Down the 🐇 Hole & Back Again!

Were you one of the attendees that joined UpliftED in Osceola County on May 3rd to Help ALICE in Wonderland Prosper?

First of all, THANK YOU for your attendance and participation—it was what made an enlightening experience especially enchanting.

For those of you who were unable to join us, we wanted to offer some of the memorable moments from key conversations that engaged the evening:

Anthony, our White Rabbit keeping us on schedule, pocket watch and all.

Presiding over the event was MC @FriendlyNeighborhoodCCC, Anthony Cook, who welcomed everyone with energy only he can masterfully muster.

Ray talking about trying to “bell the cat.”

He introduced the room to Ray Larsen, Senior VP of Strategic Impact & Community Engagement at Heart of Florida United Way, who in turn introduced us all to ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and how, in fact, we all already have met at the grocery stores we shop; the restaurants we eat at; and the institutions where we teach or learn. They live along the fiscal cliff, one bad day away from financial ruin—yet not for trying—they may be educated, working 2-3 jobs, parents of children that play and grow alongside our own. In Osceola County, 52% of households are ALICE. In 2019, 71% of Central Florida's Hispanic children were ALICE, as well as 69% of Black kids. These numbers don't only point to the prevalence of families that are existing precariously, but the disparity between Floridians of Color compared to their White counterparts.

These are far from tenable circumstances that reflect poorly on Florida's future prosperity and the current quality of well-being. After Ray presented he was kind enough to take questions and brainstorm with the crowd about possible solutions. Without systemic changes, much was focused on short-term ideas that can help people today: banking and financial literacy programs (such as BankOn or Florida Prosperity Partnership), emergency stipends, or local initiatives such as Osceola Prosper.

Following we had a panel featuring Jeffery Arnott, Executive Director of Secondary & Postsecondary CTE at the School District of Osceola County, and Isis Artze-Vega, College Provost & VP of Academic Affairs at Valencia College. Nilda Blanco of CareerSource Central Florida moderated the discussion about how and what efforts are being made in Osceola County to boost enrollment and offer pathways for every individual seeking to earn a credential.

Isis Artze-Vega (left), Nilda Blanco (center), & Jeffery Arnott (right).

One thing on everyone's mind was "Will Osceola Prosper be available to subsequent classes?" This massive initiative was created collaboratively across different bodies in the county in order to provide graduating seniors of the class of 2022 with a FREE college education at either Valencia College or Osceola Technical College. This exciting opportunity has inspired many across the state to find their own local ways to recreate the effort, but the future of this initiative is still in question due to the uncertain nature and availability of future federal pandemic funds (which supported Osceola Prosper). Afterward, we gauged the crowd to see what stood out to them: partnerships are important to get the job done, and getting the word out about the program is critical.

After the panel, we culminated the evening with our Mad Hatter Tea Party Table Talks, where revolving groups collaborated on answering some tough questions. 1) What are the challenges to FAFSA completion in Osceola County and what are ways to increase those numbers; & 2) As the world comes back to life during the pandemic recovery, how do we ensure we equitably step forward?

Binding contract all attendees were “requested” to sign in blood prior to partaking in Mad Hatter Tea Party Table Talks.

By general consensus, we would have needed much more time to delve into these questions. But some of the interesting answers to 1 included earlier introductions to FAFSA, perhaps as early as middle school; it was felt that most students don't know what the FAFSA is, what it stands for, how to complete it, or why it's important. Another supposed challenge is the information that FAFSA requires. Undocumented students might be afraid to hand over details that could be used against them. Students with separated parents might have trouble coordinating sensitive tax information from their guardians. Answering the 2nd question about equitable next steps, many believed that a local needs-based assessment should be first and foremost.

We closed the evening by capturing some feelings as people left for the night. Some of the most popular/repeated were: "Inspired," "Hopeful," "Energized," and "Motivated and encouraged." That was exactly the kind of energy we wished for and were thrilled that so many attendees left with positive feelings for a better future from the dire situation we find ourselves in. It makes us all the more excited to continue this series of events in Seminole and Orange counties next.

What do you think? Will you be joining us for our next da-tea party? Are you already invested in becoming a Mad Hatter? Will you be aiding UpliftED in Helping ALICE in Wonderland Prosper in your county? Reach out to us. You know where to find us—deep down the rabbit hole!

“Everyone wants some magical solution to their problem…”

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