Resources

Community Engagement & Philanthropy

About

We have updated our Resources page SPECIFICALLY to address concerns and issues families are having due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our community is coming together like never before to meet the needs of our students, teachers and families during this time.

Thanks to our community partners, our district has created this webpage filled with resources to support your basic needs and supplemental learning resources.

Peachjar is an eflyer system chosen by HCPS as an additional communication tool for our community and families to embrace further communication. To access eflyers, register for a a Peachjar account at www.peachjar.com.

Meeting Family Needs

Feeding Tampa Bay
Feeding Tampa Bay offers a number of different ways to bring food to your table everyday – and we’re ready to deploy resources to support our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metropolitan Ministries
Gas or groceries? What would you do if you had to choose? Seriously. It’s not an easy choice. One out of every five people living in Florida has to decide this every day.

One More Child

Pet Food Asistance

Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center
The Pet Resource Center provides pet food and pet care items for Hillsborough County residents who need help feeding their dogs and cats.

Humane Society Tampa Bay
For Tampa Bay citizens who are struggling to feed their pets, we offer free dog and cat food at our shelter.

Lee Davis Community Resource Center, Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County Rent & Housing Assistance
To help prevent homelessness, we offer limited rental payment assistance to eligible households, home mortgage (no foreclosures), apartment rent, mobile home, lot rent, and utilities (if included in the lease.)

Metropolitan Ministries
Our short-term and long-term residential programs are located in Hillsborough and Pasco Counties. We accept families with a male or a female head of households, couples with children, or single women.

One Tampa
The City of Tampa has established the Relief Now, Rise Together Fund to provide financial relief to eligible small businesses, families, and individuals negatively impacted by local COVID-19 orders. The relief program is an emergency grant focused on the most basic needs - rent and essential utilities.

Angel Foundation Assistance
supporting families in crisis due to a life-threatening illness or catastrophic event, resources and assistance can be found here.

Hillsborough County Power & Utility Bills Assistance
Need help paying your energy bill? Hillsborough County can assist! The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP) helps Hillsborough County residents pay for energy bills so they don't have to choose between electricity and groceries. Assistance is provided for as long as program funds are available.

TECO Support for Families
Providing assistance with electric bill relief.

Career Exploration and Planning
An education and career planning system that will help you succeed in the increasingly competitive job market. You will learn about yourself, discover the many options and opportunities for your future, and gain access to the information and tools to reach your goals.

DadTalk Blog
Father-Child Activities while the Kids are at Home: helpful resources for fathers and a list of free online activities for children.

Netsmartz
Empower your students to be safer online with our free collection of teaching materials for families and students in grades K-12.

Parent University
Parent University is a FREE conference supporting the academic life of children in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Family Learning Resources

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Discover educational resources for hands-on, learning at home. Busch Gardens has developed standards-aligned resources for kids in K-12 to explore the wild world of animals and nature.

Get Fit with School Board Member Lynn Gray's Walk to Run Fitness Videos
These fitness videos, provided by board member Lynn Gray, provide instruction, workouts & motivational techniques to help students reach their fitness goals quickly, no matter age, size, or fitness level. These optional physical education workout videos will help students learn to run more efficiently, increase their speed and have fun doing it.

Glazer Museum
Glazer Children’s Museum launched GCM at Home with a series of fun learning experiments and activities for your family while you’re at home!

Sea-Span at the Florida Aquarium
Stay Current with #SEASPAN. While The Florida Aquarium is closed, kids are home from school, and parents are working from home, let us provide you with fun and educational content that the whole family can enjoy. Join us for a SEA-SPAN Facebook Live each weekday at 10 am ET, where you can take a virtual tour of one of our galleries, enjoy storytime with the kids, see special friends waddle throughout the Aquarium and much more from the comfort of your own home. Dates/Times: Monday through Friday, 10:00 am - 10:20 am, Grade levels: K-12

Tampa Theatre Movie School
Tampa Theatre Movie School is a new “edu-tainment” initiative designed for parents with kids of all ages to use movies as the basis for guided research, art, dramatic play and discussion-based learning. Just pick a film to stream off the list of suggestions, then check out the project guide to help build an educational experience around it!

WEDU At-Home Learning
WEDU has created the WEDU PBS At-Home Learning resource page featuring information about a new statewide PBS initiative to broadcast weekday At-Home Learning programming for grades PK-12. Companion lessons based on Florida education standards are available for download and will be updated weekly.

ZooTampa
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is providing free online family fun with ZooTampa’s Kid’s Room interactive games, puzzles, storytime and more.

HCPS Virtual Library Media
Virtual Libraries are a collection of online resources for students and staff. There is a virtual library collection for elementary, middle school, high school, career & technical education, and educators. Each collection is unique to support the needs of the user.

myON at Home
The myON digital reading application provides access to thousands of digital books for independent reading practice. It is important for students to keep reading at home.

Public Library HAAL Pass
HAAL Pass allows every student enrolled in a Hillsborough County Public School, Hillsborough County Charter School or Hillsborough Virtual School, access to public library resources.

Storytime Online & Reading Challenge with School Board Member Dr. Stacy Hahn
Storytime Online is a literacy initiative in which members of our community have gathered to read stories to our students—promoting the love of reading.

Jr. Bucs Fitness Videos and Coloring Sheets
Train like an NFL athlete through fun, Buccaneers player-led physical fitness video drills that students can do while at home! Young Buccaneers can also get creative and ready for football season with a downloadable coloring book.

Keeping Busy With Bug (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Keep busy with the Bug with daily academic and physical activities for home, including reading, art, and exercise ideas.

Coping Calendar
English | Spanish

Frameworks Tampa Bay
As our community adapts to changes influenced by the COVID-19 outbreak, Frameworks of Tampa Bay is dedicated to helping our students, our teachers, and parents manage the many emotions experienced through the lens of SEL.

Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is a diary of things for which one is grateful. Gratitude journals are used by individuals who wish to focus their attention on the positive things in their lives.

Note Taking Skills
Tips on note taking skills

Talking to Kids about COVID-19
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus

Time Management
tips on time management

Study Skills
Develop your study skills and learning style

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta The Atlanta Fed and other Federal Reserve Banks have award-winning, free lessons to help middle and high school educators teach about personal finance, money and banking, macro- and microeconomics, and international economics. You can request print copies of our series of rich and detailed infographics for use in the classroom using our online order form.

STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math

AlligatorZone® Virtual School
Inspire your student to seek to understand the real-world relevance of what they learn at school with AlligatorZone’s programs, bringing you knowledge from the frontlines of innovation across industries, through robust story-telling in the form of YouTube videos, Podcasts, Story eBooks, and Performance Books. For use by students (ages ten to teens) independently or for use at-home as a teaching aid by parents, guardians, remote-teachers, or tutors.

Amazon Future Engineer
The Amazon Future Engineer program is increasing access to computer science education for students and teachers including free AP CS courses and virtual robotics.

Economics & Finance
Parent Q&A resources for teaching economics and personal finance

Escape Galapagos: Live Storytime with Dr. Ellen Prager | You Tube
Reading and STEM are fun! Join Dr. Ellen Prager live on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as she reads her book, Escape Galapagos, The Wonder List Adventures, with photos of wildlife and settings as the story evolves. Dates/Times: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 2:00 pm (recorded sessions available). Grade levels: 3-8

Explore.org
The world’s largest live nature cam network. Explore.org's live cam collection is nicknamed "Pearls of the Planet". The mission is to allow people to experience nature up close and personal so they can fall in love with the world.

Girl Scouts of West Central Florida
Virtual STEMapalooza is jam-packed with virtual STEM experiences, outdoor STEM experiments, and a Q&A with STEM professionals from Tech Data, our presenting sponsor. All girls, regardless if they are currently a Girl Scout, are welcome to participate and earn the FREE 2020 STEMapalooza patch*! Dates/Times: Anytime, Grade levels: K-12

Glazer Children's Museum
Team GCM is at home just like you! And because of that, we've all been working together creating free fun activities, downloadables, videos, and more on a new part of our website called GCM at Home! Please share your kiddos' creations with us on all platforms using the hashtag #GCMatHome! Dates/Times: Continual, 24/7 access, Grade levels: PK-4

Inspector Planet on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
Inspector Planet has a team of young scientists excited to talk to students and also provides videos covering all things from animals to the environment, to applied engineering! Tuesdays and Thursdays will feature experiments that kids can do at home or an Instagram Live “Ask A Scientist.” Dates/Times: Monday through Friday at 11:00 am, Grade levels: All

Junior Achievement
Providing access to learning experiences that students can do on their own, with a parent or other caring adult, or with teachers via a digital/virtual environment. Resources are organized by school level and can be used whether or not you've engaged in a JA program in the past.

Math Homework Hotline
On any day and at any time, our previously recorded shows are available. Search under the "MHH Shows" Tab for your topic of choice either under "Current Shows" or "Archive Shows" options.

Mote Marine Aquarium
Mote Marine Aquarium and Laboratory provides engaging resources such as virtual shark feeding, live-stream education programs, at-home experiments, virtual Q&A with scientists, at-home STEM activities, behind the scenes tours, and creature features. Dates/Times: Ongoing, Grade levels: All

MOSI
MOSI will continue to carry out its mission by making science real for all people by creating online educational programs via Virtual MOSI. Each week features a different topic with demonstrations and activities you can do at home. Fridays are “Field Trip Fridays” where we go on virtual field trips of MOSI!

Scholastic At-Home Resources
Providing day-by-day projects to keep students reading, thinking and growing.

Suncoast Credit Union
Download and print these activities to help the kids and teens in your life practice essential money skills from the comfort of your home. Visit our financial games for a list of fun links to games that can be played online, like Cash Puzzler and Financial Soccer. Students in grades 11 and 12 can check out our mPower online learning program for free online courses that cover a number of important money management topics and life skills. Enjoy these fun, interactive learning materials from Suncoast!

The Tampa Bay STEM Network The Tampa Bay STEM Network supports STEM learning in the region and is proud to share the following engaging programs and opportunities for parents, students and educators provided by the organizations that support our local STEM learning ecosystem.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a supporter of STEM and innovation learning across the nation. In collaboration with the Florida Department of Education and STEM Learning Ecosystems, we are providing STEM and invention-focused, at-home experiences, updated with new activities regularly.

ZooTampa at Lowry Park
ZooTampa carries on with our mission to save the world's species through education, conservation, and research. For eight weeks, we will provide access to our Animal Species on-line learning modules, offering different topics every week. Stay connected with ZooTampa and Safari Park by using the hashtag #WereHereTogether. Grade levels: 5-12

Educator Learning Resources

Hillsborough Education Foundation During this unprecedented time in education, we are unwavering in our commitment to serving students and teachers in Hillsborough County.

Newspaper in Education
While school buildings are physically closed, you and your students still have access to the digital edition of the Tampa Bay Times and all online resources.

PBS Learning Media

TED-ED
Browse hundreds of TED-Ed Animations and TED Talks - designed to spark the curiosity of your learners. You'll also find thousands of other video-based lessons organized by the subjects you teach.

America’s Promise Alliance
Creating Cultures of Care: Supporting the Whole Child through Trauma-Informed Practice

Casper Cares Good Character Award
The Caspers Cares Good Character Award is an award that recognizes elementary and middle school students in the Hillsborough County area for displaying exemplary character and behavior during the 2019-2020 academic school year

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta The Atlanta Fed and other Federal Reserve Banks have award-winning, free lessons to help middle and high school educators teach about personal finance, money and banking, macro- and microeconomics, and international economics. You can request print copies of our series of rich and detailed infographics for use in the classroom using our online order form.

STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math

PBS Learning Media
PBS LearningMedia producers and educators have come together to curate a special collection of resources organized by grade and subject area. Find videos, lesson plans, and activities that support learning at home. Create a free account to save and organize content.

Suncoast Credit Union In-School Programs
Suncoast’s in-school programs introduce elementary, middle and high school students to basic money management concepts while providing them with hands-on learning opportunities.

Suncoast Credit Union Financial Literacy Workshops
Suncoast's Youth Outreach team delivers several financial literacy workshops or presentations based on your students’ or organization’s needs.

Resource Organizations

Alliance for Public Schools
Visit this site to for information about how to best support the academic life of their child. Additionally, this site provides the community with accurate information about education policies and the effect these policies have on our public schools and the children who attend them.

Council of Great City Schools
The Council of the Great City Schools' parent roadmaps to mathematics and language arts provides guidance about what their children will be learning and how they can support that learning in grades K-8. These parent roadmaps for each grade level also provide three-year snapshots showing how selected standards progress from year to year so that students will be college and career ready upon their graduation from high school.

Florida Students
The Student Tutorials system is now available at www.floridastudents.org. There are currently more than 1,900 web-based resources reviewed and prepared for publication covering all grade levels and content areas, including language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. This Florida educator-developed student tutorial site has nearly 500 focused, standards-aligned tutorials. These tutorials and resources are publicly available with no log-in requirement.

Full Service Centers
Our team is delighted to welcome all of our students, parents, partners and school district staff to a wealth of services where we support our families by providing high quality services and resources.

Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County, Inc.
The Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County, Inc. is a group of individuals and professional agencies including health and social services, media, schools, universities, government agencies, and businesses who impact issues related to our mission of improving the health and well-being of pregnant women, children and families in Hillsborough County. This resource provides a list of resources links encompassing childcare, assistance with disabilities, virtual education, employment,entertainment, financial assistance, food/meal assistance, homelessness, mental health/stress and many more supports.

Just Take 20- JT20
The Florida Department of Education created the Just Take 20 campaign to provide K-12 Florida families with practical, easy-to-implement reading activities that establish literacy as a lifelong value. Just Take 20 encourages families to seize everyday teachable moments by using 20 minutes a day to integrate reading into their busy lives. Families are invited to create their own custom literacy plans and have fun while learning!

NBC News: Education Nation
This Parent Toolkit site is thorough and comprehensive, but there are many more additional resources that parents can consult when seeking support and guidance. Included are links that may be helpful in the areas of academics, health and wellness, and social & emotional development.

National Parent Teacher Organization
The National Parent Teacher Organization is an advocate to help your PTO or Parent Group succeed.

Parent University
Parent University is a FREE conference supporting the academic life of children in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Safe & Sound Hillsborough
Working together to build strong families, safe schools and healthy neighborhoods.

Partners in Education

Imagine what is possible when our community joins together to support our teachers and our schools…when we speak with one voice about what is needed to ensure student success.

The District cannot do it alone. We need the active support and involvement of our community. We all benefit when our students are successful, and we can accomplish more when we work together.

For more information about Partners in Education or contact MaryLou.Whaley@sdhc.k12.fl.us or (813) 272-4431.

Disclaimer: HCPS does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy, timeline, service contracted/received or any monetary collection of any information provided as a result of information obtained from partner resources. Resources listed are provided as a community service and may or may not contain content of a political or religious nature and do not imply endorsement by HCPS. HCPS Continuous Notification of Nondiscrimination