Public Private Partnerships Fuel M.A.S.T.R. Kids® Expansion of After School Services in South St. Pete

SPPF MASTR Kids® Program celebrates local partners and opens 3rd site

On Thursday, January 29th, 2025: The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation (SPPF) will celebrate the opening of a 3rd site, SPPF M.A.S.T.R. Kids at Gibbs ® to advance literacy, leadership, and workforce readiness in South St. Pete. With this expansion, SPPF expects to serve nearly 300 scholars in the M.A.S.T.R. Kids® and High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Programs.

SPPF is grateful for the local partnerships powering the expansion:

The City of St. Petersburg recently awarded a $1 million, four-year grant to enable the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation (SPPF) to expand services for 60-70 youth in grades K-8. Dr. Sheron Brown, Director of Education and Youth Opportunities at the City of St. Petersburg, says “This partnership with the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation represents a significant step forward in ensuring that our students are not only prepared for the future but equipped to lead it. By investing in workforce readiness and academic excellence, we are helping to build a brighter, more equitable future for all of St. Petersburg’s youth.”

The expanded SPPF M.A.S.T.R. Kids® program will be housed at Gibbs High School, thanks to a deepening partnership with the Pinellas County School District. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick says that “Working alongside partners like The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation, the City of St. Petersburg, and the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County is vital to achieving 100% student success. These partnerships equip students with the tools they need to excel in school, build valuable life skills, and emerge as leaders in their communities.”

According to SPPF Volunteer CEO Bridgette Heller, “This location is especially meaningful for SPPF. It epitomizes the partnership that Superintendent Hendrick has sponsored along with key staffers over the last four years with our organization. By working together, we have demonstrated an ability to drive positive outcomes for community scholars. It’s also important to note that Gibbs High School is iconic in its representation of academic excellence for black leaders over generations. This is public/private partnership at its best.”

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County has supported the M.A.S.T.R. Kids® Program since 2019 and recently awarded additional funding of $346K for the first year of expansion. For more than 75 years, JWB has invested in partnerships, innovation, and advocacy to strengthen Pinellas County children and families. SPPF shares JWB’s vision that all children in Pinellas County will have equitable opportunity to fulfill their potential and achieve meaningful and purposeful lives. “JWB believes every child deserves an opportunity to learn and succeed,” says JWB CEO Beth A. Houghton, “and we’re proud to invest in school success programs with a proven track record of enriching and supporting their learning and development—like M.A.S.T.R. Kids®.”

The MBJ Foundation, Inc. awarded a 3-year, $750,000 grant to support SPPF’s growth and vision. The MBJ Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Tampa with a focus on supporting local non-profit organizations that are improving outcomes for children and youth.

SPPF M.A.S.T.R. Kids® Program will celebrate these partnerships and the opening of SPPF M.A.S.T.R. Kids® at Gibbs® with a ribbon cutting at 4:00pm on Thursday, January 29th, 2025, at Gibbs High School, 850 34th St. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711-2208.