As part of its continued effort to provide engaging experiential educational enrichment programs to the community, the Deering Estate welcomed 180 students, along with their teachers, at no cost, thanks to the generous donation from Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust.
Ninety students (second and third graders) from Dr. Edward Whigham Elementary School were hosted on Friday, Oct. 6, and 90 students (third graders) from Colonial Drive Elementary were hosted on Oct. 19.
Earlier this year, Gibraltar Private donated $30,000 ($10,000 per year for three years) to fund the “Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust Field Study Scholarship Program at Deering Estate.” The scholarship program provides assistance to under-resourced Miami-Dade County teachers and students allowing them to participate in the Deering Estate’s award-winning Environmental Education Enrichment programs.
“We are delighted to see the first group of students and teachers from our community visit the Deering Estate and experience their hands-on educational and enrichment programs,” said Angel Medina, president and CEO of Gibraltar Private. “The Field Study programs at Deering Estate are known to expand children’s understanding of the environment, natural resources, humanities and art, as well as science, math and technology through applied practice.”
The bank’s donation provides financial assistance to qualified local Miami-Dade County Title 1 Schools to be used for underwriting the program fees of participating students in the Deering Estate Field Study and/or bus transportation costs transporting students to and from the Deering Estate. Students are required to write a short reflection piece of what was learned during their participation in the field study.
“We are pleased to see Gibraltar Private’s generous gift benefiting the students and teachers from both of these schools,” said Mary Pettit, executive director at Deering Estate Foundation. “We are already seeing how these funds are making a difference in the lives of the students in our local community. These kids are the future stewards of our planet and our next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEM+arts) professionals.”
A Miami-Dade County park, the Deering Estate is a 444-acre natural and archeological preserve and historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serving as a center for education, culture and recreation. For more information about the Deering Estate, visit www.deeringestate.org.
