ConnectED Polk

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! 🎉

Today, ConnectED Polk celebrates the hard work, determination, and achievements of students across Polk County Public Schools as they take the next step toward their future. Whether you’re heading to college, the workforce, military service, technical training, or pursuing your dreams in a new way, your future is bright, and we are proud of you!

Through career academies, certifications, internships, mentorships, and hands-on learning experiences, you’ve built the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world. You are the future leaders, innovators, creators, and workforce of our community.

Thank you to the educators, business partners, families, and mentors who helped support and guide these students along the way.

Class of 2026, this is only the beginning. Keep dreaming big, working hard, and making an impact. Polk County is cheering you on every step of the way!

Workforce readiness starts long before graduation, and our partners at City of Lakeland, FL - Government stopped by George W. Jenkins High School to share some insight on career opportunities.

Through career academies, industry partnerships, mentorship opportunities, and hands-on learning experiences, students are gaining the skills they need to succeed in today’s workforce and tomorrow’s economy.

From the classroom to the workplace, we’re helping students build confidence, develop real-world experience, and discover career pathways that lead to meaningful futures right here in our community.

When education and industry work together, everyone benefits.

Congratulations again to Fort Meade Middle Senior High School!

Thank You, GiveWell Community Foundation!

We are honored and excited to share that ConnectED Polk has been selected to receive funding through the Empower Hardee, Highlands, Polk Grant Program!

This investment will help us continue to create innovative, career-connected learning experiences that bring real-world workplaces directly into classrooms across Polk County. Through virtual field trips, students will gain exposure to local industries, career pathways, and workforce opportunities, helping them envision their future and connect education to meaningful careers.

Together, we are building brighter futures for Polk County students.

We were honored to welcome the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce to Lakeland, all the way from Texas, during their InterCity Leadership Conference, as they explored innovative workforce and education partnerships happening right here in Polk County!

Their team visited to learn more about the CFAA educational model and how strong community collaboration is creating real-world career pathways for students. ConnectED Polk was proud to join the conversation alongside Superintendent Fred Heid, Polk County Public Schools’ Senior Director of Workforce, Leann Bennett, Samantha Linder, Director of Community Engagement, Mr. Gully, Principal of CFAA, and Brad Hiers, Head of Programs at George Jenkins High School, to showcase the power of business and education partnerships.

The highlight of the visit was hearing directly from the students. The Red Devils did an incredible job sharing their personal experiences, career pathways, internships, and the opportunities they’ve gained through academy programming. Their stories demonstrated exactly why career-connected learning matters and how it is preparing students for future success.

We are proud to support initiatives that strengthen our workforce pipeline and create meaningful opportunities for students across Polk County. Thank you to everyone who helped make this visit such a success!

ConnectED Polk is proud to welcome TJ Wright, Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of West Central Florida, to our Advisory Board. A lifelong Lakeland resident and passionate community leader, TJ’s journey with the YMCA began as a child participating in the First Tee youth golf program before growing into a career dedicated to youth development, leadership, and community impact.

TJ officially became CEO of the YMCA of West Central Florida in 2025 after serving in multiple leadership roles across the organization, including Program Coordinator, Executive Director, Vice President of Administration, Chief Operating Officer, and Interim CEO. He earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and his Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership from Southeastern University.

We are excited to have TJ’s voice, leadership, and passion helping guide the future of ConnectED Polk and strengthening partnerships that positively impact students across our community.

Thank you to Frescos for delivering a wonderful experience for our guests and students. Frescos mentored 10 students from Bartow Senior High School during ConnectED Polk’s 4th Annual Excellence in Partnership Awards Dinner.

We're grateful for this continued partnership with Frescos and for the opportunity to create meaningful experiences for PCPS students, enabling them to explore pathways to job opportunities.

We are incredibly honored to highlight Helene Sanford, our dedicated Treasurer of the Executive Board here at ConnectED Polk!

As the Chief Human Resources Officer at Saddle Creek Logistics Services, Helene is a strategic powerhouse who oversees human resources for nearly 6,000 associates. Since joining Saddle Creek in 2015, she has been instrumental in the company’s massive evolution, supporting a revenue leap from $400 million to $1 billion and a 137% increase in their workforce.

With over 30 years of HR leadership experience, Helene’s career spans impressive roles at DynCorp, MediaMap, Thomson Financial, and Intersil Corporate. Her expertise in building scalable HR infrastructures and implementing forward-thinking succession planning makes her an invaluable asset to our mission.

Helene is a proud graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology with a degree in Psychology and holds top-tier industry certifications as an SPHR and SHRM-SCP. Her commitment to professional excellence and organizational growth is exactly what helps ConnectED empower the future workforce of Polk County.
Please join us in celebrating Helene Sanford and her incredible impact on our community and industry!

ConnectED Polk’s 4th Annual Excellence in Partnership Awards Dinner was filled with celebration, connection, and so many incredible moments, and these step & repeat photos captured the energy of the night perfectly, thanks to Optify!

We are grateful for the educators, business leaders, partners, sponsors, and community champions who came together to celebrate the impact being made for students across Polk County. Thank you for making this event such a tremendous success!

Tag yourself, your friends, and your organization in the photos!

Building Polk’s Future, one student at a time. 📈

At ConnectED Polk, we are dedicated to uniting our businesses, community, and education systems to create real-world opportunities. With over 114,000 students reached and $2.5M invested in our county, we’re turning community support into lasting local prosperity.

See how we’re making a difference: https://connectedpolk.org/