The mission of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Indian Advisory Council is to serve as a bridge connecting the Indian community with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), dedicated to serving, protecting and defending the community while upholding the rights and dignity of all individuals. Since its inception, the council has actively engaged in numerous initiatives aimed at building goodwill and fostering strong relationships, promoting literacy and raising awareness about the resources available within our county.
In keeping with their mission, the Indian Advisory Council recently donated laptops to Brandon High School’s (BHS) Community School in the hopes of keeping students connected to their studies.
“We have always partnered with various people to support schoolwide initiatives,” said Lauren Leto, Brandon High School’s Community School resource teacher. “We know that students cannot learn if they are not present at school. Many of our families face barriers to attending school. Some of our students stay home to take care of other family members. Some do not have adequate transportation and may live close to school to qualify for the bus. Post-COVID has been a challenge across the nation to get kids to come to school. The laptops will be raffled off to students who meet the 90 percent positive attendance rate we are striving for.”
The laptop raffles will begin at the end of August and continue monthly.
“Community school supports many aspects to the success of the Brandon students,” said Susan Spears, Brandon High School’s academic interventionist ELP coordinator. “Attendance is a major focus for the initiative. In order to increase our overall school attendance to 90 percent or higher, laptops provide an incentive for the students because many do not have the financial resources to purchase their own. Attendance plays a large role in student success in high school. The goal of the incentive is to increase attendance to directly impact academic success.”
Both Spears and Leto are appreciative of the HCSO Indian Advisory Council, Master Deputy Tony Suarez of the HCSO Community Outreach Division and Brandon High School coach Amy Watson for their help with securing the laptop donation.
“Eagle student and now Brandon High School alumni Tony Suarez has remained connected to coach Amy Watson, longtime BHS educator,” Leto said. “He is aware that we are a community school and wanted to support so students can succeed in school.”
If you would like to learn more about the HCSO Indian Advisory Council, you can visit its website at https://teamhcso.com/section/efd7fdd7-d42b-4fb4-ad6ee34043da0eda/indian-advisory-council.
You must be logged in to post a comment.