Over 500 of Miami’s most influential business and philanthropic leaders will step up to help Miami’s underprivileged students transcend homelessness, attend college, bridge the technology gap, and attend cultural events, at the seventh annual For the Love of Learning Gala, benefitting Miami-Dade County Public Schools through the Foundation for New Education Initiatives.

The Gala’s generous donors and sponsors will be greeted by Co-Chairs Maria & Alberto M. Carvalho, Superintendent of Schools, and Trish & Dan Bell. Their successful venture raises money annually to provide the “extras” that round out the educational experience for the school district’s 350,000 students, many of whom live at or below the poverty line. Gala funds help support the Cultural Passport program, students’ ticket to the opera, the theater, art museums, concerts and other cultural experiences they may not otherwise be able to access. Some of Miami-Dade’s most deserving public school students receive laptop computers and other technological devices that help them get a leg up on their schoolwork and shine in the eyes of college recruiters, who just might be offering them a scholarship for their higher learning. Or, those lucky students might qualify for one of the Foundation’s scholarships that the Gala also funds.

The Foundation for New Education Initiatives, Inc. seeks to enhance student achievement and community engagement in support of The Parent Academy and other educational initiatives of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Public education is a public/private enterprise. It can succeed only with involvement and resources from all sectors of the economy and all segments of society.