Keeping Sarasota County Beautiful recently awarded Sarasota Military Academy (SMA) Prep middle school cadets and staff with the “School Excellence” award during the 30th Annual KSCB Volunteer Awards Recognition Dinner, held on November 7, 2018.
The cadet-led community project, initiated by SMA Cadet-MAJ Thomas Canales, an 8th-grade student, was a litter and beach clean-up at Ted Sperling Park at South Lido Beach in Sarasota. The Sarasota Parks and Recreation Department nominated the project and cadets for the Keeping Sarasota County Beautiful award.
“The best part of community service is seeing friends, family, kids from school, and even people we have never met, come together and work towards one common goal: a better environment. The future depends on us!,” said SMA Cadet-MAJ Thomas Canales.
“Thank you to the Sarasota Parks and Recreation Department for the nomination, and to Keeping Sarasota County Beautiful for this valued recognition,” said SMA-CPT Terri Davis, Sarasota Military Academy Prep Military Studies teacher and IB MYP Community Project facilitator. “Through our community projects, cadets learn skills that they will apply throughout their lives. It is exciting to see middle school cadets shine as leaders who want to make a positive impact on the world around them.”
As an authorized IB World School, SMA Prep cadets participate in a community project as part of the IB Middle Years Program (IB/MYP). During community projects throughout the last two years, cadets at SMA Prep have provided and promoted environmental stewardship while serving approximately 160 volunteer hours throughout Sarasota County Parks and natural areas.
The focus of the KSCB awards ceremony was “The Future is Now” with a “Back to the Future” movie-inspired theme. A variety of organizations and attendees were recognized and lauded for contributions. Keep Sarasota County Beautiful, an affiliate of the Keep America Beautiful Inc. nonprofit organization, is a county-wide beautification program established in 1987 that initiates community cleanup projects to help keep the community free of litter.
About Sarasota Military Academy
Founded in 2002, Sarasota Military Academy (SMA) is a public charter school and college preparatory academy with two campuses located in Sarasota, Florida. Combining extraordinary academics with the highest military principles of camaraderie, focus, leadership, integrity, compassion, poise, honor and respect, SMA’s mission is to graduate young men and women who will confidently define their personal and unique goals for success in a multi-cultural and globalized world. Sarasota Military Academy High School is located at 801 N. Orange Avenue and Sarasota Military Academy Prep Middle School, is located at 3101 Bethel Lane. To learn more about SMA, visit http://www.sarasotamilitaryacademy.org/.
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PHOTO ID: Sarasota Military Academy Prep Cadet-MAJ Thomas Canales, Cadet-MAJ Garrett Pearson, Cadet-MAJ Pranit Rajakar and Sarasota Military Academy Prep Head of School, SMA-LTC Thomas Vara.
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