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award-winning students

Hillsborough Strong: Trailblazing Students Doing Incredible Things in Music, Media and Technology

These four award-winning students from Hillsborough County Public Schools are sharing their successes and advice for doing the things they love. Justice Jones Rising fifth-grader, Hunters Green Elementary, Tampa Award: Hillsborough County Elementary Fine Arts Festival, All County Modern Band Drummer On his passion for music: “I love to do what I do because I…

Isabella’s Tale: How TGH’s Pediatric GI Program Came to the Rescue

Isabella’s Tale: How TGH’s Pediatric GI Program Came to the Rescue

The nightmare began with a simple shopping-mall pretzel. But thankfully for a Tampa Bay middle-schooler named Isabella, a scary and painful ordeal ended with the help of the Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Children’s Hospital’s acclaimed pediatric gastrointestinal (GI) program in collaboration with the sole academic GI program in Tampa Bay, USF Health Pediatric Gastroenterology. Tampa…

Tampa YMCA Garden Club

Sulphur Springs Garden Club Helps the Community Bloom

Start counting: there’s collard greens, squash, kale, Jamaican callaloo, sugar cane, onions, tomatoes, bananas, edible marigolds (yes, really!), blueberries, peanuts, lettuce, oregano, mint, sage and so much more. This is the beautiful Garden Club at the Sulphur Springs PK-8 Community Partnership School, an estimated 800 square feet of space in Sulphur Springs, where students learn…

Free resources from hillsborough county public library
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How to get free eBooks and admission to museums, tutoring help, and more through your local library

We want to welcome you and your children back to school for the 2023-2024 school year! The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library is always available online as a resource for students throughout the year. Here are some of our favorite resources to share for the new school year: eBooks at the Library eBooks are accessible through…

How to Pick and Wear a Backpack
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How to Pick and Wear a Backpack

Backpacks are a back-to-school staple and necessity, but they tend to get heavier each year as students get older, which can be concerning for parents. Ryan Fitzgerald, M.D., a fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeon with Children’s Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Surgery Associates (COSSA), treats patients at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He shares backpack safety tips to…

Blink gun violence film

Blink: A new, locally produced film puts the spotlight on gun violence in Tampa Bay

Gun violence is a problem among youth in America—and this is not an opinion. Centers for Disease Control data shows gun-related deaths surpassed car accidents as the number one killer of children in our country in 2020, and that data hasn’t changed today, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This is where a new locally…

Hillsborough County Public Schools Summer Projects

“Dear Community… Thank you. Sincerely, Hillsborough County Public Schools”

Thank you.  Sometimes, you just need to say thank you.  Especially when you receive $653,000,000.  That is how much money our school district has received, so far, from you, taxpayers, through the Education Referendum, which voters approved in November, 2018.  The money is earmarked specifically for improvements to our schools such as air conditioning renovations…

Dr. Cynthia Stringfield
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Moms to Know: Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, ZooTampa

Driven by a cross-country opportunity to combine her passions and make a difference, Dr. Cynthia Stringfield embarked on a new chapter in her life when she moved from California to Florida in 2019. Today at ZooTampa, driven by a deep-rooted belief in the power of education, Dr. Stringfield dedicates her work to instilling a sense…

Alyson Hobbs
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Kids to Know: Alyson Hobbs @aly_8_hockey

In a world where young dreams hold infinite possibilities, an 8-year-old girl who loved to skate found her way to the Tampa Bay Lightning Girls Hockey League to leave her mark on the ice. Alyson Hobbs, a focused and flourishing young player, is among other skillful teammates who showcase the boundless potential of girls in…

hospital facility dog program

Four Paws and a Heart of Gold: St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital launches new facility dog program with its first four-legged employee

No one wants to find themselves in a situation where their child has to be admitted to a hospital. But if your family does have to do so, at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, you can rest easy knowing that your child is in the hands of some of the country’s most sought-after, highly trained professionals….

Cleft Lip and Palate

Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Month: One in a Million Bree

July is National Cleft Lip and Palate Craniofacial Awareness Month. Five-year-old Bree Brown is very special. So special, in fact, that she is literally one in a million. “Bree wasn’t breathing when she was born,” reflects an emotional Areen, Bree’s mom. During Areen’s pregnancy, Bree wasn’t measuring properly on sonograms. It was discovered that she…

Magical Enhancements Coming to Disney Cruise Line This Holiday Season (2023)
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Magical Enhancements Coming to Disney Cruise Line This Holiday Season (2023)

The most wonderful time of the year will be even more joyful this holiday season as Disney Cruise Line unwraps new festivities for the whole family aboard Very Merrytime cruises! Two brand-new entertainment experiences are on the way! Plus, Disney characters will be dressed in jolly new looks and classic celebratory activities for the whole…

Dr. Luis Rodriguez

Dr. Luis Rodriguez: Healthcare Hero Dad and Local Neurosurgeon

Modern day Brady Bunch families really do exist, just ask Luis Rodriguez, M.D., M.A.S., and his wife Lisa Moore, M.S.N., M.H.A, R.N., who both work at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Dr. Luis Rodriguez is a neurosurgeon and Moore can be found in the cardiovascular ICU. This Father’s Day, Dr. Rodriguez reflects on his work as a…

Big John's journey
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Meet the LaFace Family of RIPA & Associates, presenting sponsors of Big John the Triceratops

Chris LaFace, president and CEO at RIPA & Associates, along with his wife, Angela (a critical care surgeon who recently paused her career for increased family time), made a groundbreaking donation and support the Big John exhibit as presenting sponsors.

The Academy of Finance Program
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Distinguished Programs Equal Huge Opportunities in Hillsborough County Public Schools

The Academy of Finance Program: Sounds like some fancy course at the college level, right? Did you know five of our high schools in Hillsborough County offer The Academy of Finance Program? And, even better, there are big scholarship opportunities available to students who complete this prestigious program.   “The Academy of Finance is one…

The Best Spots to Go Tubing in Florida this Summer cover
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The Best Spots to Go Tubing in Florida this Summer

With more than 900 natural springs, about 40 of which are open to the public, Florida is the perfect state to explore via its waterways. What better way than hopping into a tube to drift alongside your family? Here are our picks for the best places to go tubing in Florida from the water parks…

water safety to prevent drowning

Local Family Shares Story to Prevent Drownings

Water is part of the allure of living in Florida, but few realize that drowning is the leading cause of death among Florida children ages 1-4. Water Safety to Prevent Drownings One family is incredibly grateful to have averted such a tragedy. Having recently moved from Washington State to Venice, Florida, the family of five…

Children's Network of Hillsborough County

Children’s Network of Hillsborough County: Celebrating a New Facility and Major Milestones as They Serve the Tampa Bay Area

Since 2022, Children’s Network of Hillsborough County, LLC (CNHC) has served as the lead agency for administering the child welfare system in Hillsborough County. Though only a year old, their team of professionals has decades of combined experience in all aspects of the Florida child welfare system centered on preventing abuse and neglect, achieving permanency…

A Parent’s Guide to the BEST Kid Friendly Water Parks in Orlando
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A Parent’s Guide to the BEST Kid Friendly Water Parks in Orlando

It’s easy to make a splash in Orlando. Being the vacation destination that it is, you can find lots of ways to cool off, including water parks. To help you sort through the great water parks for families in Orlando, here are our top picks for family-friendly water parks. Orlando Water Parks for Kids There…

Hurricane Tax Holiday 2019

Hurricane Season 2023: What to Know and How to Prepare

Although Tampa was lucky enough to narrowly miss Hurricane Ian’s path last year, we mourned with our neighbors to the south as we witnessed how catastrophically it hit them.   With hurricane season in full swing, the threat of potential storms is scary. Social media and TV graphics can be overwhelming. Though Tampa hasn’t had a…

The Royal Affair at Tampa’s Back to School Fair!

The Royal Affair at Tampa’s Back to School Fair!

Princesses at Back to School Fair Do you hear that enchanting sound? It’s the harmonious voice of Princess Jasmine, soaring through the air and heading straight for Tampa Bay’s largest Back to School Fair! Yes, you heard it right. Parties with Character – a Tampa Princess Company and your favorite provider of magical experiences, will be…