THE CTE QUARTERLY | Issue 8
Faculty Spotlight
By Janet Rubin
Kimberly Coluccio , Assistant Professor of Education on the Cocoa Campus , knew that it would be challenging for elementary school students and teachers who moved to online learning due to COVID 19 . She used her entrepreneurial and innovative skills to create a resource to help students learn during this difficult time .
The Matthew Erik Academy , named after Kim ’ s brother and located at 7640 N . Wickham Road , Suite 114 in Melbourne , clearly demonstrates Kim ’ s professional and personal leadership . Matthew Falcone died from a brain illness when he was thirty-nine years old . The Academy , as well as the Matthew Erik Foundation , were created to honor his memory .
Children in grades 3 through 8 who are taking classes online bring their computers to the Academy where there is also a computer onsite . Students can stay for as long as they like , but most are there from 7:45 to 3:14 . While students are online with their teachers , Kim and an assistant are there to help them , and they are sometimes joined by EFSC students in Education who gain experience in their chosen profession . Math is the biggest challenge for the young online learners .
In addition to filling educational needs for these elementary school age learners , while at the Academy their socialization skills are enhanced . Tuition is on a sliding scale . In addition , Kim works closely with area schools and is seeking grants that would allow her to reach out to low income areas .
Kim at the Academy
Kim doesn ’ t know how long she will keep the Academy but finds planning for the future to be exciting . For now , she is happy to be a resource for the children that she loves .
ID . me for Free and Discounted DealsID . me for Free and Discounted Deals
We would like to encourage all teachers to sign up for ID . me . This website allows educators at all levels to quickly verify school affiliation . We recommend using your EFSC ID and email address for verification purposes . Below are some example deals :
There are 285 deals in total for teachers !
One of the options is a Florida Teachers SeaWorld pass that is good for one year of unlimited admissions . We recommend creating the ID . me account first and then activate the pass through the ID . me website .
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