Education United: Student Success HUB Launches at 10 Schools!
By Treasure Ray | upliftED Coordinator and Daisy C Franklin, MSW | upliftED Program Manager
Thanks to the Helios Education Foundation Grant received in June 2025, Heart of Florida United Way’s education collective, upliftED, has officially launched the Education United: Student Success HUB at 8 Title I high schools across Central Florida: 4 in both Orange & Osceola Counties. UpliftED is also serving an additional Title I high school in Orange County and 1 high school in Seminole County (through an investment from Florida College Access Network and TD Bank Charitable Foundation respectively).
The Student Success HUB School are:
Orange: Colonial, Evans, Jones, Oak Ridge and Wekiva
Osceola: Gateway, Liberty, Osceola and Poinciana
Seminole: Lake Howell
This initiative supports students through three key pillars: Affordability, College Readiness and Career Pathways.
Three key pillars of Education United: Student Success HUB.
The HUB gives upliftED a space to put proven strategies into action, working side by side with schools and communities to support students and their families. By testing what works locally, we can learn, adjust, and grow our impact. With near-peer coaching and one-on-one support, we are helping students confidently move from high school to college and meaningful careers.
Inside the HUB: Event Highlights and Impact
Since launching the Education United: Student Success HUB, upliftED and our partner schools have been hard at work delivering hands-on support to students across Central Florida. With the 2026–2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opening earlier than expected, our recent efforts have focused on providing direct, in-person FAFSA assistance to both students and families.
Here's a snapshot of our impact during the first week of October:
A whopping 92.68% of those who submitted the FAFSA at Poinciana HS also completed it on-site (38 of the 41 students who submitted the FAFSA also completed it.)
A total of 293 people were served at just 3 events!!
The bigger win is that a total of 52 students completed the FAFSA! Congrats to those who reached this milestone in their college-going journey.
Not only is FAFSA completion an indicator for college enrollment with 92% of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA enrolling into college by November of their graduation year, but it also unlocks federal financial aid, including the Pell Grant, as well as ticks off a to-do item for many scholarships.
Volunteer with Education United: Student Success HUB
The HUB’s work is not done in a vacuum or by the upliftED team alone. Volunteers are a critical part of the HUB. You are invited to become an upliftED Education United: Student Success HUB Volunteer and help students successfully navigate their educational and career pathways.
Volunteer opportunities include, but are not limited to:
ASSIST students with completing their FAFSA: in-person or virtually.
FACILITATE a workshop on one of the following topics: essay writing, resume creation, college application submission, financial aid, budgeting, the real cost of college, and more.
SHARE your expertise by presenting a career conversation session at a local school.
PROVIDE one-on-one support for students as they create their post-high school plan.
ASSIST with FUSD (Future United STEAM Day) Event: Host a breakout session highlighting your field of expertise or lead a group of students.
PROVIDE a tour of your workplace to help students learn more about career pathways.
HOST an Alternative Break (winter or spring) Activity for students.
HOST and/or SPONSOR an event.
WANT TO VOLUNTEER IN A DIFFERENT WAY? Contact us to discuss options and find the best fit for you.
Send an email to goingtocollege@hfuw.org to sign-up as a HUB Volunteer.
The upliftED Team looks forward to what’s to come and the impact to be had on hundreds, if not thousands, of students and their families through the Student Success HUB.
As always, together let’s upliftED!