- April 20, 2024
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A group of kids on a large paddle board off Fortunato Park's beach.
Mike Pavelka of the Ormond Beach Police Department and his son, Tyler, enjoying the paddle boards at Fortunato Park in Ormond Beach.
Sierra Jarvis, sophomore at Seabreeze High School with her dog, Milo in the grass surrounding the water at Fortunato Park in Ormond Beach.
Seabreeze High School Volunteers/students in the AICE program at the Paddles & Pups event in Ormond Beach on May 18.
Ashley Boscovich, sophomore at Seabreeze High School in the AICE program alongside her dog, Miley.
Seabreeze High School’s Advanced International Certificate of Education program (AICE) hosted a fundraising event at Ormond Beach’s Fortunato Park on May 18 to raise money for the growing program in which 230 students will be enrolled in next school year.
The program, developed by Cambridge University in England, was started by Dodie Gaines in 2017, according to Kellie Cofer, the Seabreeze AICE Booster board president.
The event, Paddles & Pups, was organized by Cofer and supporting sponsors within the Ormond Beach area, including cancer specialists and other doctors’ offices in support of Melanoma Awareness Month, too.
Many of the volunteers at Paddles & Pups participate in the AICE program, which has been pitched to be fully funded by Volusia County this upcoming school year, Cofer told the Observer in a phone interview.
“It’s free to attend and you don’t have to have a puppy,” Cofer said. “BYOB, like bring your own board and bring your own dog, and if you want to try a kayak or paddle board, we do have rentals.”
Seabreeze, alongside Deltona High School and Pine Ridge High School, has taken up the AICE program as an opportunity for their students to take college level classes while in high school, comparable to the International Baccalaureate program offered at schools like Spruce Creek High School, according to Cofer.
“[AICE] is a little more flexible with their curriculum,” said Cofer. “For example, with IB you may have to take Spanish 1, 2, and 3, but with AICE you can take any language whether it’s French, Spanish, or whatever.”
Other fundraising efforts like last year’s Badges & Boardshorts event (sponsored by the Ormond Beach Police Department), golf tournaments, and parent fundraisers have contributed to the growth of Seabreeze’s AICE program, according to Cofer.
Vendors included Joseph Cofer's Schmancy Pops, Chef Rx, paddle board and kayak provider Odyssey Adventure Club, Florida Cancer Specialists, and Ormond Beach Dermatology, among 26 others.
“We’ve had an exceptional experience ourselves,” Cofer said. “It’s an opportunity for students in Volusia County. It’s another option for them outside of Spruce Creek.”
Cofer estimated 350 people came to the event throughout the day.
