+ YOUR Local
Commitment
to Education
The West Orange Chamber of
Commerce provides a variety
of programs to further the
education of local students and
support schools throughout
West Orange County.
For years, I was involved at MetroWest
Elementary School as
an Additions volunteer, its PTA
president and even as a substitute teacher
then at Gotha Middle School and
Olympia High School as their PTSA
presidents. I enjoyed working with and
supporting students. It’s truly no wonder
why I was attracted to and sought out
the role of president of the West Orange
Chamber. Its purpose in supporting the
business community was paramount, of
course, yet its support of education made
it the perfect fit.
This chamber has supported children
and their education and has been
recognized by Orange County Public
48 Central Florida Lifestyle | August 2019
commitment several
awards. The programs that truly
stand out are Student of Achievement
and Renown (SOAR); West
Orange Program for Tomorrow’s
Entrepreneurs (WOPTE), sponsored
by Bright Future Electric,
Walmart and June Engineering; and
our scholarships for high school seniors
to either University of Central
Florida, Valencia College or Orange
Technical College provided by the
Dan Petro Foundation. The latter
are provided in partnership with our
foundation, the West Orange Foundation,
and were all presented at the
Education Awards program sponsored
by Orlando Health at Ocoee
High School. In addition to these
programs, the chamber has advocated
for the half penny sales tax to
advance school renovations and the
building of relief schools.
The support doesn’t end there. We
work with our local businesses to promote
Teach In, held in November of
every school year, by encouraging employees
to speak to students about their
selected careers — especially those in
skilled labor.
This year, we’re working with
OCPS, CareerSource Central Florida,
UCF and Valencia College to catalog
all the programs and partnerships that
have been created and made available
to our students so they may embark
on a career to fill the jobs of today
and into the future. So much has happened
in recent years to address the
shortage of labor in key industries,
and the chamber is helping to make
sure our students, parents and employers
are aware of them. We hope to
also be able to identify other needs and
develop programs to fill those needs.
With all these programs and focus
on students to prepare them as future
earners, we know that West Orange
County will continue to be the
sought-after community in which to
live and work.
By Stina D’Uva, West Orange
Chamber of Commerce
Schools for its commitment with sev-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WEST ORANGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
GAI Consulting
at Teach In at
Ocoee High
West Orange
Foundation
Scholarship
Winners
West Orange
Chamber S.O.A.R.
Winners
West Orange Foundation
WOPTE Graduates