DONATIONS SUPPORT CAROLE L. ANDREWS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Sheriff Al Lamberti, on behalf of the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County, accepted a $10,000 donation from The Community Foundation of Broward County Monday to benefit the Carole L. Andrews Leadership Academy in Hallandale.

The academy, created from a partnership between the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the School Board of Broward County, serves 80 students in a more structured educational environment than a traditional classroom. Open since the 2002-2003 school year, the academy offers character and intellectual development and leadership skills, as well as intensive academic support, to students in grades 5-8.

The donation is in addition to two other major grants received in the past two months that will benefit the school. The Aetna Foundation recently gave $25,000 and the Wachovia Foundation gave $7,500. The money will help fund drug, behavioral and parental counseling by Memorial Healthcare System.

Carole Andrews was a BSO employee who began the School Resource Deputy program and served on the Broward County School Board. She was instrumental in creating the Leadership Academy, which was named in her honor shortly before her death in 2006.

The academy has been lauded for its holistic approach to educating “at-risk” students with behavioral problems. Qualified students have no criminal records. The curriculum includes core academic classes, as well as physical education and required parental involvement. Random home visits are also conducted.

Photo caption: Sheriff Al Lamberti receives a generous donation from the Community Foundation of Broward. From left to right are Sheriff Al Lamberti, Marta Prado, chair of the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County, Linda Carter, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Broward, and Patricia DuMont, secretary and chair of the program committee, Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward.

BSO helps BIKE (Believe In Kids Education) program

BSO School Resource Dep. Brian Faust lent a hand recently to a high school student who refurbishes bicycles for needy families. Faust delivered 23 bicycles from BSOs evidence unit to the home of Stoneman Douglas High School student Scott Eisner, for Eisner’s BIKE (Believe In Kids Education) program. The bicycles were either abandoned or confiscated by BSO. Eisner will take about a month to refurbish the bicycles and donating them to Family Central in Plantation.

Photo caption: Deputy Brian Faust hands over a BSO evidence bicycle to the father of a high school student who refurbishes them for needy children.