Holland & Knight's Work With North Fork Elementary Honored as Outstanding Partnership of the Year
May 18, 2007
This is the second time Holland & Knight and North Fork Elementary have been recognized for their partnership.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., – Holland & Knight was honored during the annual School Board of Broward County Community Involvement Awards ceremony on May 2, 2007, for the firm's work with North Fork Elementary. Holland & Knight and North Fork Elementary were one of three elementary school partnerships recognized as Outstanding School-Based Partnerships of the Year during the awards breakfast at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center, where more than 1,000 school and community leaders were present. The partnership was established in 1996 through the Partners in Education program and also was recognized in 2003 as an Outstanding School-Based Partnership of the Year.
Holland & Knight's Opening Doors for Children program organizes events with North Fork Elementary as part of the partnership. Each year, the firm's Fort Lauderdale office participates in several events with students and adopts a first grade class at the school. Lawyers and staff read to the class on a monthly basis and present the students with a new book. During the holidays, the students are invited to the office for a themed celebration and reading event, and in the spring, the students are treated to a live play and a trip to the Young Art Museum.
In addition, the office arranges for members of the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre to visit fifth grade classes at the school where they read and discuss a novel. They conclude the novel by presenting skits on stage and writing essays for a chance to win a prize. The office also holds several Reading is Fundamental days where every student at the school receives a book.
"We are very honored to be recognized for our work with North Fork Elementary," said Marie Lefere, executive partner of the Fort Lauderdale office and chair of Holland & Knight's Charitable Foundation. "The office works really hard to be positive role models for these students. The more we can give them, the more they can give back to their communities as they mature."
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