PARTNERSHIP TRAVEL + LEISURE JOIN EATONVILLE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS BY MELODY BOSTIC BROWN
Travel + Leisure Charitable Foundation board member Melody Bostic Brown highlights the official kick off of the Eatonville Scholarship Program during Orange County Public School's First Day of School press conference at Hungerford Elementary School.
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t was a humid day in August at Hungerford Elementary in Eatonville, Fla. The sweltering temperatures were no match for the electric energy of the school’s teachers, community leaders and employees of Travel + Leisure Co. Students smiled brightly as they walked across a red carpet lined with colorful balloons. Some kids were a little more subdued—it was the first day of school, after all. Once inside their classrooms, an unexpected surprise turned those smiles and scattered frowns to cheers! When the Travel + Leisure Charitable Foundation launched in the summer of 2021, its focus was intentional: make a difference in the communities where people vacation as well as where they live. The nonprofit is beginning to fulfill that mission in the town of Eatonville, the oldest and one of the most influential Black-incorporated municipalities in the country. Now, Eatonville students have access to the Foundation’s scholarship program and educational resources to help them realize their potential.
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LAYING THE GROUNDWORK The Travel + Leisure Charitable Foundation is the vision of Travel + Leisure Co., the world's leading membership and leisure travel company with nearly 20 lifestyle vacation brands. Headquartered in Orlando, its team was inspired by the work of philanthropist Harris Rosen, whose dedication helped transform the city’s Tangelo Park neighborhood. Thirty years ago, that area’s elementary school was centered in an underserved and drug-stricken community. Today, it has a grade-A rating. “As the work of Harris Rosen has demonstrated, real change is possible when corporations work hand in hand with local communities to engage citizens in programs driven by a shared purpose. Travel + Leisure Charitable Foundation’s partnership with Eatonville and Orange County Public Schools is focused on empowering the next generation of students to accomplish their academic and professional goals,” said Michael Brown, president and CEO of Travel + Leisure Co.
