SEED Miami student Chozen has her poetry featured on display in the Opa-Locka Light District on Opa-Locka Boulevard near Caliph Street. Click on the image below to read the article in the Miami Herald.
SEED Miami's First Graduation - The Class of 2021
The conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year marks the beginning of a new chapter for SEED Miami’s founding graduating class. On June 12, 2021, SEED Miami staff, families, donors, and community supporters joined together at the Concours Club in Opa-Locka to celebrate our 19 scholars’ growth and achievements and watch them walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.
Below are just a few photos of our ceremony. Please click here to see more!
100% of our seniors have earned a college acceptance into a 2 or 4 year college!
We are so proud of their outstanding accomplishments!
· Albion College
· Barry University
· Benedict College
· Bethune Cookman University
· Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
· Emory & Henry
· Florida Atlantic University
· Florida International University
· Florida Memorial University
· Florida Polytechnic University
· Georgia State University
· Hampton University
· Howard University
· Jacksonville University
· Louisiana State University
· Norfolk State University
· North Carolina A&T
· Nova Southeastern University
· Spelman College
· St. Mary’s College
· St. Thomas University
· Stetson University
· Texas Southern University
· University of Akron
· University of Colorado, Denver
· University of Tampa
· University of the Pacific
· Wake Forest University
· Xavier University
· And so much more…
Zaire Wade and Blake Miller visit The SEED School of Miami
Zaire Wade and Blake Miller visit The SEED School of Miami to finish designs on their basketball court
Our scholars were honored to spend time with Blake Miller and Zaire Wade this week as they are planning the final design of the beautiful new basketball court on the SEED Miami campus!
It was such an honor to have these two dynamic men come and speak with our scholars. We are grateful for the conversation and lessons learned.
“Don’t give up just because your first dream didn’t work out.”
Thank you for speaking your truth with our scholars, Z!
We are grateful for our #SEEDChampions and friends who are working hard behind the scenes to complete our basketball court. Special thanks to the Miller family for their generous support and @blakemiller3 @bigbworks @yngdna @zaire
Big ideas thrive at SEED with our new Innovation Lab
The SEED School of Miami has an even greater way to enhance the education of our scholars with our new Innovation Lab.
We are OBSESSED with #SEEDMiami new Innovation Lab thanks to our generous partners and friends Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, Norma Jean Abraham Extra Yard for Teachers College Football Playoff. The Lab features brand new furniture from Lakeshore Learning including, whiteboard desks, flexible seating, etc. and will be the home of two new technology and design products: (1) Veative Labs-immersive content connects students with concepts in virtual reality making abstract concepts engaging and attainable, (2) and MakerBot 3D printers!
We can't wait to start turning our dreams into innovative designs.
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#collegeprep #boardingschool #philanthropy #communitypartner #collegeready #miami #technology #STEM #innovation #virtualreality #3dprinter
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#InnovationLab #collegeprep #boardingachool #communitypartner #philanthropy MakerBot
We are so grateful for our SEED Champions!
During such unprecedented times, we wish to extend our most heartfelt gratitude for your support of our mission and children during SEED Miami's First Annual Spirit 5k & Challenge.
Thanks to our community of SEED Champions, you exceeded our expectations and we surpassed our goal, raising $15,200, welcoming over 122 donations from across the United States (from Miami to Alaska and Hawaii), and bringing greater awareness of our school to the local community. Together, standing side by side with us (even virtually), your participation ensures generations of SEED students who need it most have access to a high-quality, college-preparatory, public boarding education.
Congratulations to EVERYONE who participated in SEED Miami’s First Annual Spirit 5K & Challenge. Your partnership and generosity fuel our mission, and we are just getting started!
Your participation gifts will be arriving by mail soon. We can't wait to see you in your #SEEDMiami swag!
Thank you for your generous support and participation,
Dr. Kara Locke
Head of School
Virtual 5k & SEED Spirit Challenge!
Join us for our first-ever Virtual 5k and Spirit Challenge full of great ways to show your support of our scholars and school!
Have fun with your family and friends in our 7-day event with prizes being awarded every day.
Register now!
UNDAY, OCT. 25
BEST SELFIE WITH REAL OR VIRTUAL PET
MONDAY, OCT. 26
BEST PHOTO - LET YOUR IMAGINATION FLY
TUESDAY, OCT. 27
BEST SEED SPIRIT GETUP
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28
SHARE YOUR ALMA MATER PRIDE
THURSDAY, OCT. 29
BEST MOVING & STAYING FIT SELFIE
FRIDAY, OCT. 30
HOTTEST SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ
SATURDAY, OCT. 31
BEST COSTUME & VIRTUAL 5K
Register now!
Harri-Anna’s SEED Journey—College Success, Remote Learning, & More
Harri-Anna is quickly adjusting to her remote learning schedule. Hear about her morning routine and the classes she’s taking this year.
“SEED is making sure we are on track with both an academic schedule and an evening program schedule.Even though we are learning from home, SEED is still requiring us to follow a routine—much like the one we would be following if we were actually in the dorms. I believe this will make our transition back to campus easy.”
All SEED scholars take Junior and Senior Seminar. In this course, students learn how to research colleges and universities and how to determine the schools that will best meet their needs. Harri-Anna’s top school is Florida State University, but she’s still weighing her options.
“Junior and Senior Seminar are two very important classes at SEED because they help the upper classmen better understand the process of getting into college. Junior Seminar is an introductory class where we learn about the requirements for graduating from SEED Miami, how to apply for scholarships, the FAFSA application, and how to pick a school based on SEED's right fit model. This class helped me understand what I would need to apply to college and how I would go about it in my senior year.”
“Now that I have started my senior year, I am excited to apply to college. I am a bit nervous, though. Senior Seminar is where we will be finalizing and applying to our list of schools and applying for the FAFSA and scholarships. Taking SEED’s seminar classes has provided me with a clear understanding of college and has furthered my realization that I truly want to go to college to better myself and land my dream career.”
Harri-Anna is confident that she wouldn’t have received a high school experience comparable to SEED’s at any other school in her community. As a SEED scholar, Harri-Anna participated in SEED Miami’s mock trial, where she got her first experience inside of the courtroom. This program is offered through SEED Miami’s sparks program, which is a component of the school’s student life curriculum.
“Since elementary school, I've always told people I wanted to become an immigration attorney because I have seen the struggles of immigrants. Being able to sit in a courtroom and to act as a lawyer for a case strengthened my interests, and I can't wait to become a lawyer and help people in need. Of course, there were moments throughout the day that I thought, maybe this is too hard, but I overcame that fear. The setting of the mock courtroom made me so comfortable. I can’t wait to start college so I can begin my journey to becoming an immigration lawyer.”
Thank you for taking a peek into the experience of a SEED scholar. Together, we can be certain that all SEED students—like Harri-Anna—have the support they need to move one step closer to making their dreams a reality.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month Featuring the Garifuna Folkloric Ballet
¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana! Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
¿Te gusta bailar? Do you like to dance?
Today's Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight is on a popular dance throughout Central America!
Watch their great video here: https://youtu.be/2tSsTCS4KzY
Watch this special video by Garifuna Folkloric Ballet .... Check out their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/joseph.chatoyer.1
Enjoy!
SEED Miami Champions Provide Resources for Families
During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, The SEED School of Miami has worked hard to stay connected with our families and to support each with the resources necessary to successfully navigate current challenges. Through the generosity of our network of SEED Champions, SEED Miami received $3,500.00 worth of grocery store gift cards as well as over 150 laptops for students to engage in virtual learning. As one SEED parent noted, "SEED has offered us tools to make this time easier on our family. I appreciate being part of a community that cares so much and asks me how they can help me and my child so often." The staff, students, and families of SEED Miami are grateful for all those who contributed to this tremendous effort!
Zoe Leader (SEED Miami ‘22) is Recently Named a Recipient of the 2020 Carson Scholarship
Zoe Leader (SEED Miami ‘22) is a high academic achiever who has achieved Honor Roll each quarter since enrolling at The SEED School of Miami. Zoe began her journey with SEED Miami and participated in our Sparks program, where scholars explore various afterschool clubs to discover their passions and hidden talents. Zoe joined the Mock Trial Spark, where she learned about the key elements of a trial—and the U.S. legal system—through preparing for and participating in simulated trial competitions. She even had the opportunity to debate other students at a competition held at Florida International University. Zoe credits her passion to pursue a criminal law degree to SEED Miami Board member, Tom Culmo. A mentor to many of our scholars like Zoe, he shares words of encouragement and wisdom he’s gained during his career. Upon graduating from SEED Miami, Zoe plans on enrolling as a pre-law major at Stanford University.
Zoe has received a number of accolades and great accomplishments including receiving the 2020 Carson Scholarship. The Carson Scholars Fund awards college scholarships to students in grades 4-11 who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities. Scholarship recipients are awarded an $1,000 scholarship and receive an Olympic-sized medal and a trophy for their school. Zoe is among more than 8,600 gifted students from across the country who have been named a Carson Scholar. Additionally, Zoe was accepted into The University of Miami Summer Scholars Program. Through this international program at UM over the summer months, Zoe, along with two other SEED students, will gain college experience and credits in the career path of their choice.
The sky is the limit for Zoe, and we look forward to following her journey to high school graduation, college, and beyond!
24-Hour Virtual Support: Tuskegee University House
In his role as Student Life Counselor for the young men of the Tuskegee University House, Edward Cody knows about the importance of relationship building in motivating and supporting his 10th grade scholars. Transferring this work to a virtual setting is a whole new world for him and the boys, and a challenge he has readily accepted.
Typically, Mr. Cody is with his students at SEED’s dorm from 4pm – 12am overseeing Study Hall, Sparks (clubs), dinner, House meetings, and his character development course – HALLS (Habits for Achieving Life Long Success). Now that SEED’s academic AND student life program is virtual, he connects with his scholars as a group in daily House meetings, and individually in one-on-one phone calls.
“The biggest challenge is not seeing my boys every day and continuing to have the “family dynamic” of our House when we are not together. I’ve been calling my boys every day and looking for ways to have fun and remind them that I have not forgotten them and care about all of them no matter what.”
Last Thursday evening, at 7:30pm, the Tuskegee House young men each logged in to their virtual learning platform for the daily House Meeting with Mr. Cody. They were joined by other members of the SEED staff including a Mental Health Counselor, Head of School, Assistant Dean of School Culture, and Director of Student Life. One-by-one, the boys joined the hangout by video, each dressed comfortably in home attire, happy to see one another, and ready to engage in the group conversation.
It began with motivation and reminders. Mr. Cody – having reviewed the work completion log being used by all SEED Miami staff to track student progress – began with the positive. “Gentlemen, I loved seeing that a few of you who weren’t getting work done earlier in the week have picked it up.” A few individual shout outs to students followed, those students earning top praise popping collars, brushing shoulders, and proudly accepting the feedback. Others received firm, but loving, prompts. Reminders that they are capable of excellence and need to demonstrate better effort and work ethic. All of the feedback ended in support. “You all know I am here, let me know how I can help.”
After the reminders, the meeting shifted. Each young man was requested to share with the group. First, what had they learned about COVID-19 in their research, how are they (and their families) doing, and lastly, their metaphor for the upcoming POL (Presentation of Learning). Students shared what they are enjoying about virtual learning (often, completing work whenever they like) and what was challenging (also, completing work whenever they like!) Most mentioned missing friends, staff, and daily structure. Boredom and balance were also themes. As the meeting drew to a close, Mr. Cody announced his upcoming incentive initiative – students who met certain work completion benchmarks would be earning virtual game credits and/ or gift cards to mark their success. He also announced an upcoming Netflix Party, a chance for them to all log on together to watch a movie and have discussion.
Mr. Cody’s session had all of the characteristics of a hallmark SEED Miami House Meeting: high expectations, care, concern, challenges, and solutions. It exemplified the connections and care that bring together a group of 10th grade boys at a time that most high schoolers may prefer to be elsewhere.
As we work to provide our 24-hour services and model to a virtual setting at The SEED School of Miami, the meeting was a clear reminder of the importance of wraparound support and the value of SEED’s student life program and staff. No matter the platform, the relationships within our community persevere and leverage outcomes for our phenomenal students.
SEED Miami Dormitories are Nearing Completion
The SEED Miami campus is bustling with construction and student learning. Most notably, three dormitories have been installed on campus. Check out the video below to watch our new building grow! The three dorms will provide residential space for students and staff, and be move-in ready in time for the 2020-2021 school year.
Learn more about SEED Miami’s capital campaign, here.
SEED Miami is SOARing to New Heights with Turnberry Associates
Thanks to a new partnership with Turnberry Associates, a national real estate company, and the Soffer family, Turnberry has launched the SOAR program. SOAR (Skills, Opportunities, Achievement, and Responsibility) was designed to guide, educate, and inspire SEED Miami scholars. Through the SOAR program, twenty of our high school scholars visited the Microsoft Store at Aventura Mall. SEED students learned how to code, tested the functionality of many Microsoft products, networked with staff, and learned about various technology careers. This experience is one of many opportunities that SOAR will provide to our scholars.
Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, many of our spring projects with SOAR have been rescheduled. SOAR volunteers are still preparing a beautification project with students and staff, and will be on campus beautifying our courtyard, offices, and common spaces when it is safe to do so. We are so grateful for the generosity of Turnberry Associates and the Soffer family, and the time and effort they are giving to SEED Miami! Like we always say, “We are SEED. We are ONE”.
