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Keeping cool in school

Keeping Cool in School

Hot, humid and muggy! Those are just a few of the words to describe the intense heat the Tampa Bay area has been experiencing this summer. It’s probably tough for the air conditioning in your house to keep up! Now imagine how hard it is on the air conditioning in our schools. Hillsborough County Public…

Tampa Bay Fashion Experience

A Fashionable Way to Give Back: The Tampa Bay Fashion Experience debuts this month

The Tampa Bay Fashion Experience is a three-day event that showcases Tampa’s most unique and luxurious styles, highlighting the work of local designers, with appearances by Tampa Bay Buccaneer players and celebrities, all while supporting local organizations.

Tampa YMCA Membership
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Fall into Healthy Habits with a Tampa YMCA Membership

The Tampa YMCA is so much more than the gym and swim you know us for; it’s where you find a deeper sense of belonging. Each of our locations across Tampa Bay offers activities and programs based on local community needs, like art classes, initiatives for seniors and one of the most popular sports, pickleball!…

MOSI: A Fresh Experience for Tampa Bay Parents

MOSI: A Fresh Experience for Tampa Bay Parents

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has always been a family favorite for its interactive exhibits and kid-friendly atmosphere. But now, MOSI is stepping up its game to cater to an equally important audience—parents and adults. With a focus on offering more diverse experiences, MOSI has introduced exciting activities and dining options for its…

Pediatric Cancer

Friends Forever: Pediatric Cancer Diagnoses Lead to a Special Childhood Friendship

This is the story of two friends who found each other. Four-year-old Bjorn and 5-year-old Ryan had never met. But in August of 2021, both were taken to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital with troubling symptoms. Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis Within the same week, both received the same devastating diagnosis: acute myeloid leukemia. “The moment I was told…

Corbett Prep Christoff family on school boardwalk

A Place to Call Home: Corbett Prep Helps Tampa Transplants Find their Village

Over the past few years, we have welcomed numerous new families to the Tampa Bay area who were seeking the warmth of not just the sun, but of our community too. Diving into a new city can be a tad overwhelming when your quest is not only to find a house, but a home; not…

Childhood Injury Prevention

Safe September: BayCare Kids safety expert shares tips to prevent injury

September is all about back-to-school, but it’s also the month set aside for a more sobering “b” word—boo boos. National Childhood Injury Prevention Month is underway No one sees more injuries than the people who work at hospitals. BayCare Kids Wellness and Safety Specialist Michelle Sterling shares the four top injuries health care workers see…

Baby Registry Top Picks
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Baby Registry Top Picks: Strollers, Bottles and High Chairs, oh my! 

There are endless things to consider when you are expecting, and putting together a baby registry may take the cake as one of the most overwhelming. With all the products on the market, and new ones coming out every day, it is no wonder we look to experts and friends when trying to make the best decisions for our little one. Let us take off a little of the pressure and give some of our top picks to get you started!

Mason Hawk:
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Kids to Know: Mason Hawk

Mason Hawk may be a great student, a strong athlete and a gifted pianist, but his passion and advocacy for children battling life-threatening illnesses is what truly makes him stand out. Inspired by his brother’s liver transplant journey, Mason found purpose through volunteering with Children’s Dream Fund at the age of 13. This past spring,…

Eileen Esposito The Sunflower Patch
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Moms to Know: Eileen Esposito, The Sunflower Patch

At The Sunflower Patch, Eileen Esposito combines her talents as a music therapist, recording artist and songwriter to create enchanting experiences for children. With a deep-rooted passion for music ingrained in her DNA (her great-great-uncle composed “Silent Night”), Esposito’s own musical journey began at a young age. Today, with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy…

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…

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…

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…

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.