The National Academy Foundation (NAF), a network of career academies focused on developing young adults’ personal and professional success, recently presented their 2009 Academy Honoree Awards at the Institute of Staff Development in Phoenix.  NAF recognized alumni, advisory board members and leaders from academies nationwide whose success in providing worthwhile opportunities for students has inspired their colleagues and strengthened schools, communities and NAF.

Advisory Board Champions
The Advisory Board Champion Award was presented to Kimberly Wilson, Area General Manager of the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay and newly elected Chairperson of Miami-Dade Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT).

The winner of the Alumni Honoree Award was Samuel Gbadebo, a 1998 graduate of William Turner Technical Arts Academy of Finance (AOF) who is currently the lead teacher of the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism at American Senior High School in Hialeah.

Advisory Board Recruitment Challenge
The Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT) was also the winner of a drawing for a Video Production package from Pearson Foundation valued at $20,000. The board under the leadership of Board Secretary, Shelly Fano, Miami Dade College, added three new Advisory Board members and one NAF Alumnus. Accepting the grand prize at the Institute was Ann Fields, AOHT NAF Director, Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Beginning February 10, 2009, Academies competed in the Advisory Board Recruitment Challenge (ABRC) which was open to all Academies. To qualify, Academies had to update their Advisory Board information on NAF's database, and then recruit a minimum of two new Advisory Board (AB) members during the Challenge period which ended on June 30th.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools have 39 NAF academies of which eight are Academies of Hospitality & Tourism and are offered through the School Choice & Parental Options.

Miami, FL – This summer, 120 National Academy Foundation (NAF) students participated in a paid summer internship program. NAF is a network of career academies within Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DPCS) and other school across that country focused on rigorous, career-themed curricula in the areas of Finance, Hospitality & Tourism, Information Technology, and Engineering.

Juniors who have completed coursework in Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ NAF programs were eligible to apply for the program.  This extension of the learning environment enables NAF students to see first-hand the connections between what they learned in school and the world of business. Students develop professional skills, gain self-confidence, and receive exposure to many different facets of the business world. This year, 61 businesses provided students a summer internship experience.

Employers, when asked what they liked best about the program replied: “The opportunity to give a young, aspiring person the chance to learn new things, meet professional people and show them some of what the real world is about” Nigel Whyte, Nova Southeastern University, Fischler School. Frankie Bravo, Carnival Cruise Lines adds that he appreciates “the ability to work with self-motivated individuals that take the initiative to work and learn; the intern pool looks very promising in the future.”

Students appreciate this opportunity afforded to them. Rafael Anare, a student at Coral Reef Senior High School who completed his internship at John Hancock Financial Services states “The internship opportunity is great in giving students a real life outlook on how businesses operate and it expands the knowledge about the intricate field of business.”

The NAF Internship program was established in 1987, with the opening of the first NAF Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) at Miami Springs Senior High. Presently, there are 39 NAF career academies in 24 high schools, making M-DPCS number one in the nation, offering the largest number of NAF academies in a school district. NAF students receive career-focused curriculum as well as real-world work-based learning, such as paid internships with experiences tied to a career theme.

As a part of its annual tourism and travel scholarships, the city of Miami Beach has awarded $14,000 this year to students pursuing careers in hospitality.

Miami Beach -- Miami Beach -- an international tourism hot spot -- has doled out over more than $170,000 in tourism and hospitality scholarships to Miami Beach students since the scholarships' inception in 2003.

In partnership Along with two companies involved with running the Miami Beach Convention Center, this year the city awarded nine scholarships, ranging from $1,100 to $2,300, to students who have expressed interest in the tourism or hospitality industry.

"One of the priorities for the city commission is to support education for the students of Miami Beach, and this is just another avenue for the city and their partners to do that," said Max Sklar, director of tourism and cultural development for the city of Miami Beach.

The scholarship money is provided by Global Spectrum, which operates the center, and Centerplate, which runs the concessions.

The company's contracts with the city stipulates that they will contribute to the funds.

To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be Miami Beach city residents or graduates of Miami Beach Senior High who are enrolled or plan to enroll in post-secondary education.

The scholarships must go toward tuition costs.

Miami Beach Senior High is home to an academy of hospitality and tourism that draws in most of the scholarships' applicants and recipients.

The scholarship not only provides these students with a financial platform to pursue their careers, but also serves as a long term investment in Miami Beach's booming tourism industry.

"Usually someone who starts in this field stays in the field -- they have a passion for tourism and hospitality," Sklar said.

"We would hope that they would not just go onto study, but come back to this community and serve it and make it a wonderful destination."

The 2009 scholarship recipients are Aysha Mowshumi, Maydel Almaguer, Melissa Tatta, Guiherme Cunha, Colby Goncalves, Elizabeth Galvis, Christine Archilla, Noelia Gonzalez and Katie Goncalves.

Students interested in applying for the 2010 scholarship should visit the City of Miami Beach's website, www.miamibeachfl.gov, for application details.

The application deadline is April 1, 2010.