Key Miami-Dade business and hospitality leaders who have already signed up to participate in the 2024-2025 Teach-A-Thon include:
- Hector J. Ponte, South Florida Regional Executive, Wells Fargo/Chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
- Mabel Morrison, Vice President, Product Management and Strategy
- Quentin Nason, Founder, City Pay it Forward/Head of Corporate Development, Tetragon Financial Group Limited
- Joe Natoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Baptist Health South Florida
- Vivian Casals-Muñoz, Director of Community Relations, Hialeah Park
- Paulette Phillips, Corporate & Private Chef, The 305 Chef
- Pablo Pino, Market President South Florida Commercial, TD Bank/The Education Fund Board Chair
The Education Fund also proudly announces the success of its 2023-2024 Teach-A-Thon campaign. The Education Fund Teach-A-Thon united more than 100 business professionals with Miami-Dade County Public Schools teachers and students, raising nearly $60,000 and bringing the cumulative total of the Teach-A-Thon to $732,894.
This transformative initiative highlights the vital role of educators and prepares our future workforce. Public School Champions volunteered to stand in a teacher’s shoes for at least one lesson to learn more about a teacher’s daily experience. These professionals brought their real-life experiences to lessons, such as Financial Literacy, helping students see the relevancy of these subjects.
The campaign launched near the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, fueled by active participation from professionals representing Wells Fargo, Assurant, City Pay It Forward, TD Bank, Blackstone, Biscayne Bay Brewing Company, Chen Medical Center, South Florida Business Journal, Kaufman Rossin, World Kinect, and many other local companies. These Public School Champions taught subjects such as financial literacy, science, technology, engineering, math, English, and social sciences. Each Champion also spread the word among their networks and helped fundraise for public schools.
“As a father of two M-DCPS educators and the husband of a retired public school teacher,” Hector J. Ponte says, “I bring a personal commitment to supporting initiatives like the Teach-A-Thon that truly make a difference in classrooms and in the lives of educators.”
During the 2023-24 school year, Ponte taught financial literacy to students in Navia Gomez’s class at Dante B. Fascell Elementary. Gomez remarked on her many years participating in the Teach-A-Thon, “As an educator, you really can’t put a price on what The Education Fund has done for us. When our kids come back and visit us, they let us know, ‘Because of that lesson that you did in class that was supported by The Education Fund, this is why I’m going into this type of career.’ As teachers, we don’t always get that feedback, but when those kids come back to see you, you know that you’ve made an impact. That’s a result of also being supported by The Education Fund because it takes a village, as they say, for us to make a difference in our kids’ lives.”
President Linda Lecht reflected on the profound impact of The Education Fund Teach-A-Thon, “Teaching quality is the single greatest determinant of student achievement. The business community’s participation in the Teach-A-Thon serves as a tangible support system for our teachers, further helping us recruit and retain the best for our students.”
Top Public School Champions and Their Companies
The Education Fund expresses its heartfelt appreciation to the 2023-24 Public School Champions and their companies. Their generosity has played a pivotal role in making this initiative impactful and shaping a brighter future for Miami-Dade County Public Schools:
Top Public School Champions and Their Companies Included:
Diamond Awards ($15,000 or More):
- Quentin Nason, City Pay it Forward
Platinum Awards ($5,000 or More):
- Paulette Phillips, The 305 Chef
- Carolyn Guerra, TD Bank
Gold Awards ($2,500 or More):
- Pablo Pino, TD Bank
- Nick Tootle, Kaufman Rossin
- Edwin Rodriguez
- Joe Natoli, Baptist Health South Florida
The Education Fund extends gratitude to all teachers, donors, and Public School Champions for their collective efforts, making the Teach-A-Thon campaign a success. For more information or involvement in future initiatives, visit educationfund.org.
About The Education Fund
The Education Fund strives to bring innovative methods to local public schools, raise awareness about public education, and encourage private sector investment. Recognized for improving student outcomes, The Education Fund has received prestigious awards, including the TD Ready Challenge, Greater Miami Chamber’s NOVO Award for Non-Profit Excellence, and the Blue Foundation’s Sapphire Prize. Learn more at educationfund.org.
Media Contact
Trina Sargalski, The Education Fund, 305-761-8605, [email protected], https://www.educationfund.org/
SOURCE The Education Fund
