Adopt-A-Family recently celebrated eleven fifth grade students who graduated from our Project Grow afterschool program and will be moving on to middle school in the fall. The beautiful May evening started with a graduation ceremony, where students heard wise words from Adopt-A-Family CEO Matt Constantine, Lake Worth Middle School Principal Caelethia Taylor, Youth Success Program student Antoine Cowart, and Project Grow Director Daron Morse. These speakers congratulated our students on their success so far and laid out the possibilities for their future, while also reminding the kids to have fun as they begin their journeys in middle school. Their teacher, Evan S, described each student’s personality and potential as they stepped forward to receive their diplomas.
After the ceremony, families, committee members, and staff enjoyed a delicious meal and good conversation. The students enjoyed cookies shaped like graduation caps with their names on them and Class of 2025 cupcakes. The evening was a wonderful celebration of the hard work of the students, who have overcome much to reach their success.
Project Grow is Palm Beach County’s only afterschool program designed to address the unique academic, emotional, and social challenges faced by elementary school students who have experienced chronic housing instability. Once students finish at Project Grow, they have the opportunity to continue in the agency’s Youth Success Program, our afterschool group for middle and high school students.
Many of the students have been in Project Grow since kindergarten, and it was an honor to celebrate their growth and achievement as they prepare for middle school. We want to thank all the families for attending the ceremony and helping to make their student’s success possible. We would also like to thank our incredible Project Grow staff as well as our Grow Graduation committee members (listed below).
The future is bright at Project Grow. In April, Adopt-A-Family received a $100,000 grant from Impact the Palm Beaches to fund a new playground at our Lake Worth campus. Project Grow students had an opportunity to participate in the design process, which will have a lasting impact on the Adopt-A-Family campus and future students.
Congratulations to the Project Grow Class of 2025! Adopt-A-Family wishes you all the best as you begin your middle school journey!
A Special Thank You to Our Project Grow Graduation Committee Members!
Mia Bain, Layren Calvo, Matt Constantine, Elizabeth DeBrule, Heather Ferguson, Stephanie Gitlin, Emily Gorman, Penny Heller, Eli Morales, Daron Morse, Sydney Parmet, Kirstin Turner