Mayor, schools laud business sponsors

Pledges range from mentoring to funding for nine middle schools.

By Times staff writers
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 16, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG -- Backed by a band, costumed twirlers and balloons, Mayor Rick Baker celebrated big-business boosts Friday for nine St. Petersburg middle schools.

Eight corporations and Eckerd College have committed to help the schools with mentors, tutors, computers, money or other assistance. It is part of Baker's Mayor's Mentors & More initiative to encourage business partnerships with schools.

The event at Bay Point Middle School also honored John and Rosemary Galbraith, philanthropists who donated money last year for 300 Doorways scholarships for public school sixth-graders.

Each scholarship pays for four years of college or vocational training for students poor enough to receive free or reduced-price lunches.

Each student signs a contract pledging to maintain a C average, stay out of trouble and meet with a mentor regularly.

Baker also touted mentoring as a way to take on the challenges that face schools.

"They seem so big at times, you can't seem to get your arms around them. We can't do it on an individual basis. But any person sitting here today can solve all the problems that exist in the county today as they apply to one student by becoming a mentor," Baker said.

The corporate-school pairings:

-- Azalea Middle with Raytheon, which will provide mentors, help raise money for computers and sponsor a program for students interested in engineering.

-- Bay Point Middle with Eckerd College, which will continue providing mentors, tutors and project help. The college also will provide transportation for a special program for incoming sixth-graders.

-- Lealman Intermediate with America II Corp., which will expand its mentoring program and contribute $5,000 to upgrade computers.

-- John Hopkins Middle with Verizon, which will continue to provide mentors.

-- Meadowlawn Middle with Franklin Templeton Investments, which will continue to provide more than 55 mentors and other amenities.

-- Riviera Middle School with Catalina Marketing Corp., which has a mentoring program including 15 percent of its employees and has donated computers, renovated the teacher's lounge and helped with cleanup and landscaping projects.

-- Southside Fundamental with Mercantile Bank, which will provide a volunteer coordinator position and encourage companywide support for the Doorways Scholarship Program.

-- Thurgood Marshall Middle (which will open in August) with Home Shopping Network, which will provide Web site and logo development, help set up classrooms and provide lunch mentors when the school opens in August.

-- Tyrone Middle with Progress Energy, which also supports the Pinellas County Education Foundation and sponsors Enterprise Village and Finance Park.

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