Scholars' Club: A Brief History
Scholars' Club was founded in 1989 as a way to develop a peer
culture of
accomplishment and academic excellence among minority students.
It has become
southwest Florida's premier academic organization for minority
and "at-risk"
students.
Scholars' Club is the brainchild of former Fort Myers High
School junior
Christian Duffus. Christian graduated from Florida A&M
University in 1994 but
remains active in the organization, providing leadership in
tracking and
monitoring the performance and achievements of Scholars' Club
alumni.
Scholars' Club has expanded to include elementary and middle
school chapters
at other public schools in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry,
and Lee
Counties. Chapters of Scholars' Club have been launched in
Sarasota,
Hillsborough, and Palm Beach Counties.
Club members are challenged to improve their academic
performance as well as
be leaders in their schools and communities. Performance is
motivated by
an "Excellence Contract" showing grade improvement
goal for the next academic
year. Students are rewarded and publicly recognized for goal
achievement.
The original concept, complete with objectives, was presented to
the then
principal of Fort Myers High School, Herb Wiseman, in June 1989.
During that
summer, several community leaders joined with Christian and
various school
personnel in structuring the program, developing selection
criteria and
writing bylaws. On October 6th, 1989, Scholars' Club held its
first meeting.
The Club was a success from its inception. It benefited
particularly from the
nurturing support of its first Faculty Sponsor, mathematics
teacher Alberta
Allen.
In 1992, Principal Judi Hughes and mathematics teacher, Lemuel
Teal of Fort
Myers Middle School introduced the Club at the middle school
level. In 1995,
Principal Cecelia Mattingly and Vice-Principal Mary Idlette of
Tropic Isles
Elementary School and Principal; Manny Touron of Lake Trafford
Elementary
School introduced the Club at the elementary school level. Both
Fort Myers
Middle School and Tropic Isles Elementary School are located in
Fort Myers,
Florida. Lake Trafford Elementary School is located in
Immokalee, Florida
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