With Father’s Day just around the corner, there’s a relatively new program in our area dedicated to helping dads stay in their children’s lives and become more positive role models.

It’s called Gold Medal Dads — and its impact could last generations.

“This program was definitely a lifesaver for me,” said Jaycob Strubbe, a proud father of three sons.

“My world. They’re my world,” he said.

But Strubbe wasn’t always sure he’d be a good dad since he didn’t have what he considered an ideal father figure of his own growing up.

“Me knowing that, and me knowing that that’s how I was raised, I wanted to do better by my kids. So, I started learning about how I could have tools and other ways of interacting with my kids that wouldn’t require me being angry or me hitting them or me yelling at them,” Strubbe said.

That’s what led him to Gold Medal Dads — a program that started just a few months ago in Pinellas County helping men who may have themselves had absentee or abusive fathers fill that gap.

“The response has been great,” said Reggie Randolph with Healthy Families’ Father Services, which operates Gold Medal Dads.

The program provides men whose children are newborn to age 17 with the tools they need to become supportive fathers such as educational materials, home visits, referrals to other community services and resources.

“Bring them back into the families,” Randolph said. “And show them and share with them their importance.”

In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill setting aside $70 million for programs aimed at equipping dads with the tools they need to be better parents.

“When you take kids that do not have a father present during their upbringing the chances of them dropping out of school, getting in trouble with the law, having other difficulties, increases dramatically,” DeSantis said.

Gold Medal Dads aims to break the cycle of abuse or absenteeism by holistically helping fathers become responsible role models and an influence not just in their children’s lives but, perhaps, for generations to come.

“When you’re a kid, you don’t really see why the person you love the most and that is your superhero is treating you that way,” Strubbe said. “So, I wanted to fix that for my kids.”

Gold Medal Dads is one of several programs in Pinellas County dedicated to fostering fatherhood. For more information, people are encouraged to contact the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County or the Florida Department of Health office.

“Every day is Father’s Day,” Randolph said. “And the celebration is what we’re trying to have fathers understand and understand their importance. Not only for the children, but for our communities. We need more dads involved in our communities.”

Read the article and watch the video at https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/gold-medal-dads-pinellas-county/67-b536d855-5168-41ae-874d-736d00ac6385

The summer break has just begun, but it’s not too early for families to get a jump on next school year by taking care of their child’s health screenings starting Monday, June 13.

The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County is again offering its annual summer Back-to-School clinic services to students in kindergarten through grade 12 to prepare for the 2022-23 school year. Note that children going into pre-k are not eligible.

The school-based health clinics will provide school, sports and well child physicals, including immunizations, at no cost for clients.

Vision screenings provided by Preserve Vision Florida will be available at select locations, and basic dental services will also be available.

The last day to receive services is Monday, Aug. 8.

The services will be provided at no cost by appointment only between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the following locations:

• Boca Ciega High School Clinic: 924 58th St. S.
• Gibbs High School Clinic: 850 34th St. S.
• Largo High School Clinic: 410 Missouri Ave.
• Pinellas Park High School Clinic: 6305 118th Ave N.

For appointments, call 727-824-6900 and select menu option 4. A parent or guardian must bring the child’s immunization and medical records and be present for services. If the parent is not able to be present, a consent must be obtained prior to receiving services.

Forms are located here.

All Pinellas children entering kindergarten on Aug. 10 are required to present a school entrance physical, dated within one year of school enrollment.

DOH-Pinellas’ school-based health clinics are a partnership with the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.

For more information about DOH-Pinellas, click here.

Read this article on Patch: https://patch.com/florida/largo/pinellas-county-begin-offering-physicals-immunizations-week

May was National Drowning Prevention Month, as the lead-in to the summer swimming season is an ideal time to raise awareness to the sobering facts about drowning deaths in America.

According to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, drowning is the single-leading cause of death in children ages 1-4, and the most common cause of drowning is not knowing how to swim. As drownings can happen in as fast as 30 seconds and often occur with at least one adult present, organizations and agencies use May to get the word out and hold programs designed to promote water safety for kids.

At the North Greenwood Recreation Complex in Clearwater, a collaboration between the city, Pinellas County Schools, the Juvenile Welfare Board and Clearwater for Youth saw more than 170 Belleair Elementary School students learn how to swim as part of a free program held over two weeks in May.

“This program recently took place for the first time at the Long Center, and it was amazing to see so many children learn how to swim,” Clearwater Recreation Division Manager Sandy Clayton said in an email promoting the new program, which was held at the North Greenwood Recreation Center Pool at 900 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. According to Clayton, the students traveled on a bus provided by CFY to attend the swim lessons during their regularly scheduled PE time before returning to school to resume their day, and she said the goal is to expand the program and “to add a new school to the list each year.” 

On May 18, a group of Belleair first graders were led by aquatics supervisor Thomas Heine to the pool, where they were given lessons by certified instructors and treated to free swim googles, caps and T-shirts, as well as some fun time in the spray pool following the half-hour classes.

According to Brooke Bennett, the three-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer and CFY board member who was overseeing the kids’ transportation, the importance of the program can’t be overstated.

“It’s hard to put into words the importance of this program and the emotions I feel seeing it come to fruition,” Bennett said as she helped Heine get the group situated. “It’s very moving to me.”

Bennett, who earned three gold medals, including two in the 800-meter freestyle event during the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, has enjoyed a busy post-competition career that’s included a stint in television as well as coaching kids. She said she believes drowning prevention and water safety should start at an early age.

“I think swim lessons for 3-year-olds should be covered by insurance, and every child under the age of 1 should have an introduction to water,” Bennett said. “They spend 40 weeks in water before being born and are very instinctual in water up to the age of 1. That’s why I love teaching babies, because there’s no fear at that age whereas the older they are, the more the fear is there.”

Before heading out into the blistering heat, Bennett praised the program and its ability to save lives.

“This program can be an example at the county, state and national level because we need to educate people that drowning is preventable,” she said. “Accidental drowning is the leading cause of death in 1- to 4-year-olds, so by doing water safety programs like this, we’re changing this statistic.”

For more information on Clearwater’s swim programs, visit myclearwater.com.

Read the article on TBNweekly.com: https://www.tbnweekly.com/clearwater_beacon/article_aea1b85e-e10a-11ec-8994-3b833edd64e3.html

Drownings in Florida reached a somber record in 2021 with 98 children across the state. In 2022, 21 children have already drowned in Florida and we haven’t even reached the peak summer months. Now, local and state leaders are on a mission to combat the growing numbers and make swim safety more accessible to kids.

At the North Greenwood Recreation Center in Clearwater Tuesday, 6-year-old Aliyah Bonilla Turcios slowly dipped herself into the pool. The kindergarten student, like many of her classmates, is a little timid around water. Yet, within just a few seconds, her smile widened as she clutched onto a kickboard and slammed the top of her feet and calves across the water’s smooth surface.

Turcios is one of 350 Clearwater students from Belleair Elementary School who traded their physical education classes for two weeks of swim safety.

“Swimming lessons are fun,” she said.

Clearwater Parks and Recreation leaders have spent at least five years helping students get acclimated to the water during the late spring months leading up to summer break, but they skipped the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the kindergarten through fourth graders are getting their first experience in a pool.

Belleair Elementary School PE teacher Luis Ramos said he loves watching his students enjoy the experience.

“Just after one or two weeks of lessons, the confidence you see in so many of them makes it all worth it,” he said.

The lessons may not be long enough to truly teach the kids to swim, but lifeguards are able to focus on teaching the kids what to do if they fall into a pool, how to help a friend or sibling in trouble and how to use safety equipment like life vests.

Thomas Heine, the Aquatic Coordinator at North Greenwood Recreation Center, said those are critical lessons.

“If you think about Pinellas County, we are a peninsula on a peninsula surrounded by water, and drowning statistics here in Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay area are really frightening,” he said.

ABC Action News dug through DCF reports of the 98 drownings in Florida in 2021. Of those, 24 were in the Tampa Bay region. Many of the reports indicated a pattern: kids “wandering away from home,” ”Getting out of the home undetected” and sadly, many “left unattended,” according to paperwork filed with the state.

The Red Cross said adult supervision is the most important factor, but swim lessons can reduce the risk of a child drowning by 88%.

Shaun Beasley said that’s what makes their partnerships with the Juvenile Welfare Board, Clearwater for Youth, Stingray and ION Physical Therapy Network, to provide the swim lessons during the school day so important.

“This is something that literally gives me goosebumps when I watch it,” Beasley said. “We will potentially never know the impact we are having but if we can teach a kid who falls into the pool to get to the side without panicking then we are doing our jobs in these classes.”

Clearwater, like many cities, offers extremely affordable swim lessons. Just $10 total will provide kids with between six and eight classes. They also hope to expand the classes during the school day to every rec center.

State leaders are also stepping up to prevent drownings.

The “Every Child a Swimmer Law” takes effect for the 2022-2023 school year and requires public schools to ask parents if their kids have taken swim lessons. If the answer is no, schools must provide swim safety education materials.

The YMCA is also offering a long list of summer swim courses.

Watch the newscast and read the full article at https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/98-children-drowned-in-fl-in-2021-tampa-bay-leaders-are-on-a-mission-to-save-childrens-lives

Living in Clearwater, a city surrounded by the Gulf and containing numerous lakes and thousands of swimming pools, knowing how to swim and the basics of water safety is essential.

As part of National Swim Month in May, 172 Belleair Elementary School students are trading their gym clothes for swimsuits and spending their physical education classes at the North Greenwood Recreation Center, 900 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.

The students are learning how to swim, tread water and be safe in and around the pool as part of a city partnership with Pinellas County Schools, the Juvenile Welfare Board, Clearwater for Youth, Stingray and ION Physical Therapy Network.

“This program recently took place for the first time at the Long Center. It was amazing to see so many children learn how to swim,” said recreation division manager Sandy Clayton.

She noted this is especially critical in Florida where children are around the water so often. More children under the age of 4 drown in Florida than anywhere else in the nation. She said data shows formal swim lessons cut the risk of drowning by 88 percent.

During the two-week program, children hop on a bus during their regularly scheduled PE time and ride to the North Greenwood Recreation Center for their swim lessons, then return to school for their other courses.

Starting Monday, each Belleair Elementary student in grades first through third will participate in two weeks of swim lessons with a certified swim instructor and receive a pair of goggles, a swim cap and a T-shirt from Stingray and ION Physical Therapy Network.

The local agencies’ goal is to add a new school to their list each year.

The partners held a pilot program from April 25 to 29 for Skycrest Elementary School who spent their physical education period at the pool at the Long Center, 1501 N. Belcher Road.

“Providing and including water safety classes as part of elementary education curriculum has always been a goal for the Clearwater Parks & Recreation Department,” said recreation manager Shaun Beasley. “The challenge for years has been finding a way to transport children from school to the recreation center pools.”

Clearwater for Youth, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to ensure children can participate in athletic and recreation programs, stepped in and provided the needed funding for the transportation.

“Drowning is fast, silent and can happen to anyone,” said Long Center aquatic coordinator Jill Sparks. “We want to give these kids the tools they need to be safe in the pool this summer and for the rest of their lives.”

Read the full article at https://patch.com/florida/clearwater/clearwater-students-trade-gym-clothes-swimsuits-during-school-day

Since he arrived in Florida 40 years ago, Loc Nguyen has watched the Vietnamese community grow from a handful to a population of more than 10,000 in the Lealman area.

“The population of the Asian community I think is exploding now,” the 66-year-old said. “We like to support the Asian communities.”

Nguyen fled to Florida from his native country in 1982, after the Vietnam war broke out. He escaped in a small boat that he described as overfilled.

“The first thing, when I see the people on the boat, I was panicked,” said Nguyen. “Such a small boat with 60 people, we barely have enough food and water.”

Nguyen said on the first day, a big storm hit he was certain they would all die. Miraculously, they survived and were rescued on their third day at sea by an oil research ship from Japan.

Nguyen said the ordeal made him believe in God for the first time.

“No human can survive such a situation. Must have something else. At that time, I don’t believe in God at all,” he said. “Eventually, I think, yes, there’s a creature, a power of supernatural. He helped us.”​

Nguyen was sent to Florida because he had a cousin living in Pinellas County. His girlfriend was sent to live with relatives in Minnesota. Nguyen said he brought his girlfriend to Largo and they were married.

Florida’s weather reminds them both of Saigon, he said.

Nguyen said he was one of the first volunteers at the Lealman Asian Neighborhood Family Center. It offers services in multiple languages, for job applications, citizenship and after school programs for children.

“We try to serve not only the Asian people, the Asian children, but also the people around here,” he said. “The local people too.” 

Nguyen has since become a board member and taught a smart phone class before the pandemic began.

“At that time, I don’t have smart phone yet,” he said. “I learned it by using it. When I’m using it and (there’s) something I don’t understand, I have to Google it to do research.”​

Recently, Nguyen helped organize the installation of a monument that honors all the American and South Vietnamese service members who were killed in the war. He wants younger generations to remember their roots.

“They see the monument, they will recall why we’re here, why we’re in the states,” he said. “That’s the reason why we’re here.”​

The permanent monument sits on the corner of Little Saigon Plaza in Clearwater. Victor Pham, 36, owns the Tea Lounge in the plaza. Pham said the plaza owners bought it three years ago.

“They decided to open up Little Saigon Plaza just to have the community come here,” he said. “Now we are very happy to have a place that we can call the center of the Asian community.” 

Nguyen said it’s important to support the businesses in Little Saigon Plaza.

“We know when the Asian community opens a business they struggle at first,” he said. “We have to support them so they can survive.”

​Nguyen’s story is part of Spectrum Bay News 9’s continuing coverage of Asian American Pacific Islander Month, which runs through May 31.​

Read the full article at https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2022/04/21/vietnamese-lealman-asian-month

Tallahassee Community College announced honorees from the third annual Heroes in Public Safety celebration. Heroes in Public Safety was created to recognize TCC alumni who have trained at the Florida Public Safety Institute or the Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education, or individuals who are members of public safety in our community. 

This celebration recognizes personnel in the following areas: law enforcement officers, firefighters, fish and wildlife officers, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, juvenile justice officers, corrections officers and communications personnel who put their lives on the line or provide direct support for the safety and protection of Florida’s residents and visitors in Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla Counties.

The Public Safety Hall of Fame distinction is reserved for individuals, making a difference within our community, and have demonstrated extraordinary service to their community, state, and/or nation through their continued leadership in the public safety field.

The following people have been inducted into the Public Safety Hall of Fame class of 2022:

• Chris Corbitt, Sergeant, Tallahassee Police Department 
• Arthur Kirby, Public Safety Communications Officer, Consolidated Dispatch Agency 
• Bill Martinez, Sergeant of the Patrol, Florida Highway Patrol 
• Nick Roberts, Detective, Tallahassee Police Department 
• Alice Sims, Assistant Secretary for Prevention Services, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice 

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to those who have dedicated years of service during a distinguished career, advancing the public safety profession through their leadership roles. Lifetime Achievement honorees are committed and have made extraordinary contributions through their work, which has had a positive impact on the community.

The following individuals have received the Lifetime Achievement Award:

• Michael Anderson, Executive Director, Florida Department of Corrections 
• David Brand, Law Enforcement Coordinator, Florida Sheriff’s Association 
• Annette Brown, Division Chief, Tallahassee Fire Department 
• Craig Carroll, Operations Captain, Leon County Sheriff’s Office 
• David Coffman, Retired Director of Forensic Services, Florida Department of Law Enforcement 
• Albert “Al” Gandy, Retired Chief Investigator, State Attorney’s Office Second Judicial Court 
• Jeanine Gauding, Retired Director, Consolidated Dispatch Agency 
• William Pascoe, Sergeant, Florida Highway Patrol 
• J.M. “Buddy” Phillips, “The Sheriff of Florida” *Awarded Posthumously 
• Dr. Jim Sewell, Retired Assistant Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
• Kermit Washington, Fire Standards Coordinator, TCC Florida Public Safety Institute 

Read the full article at https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/chronicle/2022/02/22/tcc-honors-2022-group-honorees-heroes-public-safety/6776438001/

Corey Thornton, a motivator by trade and a performer at heart, speaks to young people in the language they’ve always understood — catchy music.

A recording artist and motivational speaker, the St. Pete native, travels to schools and venues all over the state, sharing his brand of “edutainment” to convey important and inspirational messages through song. In original tracks such as “School Rock,” he raps over a thumping beat, encouraging children to stay in school and stay focused on their dreams, while in “Cash Me In Da Library,” he sings about the value of reading skills.

“You can’t just be a motivational speaker these days,” he said. “You’ve got to have a little something extra to draw them in. Do the songs, earn their respect, and I could talk to them.”

During his middle school days in the musical theater program, Thornton took up jazz, tap, and acting before attending the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High. Later, while working at an academy program for at-risk youths, Thornton saw too many kids who had made bad decisions and wanted to motivate them to stay on the right track.

“I saw firsthand them being locked up away from their parents for a while because of the choices that they made,” he said. “As a musical artist, I thought, let me write about what they’re going through and what it’s like in this facility being locked up, and try to reach the kids before they end up in that program.”

Almost two decades later, Thornton, 44, still performs “individualized” concerts, tailoring his approach to the needs of his young audiences by writing and performing songs that address specific issues.

“We base our concerts based on what each school is struggling with,” he explained. “They’ll say, ‘Ok, we’ve had some problems with bullying going on. Can you rap some songs that talk about bullying and what it’s like to show respect to each other?’ Then I would talk to the students, like a motivational speaking engagement, about what I just rapped about.”

The focus of these performances could be about criticizing bullying, boosting school attendance, or even passing the Florida Standard Assessment tests.

“I would relieve a lot of anxiety and stress on the students when I come in to pump them up and let them know, ‘Hey, I’ve been there, done that, but if you take these simple steps, you can pass the test!’”

Though the pandemic has made things more challenging for Thornton to perform, it has not deterred him. In 2020, he put out motivational speaking clips that the schools would play in the classrooms and even did some virtual concerts. In the past year, however, he has been able to give concerts outdoors on school grounds in person, which he believes is essential in conveying the full energy of the performance.

To help get his messages across, he has also partnered with the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas, which provides funding for many educational programs in the county. At the beginning of every school year, the organization sponsors Thornton to spread his musical messages to 10 to 15 schools around Pinellas.

“They know that music is the key to reach our next generations,” Thornton said, “so they partnered with me, a motivational speaking artist, and we got together and produced a song to encourage students to go to school, which is called “Every Day Counts.”

Also, in partnership with JWB, Thornton wrote a song encouraging students to log on and do their schoolwork whenever they must attend classes remotely. He has even teamed up with Heinemann Publishing for his biography “Rapping for Kids: Corey’s Story,” a book in the grade four Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ (FPC) Guided Reading Collection.

“Right now, a lot of people are struggling with their reading skills across the United States, so they make books to inspire students to read,” he said. “And what a way to partner with me, to show them a positive guy that goes out to rap! They wrote a book on my life — going out to schools to perform for students — and they used my book to help teach fourth graders how to read.”

Heinemann printed one million copies in early 2020 and distributed them to schools across the country.

“When they did that, that’s when my emails started blowing up for virtual concerts and gigs in different schools!” Thornton said.

His biography has attracted far-reaching attention. He got the chance to shine in the national spotlight when he appeared on Good Morning America in the summer of 2020, talking about his goal to motivate children through his music. Thornton also spins as a DJ at various events, including weddings, parties, and corporate functions.

“Parks and venues and anything family entertainment,” he said, “because I keep all the music clean, and I keep everybody engaged.”

Not only has Thornton developed a following with his music on YouTube and Spotify, but more rewarding for him, he has made lifelong fans of school kids that he’s touched through his music and lyrics. Many reach out to him years after graduating, having found success in their lives and fulfilling careers.

“They’ll be like, ‘Thank you for motivating me when I was in school — now I really, really understand what you were talking about because I’m living it!’” he said. “That makes me feel good. I just keep pushing with the mission!”

Read the full article at https://theweeklychallenger.com/motivating-the-youth-through-music/