Education

A high school principal in Florida's most underprivileged county received a leadership award from Florida TaxWatch and celebrated with the community on Tuesday.

A Girl Scout troop from Alachua County is putting together care packages for female students in Kenya who cannot afford feminine products. The packages will help girls in Kenya avoid missing school due to menstruation.

A new scholarship program implemented by the Florida Legislature will give bonuses to teachers who scored highly on their SAT or ACT assessments. Alachua County teachers, who had to apply for the bonuses by Oct. 1, have noticed several problems with the program.

The Alachua County Library district has been utilizing its online branch to reach community members in new ways. Using social media, they have opened the dialogue between reader and author.

Local psychologist, Kathy Funke, has been helping students of all ages succeed in the classroom for more than 30 years. Hundreds of children with special needs have benefitted from her services.

Chester Shell Elementary School Students may get an on-site dental clinic next year. The University of Florida Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science is in discussions with officials from Alachua County Public Schools to open the clinic in January.

The Hawthorne Branch Library partnered with the Hawthorne Life Enrichment Center to offer a 6-week computer course for senior citizens. The course teaches a variety of topics ranging from Microsoft Word to Internet safety.

Students are receiving help from the American immigration policy Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, during their time spent in college. But, with graduation approaching, students are figuring out if they will be eligible to stay in the United States after they graduate.

At A. Quinn Jones Exceptional Student Center, every student uses seventh period for social-emotional learning. Designed to help reduce bullying, the class is the first regularly scheduled class of its kind in Gainesville. Students take the time to learn how to better communicate with peers and resolve social conflicts through self-awareness, …

Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society at Santa Fe College, organized a drive to raise money to buy school supplies for elementary and middle school students in east Gainesville.