 

    The simple joy that comes from making music translates into psychological benefits to help with stress and anxiety brought about by the pandemic. Charlee Loyst is a senior at St. Petersburg Collegiate High School. At 17, the South Korean American is already an accomplished pianist. He has been playing the piano since age five. “Playing the piano is therapeutic, a creative outlet for me. On a hard day I’ll sit down at the piano. It’s very stress relieving.”

    Teenagers who play a musical instrument enjoy the positive benefits of music during this period of social isolation. Alejandro Hernandez, also a high school senior, believes music is helping him manage stress through these times. 

    “I play my guitar at my own pace and the way I want,” Hernandez said. Helearned to play through his church’s No Fret Guitar Camp five years ago. 

    No Fret Guitar Camp is a local 501(c)(3) charity that provides free guitar lessons and free guitars to underserved teenagers. Hernandez participated in one of the first camps and is one of many success stories. Today, he leads worship at his church. 

    “It makes me feel good how I can impact other people with my music. It is a big benefit being able to have a talent and bless yourself and others,” Hernandez said. “Music usually connects people together for good.” 

    Loyst shares a similar viewpoint.

    “We live in a crazy world and music helps us connect even if we speak different languages. It is a way to connect people on a more soulful level,” Loyst said.

    Parents are witnessing the positive impact of their teenagers making music. Loyst credits his parents for encouraging him to take on learning the piano and sticking with it. Now that he is on the precipice of enrollment at the prestigious Berkeley School of Music in Boston this fall, he is grateful for his parents pushing him in the direction of music. 

    “Music changed my life in all sorts of ways. I went from wanting to be an astrophysicist to a professional musician,” Loyst said. “The biggest benefit to listening and composing music is that I enjoy it and it makes me happy. Loving your job makes it not a job, but more of a passion.” 

    Loyst shared that when he discovered his love of jazz, his perspective as to why he played the piano shifted. With his appreciation for the creativity and freedom of expression that jazz amplifies, he no longer feels the barriers of a classic learning structure and is able to enjoy this genre above all others. 

    Kris Smith is the mother of Carter Smith, a 15-year-old high schooler. She credits Carter’s guitar playing as a big way in which he coped with the anxiety of quarantine and social isolation. 

    “I witnessed Carter visibly relax as he played his guitar and lost himself in his music,” Smith said. 

    Carter suffers from anxiety but his mother believes that music is helping him cope. Carter, along with Hernandez, also participated in a No Fret Guitar Camp.

    He even  started a small band and has composed original songs. His parents believe learning an instrument has helped him in a number of ways. 

    “He is less anxious, controls his stress better and appears to have a greater sense of self confidence with his newfound talent and passion to create,” Smith said.

     Elementary school music teacher, Amanda Martin, points out the benefits of music education in an article for The K-12 Teachers Alliance. Martin writes that music helps students’ language skills, memory skills, social interactions, eye/hand coordination as well as life skills. Music can also be a stress relief. 

    “Work ethic and discipline are huge factors of music education, and it is important to note that those life skills will positively impact a student when entering the workforce, completing tasks, etc. Because music education is an outlet for creativity, it can be a source of stress relief.” 

    The majority of researchers agree that music interventions have a positive effect on pain, mood and anxious or depressive symptoms in children, adolescents and adults. The concept that music can play a part in influencing one’s emotions, thoughts and feelings is easily understandable. 

    Given that the pandemic caused society to slow down and stay home, this provided those teenagers with musical talent and training the opportunity to practice their craft. YouTube has many tutorials to build greater skills in the musical arts. Many of the teenagers interviewed indicate that they used this opportunity to hone their music skills and appreciation.

    Jessica Pouranfar, a music therapist at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, writes that music releases chemicals in the brain that give a sense of pleasure.

    “When listening to music that you enjoy, dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical and serotonin, the ‘happy’ chemical is released in your brain giving you a sense of pleasure and boosting your mood. Music is a great motivator and music with a strong beat will make you want to move due to a psychological phenomenon called entrainment. This is why so many people listen to music when exercising and dancing.”

    In this way, music can be seen as the great unifier in a world with much diversity. Loyst echoed these findings in attributing music as a way to maintain an open mind set and consider all the possibilities.

    “There are a lot of things going on in the world and music helps you understand each other more,” Loyst said.