The Miami HEAT and the Office of Community Engagement for Miami-Dade County Public Schools worked together to identify (25) students at varying ages/grade levels in low-income areas to distribute Microsoft laptop devices and other resources to aide their distance-learning needs for the 2020-21 school year. These students were chosen from a pool of current and former students of the HEAT Academy program. On Wednesday, August 26th, all students were directed to Jesse J. McCrary, Jr. Elementary, a HEAT Academy host site, where HEAT Legend, Alonzo Mourning, MDCPS Superintendent Alberto Carvalho District 2 Board Member of MDCPS, Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall and HEAT Mascot Burnie, greeted them and safely handed each family their care package as they drove through the school’s bus drop-off area. With the help of HEAT corporate partners and donors, the Miami HEAT put these care packages together and surprised each student with donations including Microsoft laptop devices, Florida Blue-branded backpacks, JBL headphones, Publix Supermarket gift cards, and more to help these students kick off the new school year.
The Miami HEAT also sponsored these (25) families to be covered through Comcast’s Internet Essentials program. As a result, these students received up to eight months’ worth of internet connectivity to help them with their virtual schooling, as well as their household family members with their own resources and employment needs to help get them through the COVID19 pandemic. Launched in 2007, the Internet Essentials program is the country’s largest broadband adoption program for low-income families.
HEAT Academy, an after school program that provides elementary school students with extra exposure to academics, particularly math, reading, writing, and science, is the flagship community initiative of the Miami HEAT. Going into its 22nd year of existence, HEAT Academy, presented by Carnival Foundation, has been implemented at three local inner-city schools: Paul Laurence Dunbar K-8 Center, Jesse J. McCrary Jr. Elementary and Riverside Elementary. In addition to a curriculum geared for success on the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) exam, students receive assistance with homework, have a safe place to be when their parents are not available, and learn from positive role models who inspire kids to excel.