ORLANDO – In basketball or any other sport for that matter, it’s essential for coaches to motivate and inspire athletes. Especially when they first start playing a sport, children depend on their coaches for guidance, knowledge and support.
The same applies in the classroom. Students rely on teachers for direction and encouragement. When the bond is strong, so is performance typically. The earlier a child builds trust with their teachers, the more likely it is that they will have greater academic success.
Due to the incredible commitment from the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) and the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County (ELCOC), there are more qualified and reliable mentors spread throughout Orlando and its neighboring communities.
OMYF’s Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate Credential program with the ELCOC continues to impact the connections young children have with their teachers in a tremendously positive way. The $50,000 donated by the OMYF to this program earlier this year will make it even more accessible for teachers working with infants and toddlers to get the training they need.
“The Magic have made an enormous difference in Orange County by their support,” ELCOC’s Director of Research and Special Projects Cindy Jurie said during a special community All-Star celebration event in January when the OMYF surprised 27 different non-profit organizations with checks totaling $1.04 million. “We look to continue to expand the quality of care that is offered to our youngest ones in child care throughout our community and the Magic have really been the key players as far as making that happen.”
The training program provides 80 hours of specific infant/toddler instruction to teachers who aspire to help youth reach their full potential. More than 1,800 infants and toddlers in Orange County child care centers currently benefit as a result of this professional development training. The program has been such a huge success that ELCOC is looking into helping other communities pilot this initiative.
This year was the 10th time that OMYF awarded at least $1 million to community outreach programs. In the past 28 years, OMYF has distributed more than $23 million to local organizations dedicated to improving the lives of those in need in Central Florida.
“One of the fundamentals of my parents and our family has always been us giving back with time, treasure or whatever you have,’’ Magic Chairman Dan DeVos said. “It is incredibly important because we all benefit so much from this great community.”
To learn more about the ELCOC, visit http://elcoforangecounty.org/.
The soon-to-be signature fundraiser for the OMYF, the Orlando Wine Festival and Auction, will feature a weekend of events in March 2019 including exclusive vintner dinners, an outdoor festival featuring live music, live auction displays, local and celebrity chefs, wineries and food pavilions along with Magic players and coaches. Each guest will also receive an invitation to the 2019-‘20 OMYF grant ceremony, where all funds raised from the Orlando Wine Festival and Auction will be distributed to local nonprofit organizations. For more information on the Orlando Wine Festival and Auction please visit www.wineauctionorlando.com.
2018 OMYF grant recipients: Adult Literacy League ($40,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida ($50,000), Children's Home Society of Florida ($30,000), City Year Orlando ($30,000), Crealde School of Art ($15,000), Early Learning Coalition of Orange County ($50,000), ELEVATE Orlando ($30,000), Florida Hospital for Children ($50,000), Foundation for Orange County Public Schools ($25,000), Foundation for Foster Children ($100,000), Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools ($20,000), Foundation for Seminole State College of Florida ($50,000), Harbor House of Central Florida ($25,000), Hope Community Center ($40,000), IMPOWER ($20,000), Junior Achievement of Central Florida ($50,000), Orlando Ballet ($20,000), Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra ($20,000), Orlando Repertory Theatre ($20,000), Orlando Science Center ($30,000), Orlando Shakespeare Theater ($20,000), The Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families ($29,000), The Nemours Foundation ($50,000), University of Central Florida Foundation ($50,000), Valencia College Foundation ($50,000), YMCA of Central Florida ($40,000), Zebra Coalition ($50,000)