(March 4, 2024) TAMPA, FL – Hillsborough Education Foundation (HEF) is proud to unveil the launch of a second college and career readiness location for Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), thanks to generous funding by Suncoast Credit Union and HCA Florida Healthcare. Officially called the Student Center of Postsecondary Exploration—or SCOPE for short—this new facility will be located at Brandon High School and will allow HEF to provide students there with crucial one-on-one college and career planning, help with admissions and financial aid applications, and assistance with alternative pathways, like technical colleges or trade schools.
Initially launched in the fall of 2022 at King High School, SCOPE has proven to be a successful program, with all internal goals and benchmarks met or exceeded within its first year. Some highlights:
- Nearly half of King’s student population had exposure to, or interacted with, SCOPE in the 2022-2023 school year.
- 315 students received one-on-one coaching and support.
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- 231 of these students returned to SCOPE for additional coaching sessions and support.
- 89% of students reported making progress on career readiness and postsecondary planning.
- 99% of students would recommend SCOPE to another student.
- FAFSA completion rate increased from 39% to 44%
Anna Corman, Interim CEO of Hillsborough Education Foundation, envisions SCOPE expanding to other high schools throughout Hillsborough County Public Schools, working in collaboration with the district and additional community partners. “By recognizing and removing barriers in college and career navigation, we want to ensure that every student in the county has the opportunity for postsecondary success,” she emphasized. “The expansion of SCOPE addresses a critical community need by offering teens personalized counseling and support, helping to drive upward mobility for all students and keeping Tampa Bay’s workforce skilled and competitive.”
Members of the media are invited to join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new SCOPE location’s grand opening:
- When: Wednesday, March 6, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Where: Brandon High School – 1101 Victoria St, Brandon, FL 33510
- Who: HEF Interim CEO Anna Corman will be joined by HEF Board Chair Chris Taylor; Shaylia McRae, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction and Transformation for HCPS; Marcos Murillo, Chief of Innovation and Strategic Planning for HCPS; and representatives from Suncoast Credit Union and HCA Florida Healthcare.
Interviews will be available after the ceremony.
Jyric Sims is the HCA Healthcare West Florida Division President:
“HCA Florida Healthcare strives to make communities stronger, and we are honored to support the SCOPE program’s work developing successful post-graduation plans with students. Helping students navigate continued educational opportunities and career planning strengthens our future workforce and aligns well with HCA Healthcare’s commitment to increase opportunity and access to healthcare careers.”
Van Ayres is the Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools:
“We are immensely grateful to our invaluable partner, HEF, for their unwavering support in expanding the SCOPE program to a second location within Hillsborough County Public Schools. Their collaborative effort signifies our shared commitment to providing exceptional educational opportunities and enriching the lives of our students. Many high school students express the need for more one-on-one college and career planning during their high school years. SCOPE has been a wonderful answer to that at King High School, and I am delighted that we can now extend this invaluable initiative to Brandon High. I also extend our heartfelt thanks to Suncoast Credit Union and HCA Florida Healthcare for their generous contributions to this new facility. I am confident it will provide students at Brandon with the support they need as they navigate their post-graduation paths.”
Dr. Jeremy Klein is the Principal of Brandon High School:
“I am beyond excited to welcome the Hillsborough Education Foundation to Brandon High School with the opening of SCOPE. Having SCOPE on campus will be a game changer for our students as they will have the on-campus support to engage in scholarship writing, FAFSA completion assistance, college, and university applications, SAT/ACT/CLT study materials, etc., as well as for career exploration for students wanting to directly enter the workforce. Providing our students with these resources will set them up for the next chapter of their lives once they graduate from the Nest.”
About Hillsborough Education Foundation
Established in 1987, Hillsborough Education Foundation (HEF) is a nonprofit focused on strengthening public education by supporting teachers and empowering students to achieve academic and personal success. Together with our community partners, HEF strategically invests in initiatives that impact teaching quality, increase graduation rates and build equity in education—bolstering a thriving workforce of tomorrow and the sustainable prosperity of Tampa Bay. Learn more at EducationFoundation.com.
About Hillsborough County Public Schools
Hillsborough County Public Schools, located in Tampa, Florida, is a leading educational institution dedicated to “Preparing Students for Life.” The district is the seventh-largest in the nation and the third-largest in Florida. We proudly educate over 220,000 students, employ 24,000 individuals, and offer our families innovative and nationally recognized programs at 250-plus public schools. HCPS ranks 19th in the state for academics and led the nation in the 2022 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores for 4th Grade Reading and 4th Grade Math.
For more information, visit hillsboroughschools.org and follow @HillsboroughSch on all social platforms.
About Suncoast Credit Union:
Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union in the state of Florida, the 10th largest in the United States based on membership, and the 10th largest in the United States based on its $17.1 billion in assets. Chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union currently operates 77 full-service branches and serves more than one million members across Florida. As a community credit union, anyone who lives, works, attends school, or worships in Suncoast Credit Union’s service area is eligible for membership. In 2021, Suncoast Credit Union’s field of membership was expanded to include public K-12 teachers, collegeeducators, and educational support staff from all of Florida’s 67 counties. Suncoast is passionate about community support. Since its founding in 1990, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has raised and donated more than $40 million to organizations and initiatives that support the health, education, and emotional well-being of children in the communities that the credit union serves.
For more information, visit: suncoastcreditunion.com or follow us on social media at: facebook.com/SuncoastCreditUnion, linkedin.com/company/suncoastcreditunion, twitter.com/SuncoastCU or instagram.com/suncoastcreditunion.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. United as a statewide network in 2022, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,000 experienced doctors and more than 79,000 colleagues working together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care to more than 8.6 million patients each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provides more than $848.8 million in uncompensated care and contributes $2.1 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly-trained specialists, including the state’s largest cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is also a major supporter of university-based healthcare programs and residencies and fellowships throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com
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