CEMEX Florida was presented the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence on June 14 in Orlando for their work with the students in Sumter County schools.
Sumter County School Superintendent Rick Shirley accompanied Jenna Register Emerson from CEMEX Florida to the Florida Chamber Foundation’s 2017 Annual Education Solutions Summit, “Learners to Earners,” in Orlando to receive the award.
CEMEX is a collaborative partner with the Sumter County School Board and the driving force behind the establishment of the Sumter Environmental Education Center, better known as the S.E.E.C.
The S.E.E.C is run by an advisory group with a variety of background experiences, expertise, and community connections to create a synergistic opportunity to make the programs, activities and the facility full of quality resources for Sumter County school children.
Each year CEMEX hosts environmentally focused field trips for every fourth and sixth grade student in the district. While at the S.E.E.C. students participate in activities designed to reinforce the concept that humans impact their environment in negative and positive ways. Students are also engaged in the discussion about the benefits of mining and some of the ways mines impact the land. CEMEX also provides a team of professionals who work directly with students in the Advanced Placement Environmental Science course offered at the high school level to complete a mine permitting project from start to finish. In addition to working directly with students, CEMEX partners with the district to host an annual Earth Day event at the SEEC for the community averaging close to 800 visitors per year.
“CEMEX is one of our best partners. We nominated CEMEX for this award for the pervasive impact they have had across the district providing STEM opportunities for students, teachers and families. We are forever grateful for their assistance and commitment,” said Shirley.
The Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards (CBRA) program was established in 1987 by the Florida Commissioner of Education. This Program recognizes businesses from around the state of Florida that have shown the most commitment, creativity and innovation in bringing about positive change to schools and school districts.
The honorees are selected by each school district, based on the significance of impact the business partnership had on the students in a particular K-12 public school or district wide CEMEX Florida along with dozens of individuals and organizations were also recognized for their contributions at the April 15 School Board meeting.