Orlando, Fla. — Educational resources in the Parramore community continue to expand.  In addition to UCF and Valencia College opening campuses, Parramore Kidz Zone, a longtime resource for area youth, is growing to help more youth in Central Florida communities achieve success. 

  • Growth in Parramore Kidz Zone results in increasing graduation rates
  • Parramore Kidz Zone a longtime resource for area youth

Documented in multiple pages of her scrapbook, Brenda March has witnessed many changes in the Parramore Community, learning from past leaders. 

March, who currently serves as Education Manager for the Orlando City Parks and Recreation Department, has become a leader in her own right. She helped pioneer and lead Parramore Kidz Zone, a program that for decades has helped better youth in the community. 

“We started making sure we had academic programs for our kids — taking them on college tours, making them understand that 'Hey, listen, you may be the first generation going off to college but so was I,'" March said. 

It cost a little over $2 million to fund the program during the fiscal year 2017-2018. That funding comes partly from the city and donations by organizations and people in the community. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says money spent on the program is worth it. 

“We have reduced juvenile crime by probably close to 70 percent; teenage pregnancy is way down almost 80 percent. Every single senior that participated in the Parramore Kidz Zone this year graduated from high school and has gone on to the military, community college, or to a University,” Dyer said. 

Parramore Kidz Zone was modeled after a similar program in Harlem, New York. The mayor says city leaders are working with Orange County to expand the program to the Holden Heights area. 

“We are expanding incrementally into that neighborhood and that neighborhood is part city and part county so we are working hand in hand as we expand it,” Mayor Dyer said. 

Expanding and adding to the pages of history that March continues to collect, vowing to do all she can to help better area youth and the community. 

“You can’t save them all and I understand that, but our motto for Parramore Kidz Zone is 'whatever it takes,'” March said. 

City leaders have an estimated budget of a little over 2 million dollars for the current fiscal year for the Parrmore Kidz Zone Program.