Miami Beach Chamber Education Foundation Inc

The Miami Beach Chamber Education Foundation has served to support the Miami Beach feeder pattern public schools.  It operates on the premise that the stronger the community involvement, the greater the education system can thrive. 

Mission and Vision

The mission is to identify and support the needs of public education in Miami Beach and its feeder pattern schools; and the vision is to maximize the quality of education and expand opportunities for our children.

The Nurse and Mental Health Initiative Program

• The Foundation has built an incredible coalition of support for a healthcare program within each of the eight schools in our Miami Beach feeder pattern. 
• It has partnered with municipalities from all five of the neighboring cities: Miami Beach, North Bay Village, Surfside, Bay Harbor Island, and Bal Harbour to serve the students in those districts.
• Students in those districts now have access to school nurses and much needed social workers and mental health professionals.

Pro-Start Kitchen 

• This program funded a $300K state-of-the-art culinary kitchen in Miami Beach High for students to get hands on experience in the growing popular culinary profession.   
• The pro-start kitchen is especially beneficial giving vocational knowledge to students who may choose to pursue a career in the culinary industry directly after high school in lieu of attending a university.  

Student Scholarships

• $1K scholarships awarded to graduating seniors of Miami Beach High School that are used towards their desired college or vocational school

Project Upstart 

• Over $22K was raised to support the Miami Dade Project Upstart which benefits students in housing transition who did not currently have a stable home.  
• The funds assisted those students with various educational and social needs costs to help them develop the foundation for a good learning environment.   

Community Project Grant

• Two schools were each awarded $10,000 for the creation of impactful and meaningful projects that contributed to the well-being of students and the public such as school gardens where students and teachers learn about agriculture, murals fostering school spirit and celebrating diversity, food pantries establishing food security to students and their families, and computer coding classes to keep students connected with technological innovation.

Teacher of the Year Awards

• Through the Elayne Weisburd Excellence in Education annual event, one teacher from each school receives awards of cash and prizes for their outstanding dedication to teaching.
• The top three teachers receive special recognition for leading the charge and offering exemplary service shaping the lives of their students.

Links Program – Teachers Grants Initiative

• The Foundation was greatly established through the Links Program where students, teachers, public officials, business owners and residents were joined with sponsored creative links demonstrating linkage between the schools and community.  
• Funds raised through the event supported teachers’ grants for in-school innovative projects of up to $1,000 each totaling about $25K each year.   The grants supported classroom projects that could not exist without these grants. 

With the growing uncertainty of public educational funds, schools and faculty rely on other sources each year to better serve our community children.  Each donation received through the Miami Beach Chamber Education Foundation is an essential tool for their continued success.