MANATEE — The Manatee County School District, Publix Super Markets and the United Way of Manatee County this weekend are sponsoring a “Stuff the Bus” effort to collect nonperishable food items for the Food Bank of Manatee.
School buses will be parked in front of every Publix in Manatee on Saturday and Sunday.
Donated items requested include canned goods, boxed cereal, baby food and other household necessities, including paper products, laundry detergents and cleaning supplies.
All the items collected will benefit the food bank, which distributes food items to more than 100 local agencies in Manatee.
Manatee teens offered study abroad program
MANATEE — The CASE Exchange Student Program is offering teens the opportunity of participating in a year or summer study abroad program in one of 10 countries.
Applications are being accepted through April 30 for July departure, according to CASE.
Teens between 15 and 18 are eligible. Students are screened for maturity in handling the rigors of being a foreign exchange student, must possess a B or better average for the past two years of high school and must abide by behavioral rules while in the program. A full application process, including an interview and foreign language assessment will be conducted by CASE.
A one- to two-week summer home-stay program in France is available for teens who desire a shorter term program.
For more information, call (941) 896-5230.
Martin Luther King Jr. contest entries due Dec. 11
PALMETTO — The Palmetto Youth Center is sponsoring a Martin Luther King Jr. essay and speech contest open to middle and high school students in the Manatee County School District.
Students must compose a 500- to 700-word essay responding to the following: If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, what measures do you think he would use to persuade individuals, young and old, to take a stand against violence and make a difference in their communities?
The essay must be typed and double-spaced, and each submission must include a cover sheet with the following information: first and last name, complete home address, home phone number, school name and grade level.
Grand prize winners will read their essay at the Martin Luther King banquet Jan. 15.
Submit entries to the Palmetto Youth Center, Attention: Essay Contest, P.O. Box 608, Palmetto, FL 34221. Entries must be turned in or postmarked by Dec. 11.
Survey: Florida paces nation in online education
SACRAMENTO — The e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education announced this week that Florida is the top state in online education for the second year in a row.
An annual survey conducted by CDE to evaluate national online learning policy reveals growth in state support for implementation of online programs in K-12 education. This year’s report shows 25 states now lead online statewide initiatives – an increase from the 15 states driving programs only a year ago, according to information from CDE.
The report was underwritten by Blackboard Inc. and is an analysis of state policies supporting online learning opportunities for all students.
Florida was named the No. 1 state in online education for its robust and thriving virtual school, which boasts nearly 125,000 students and saw a 25-percent increase in attendance in the past year, according to CDE.
The rest of the top ten, in order: South Carolina, New Mexico, Hawaii, Michigan, Louisiana, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon and Arkansas.
— Herald staff reports
Disclaimer: Story comments are intended to provide a place for constructive dialog about issues and events in our community. Your input is encouraged and can make a positive difference. To achieve this, no obscenity, personal attacks, or racial slurs are tolerated. Users brought to our attention for violating our terms of use will be blocked from commenting permanently and without notice. Please help keep the comments on topic by flagging objectionable material and remember that children and young adults may be reading your comments. With freedom of speech comes the responsibility to be respectful of others.
Email Story
Printer Friendly 
Quick Job Search
@Nyx.replyAnswerText@