Engage Estero Safety Council is made of volunteers serving as a voice for the citizens of greater Estero on safety and transportation priorities and issues. We advocate for related solutions to Village, County, and State Government organizations.
Road Safety in Greater Estero By Contributing Author, Mark Novitski, and Engage Estero Consultant. Everyone has their definition of what determines road safety or, conversely, what makes our roads unsafe. In writing extensively about Corkscrew Road, I have...
Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comprtroller Kevin Karnes is now offering an alert notification system for Lee County property owners to reduce fraud. When you sign-up, if a deed, mortgage, or other non-Court official record is recorded in your name, you will be...
Engage Estero Environment Council is a volunteer group focusing on improving water and air quality and mitigating and eliminating the effects of climate warming in greater Estero.
During the weekend of April 6th, Engage Estero’s team of volunteers, organized by Julie Yellig, collected 360 pounds of bagged litter. A total of 2.2 tons of litter has been collected since the end of April 2023 (the end of last season), and an astonishing 10 tons...
by Mark Novitski, Consultant to Engage Estero. Mia McCormick, Advocate, Environment Florida, identifies why we need wildlife crossings: “Each year, animals at risk of extinction die when cars and creatures collide on Florida roadways. It is the number one cause of...
Engage Estero Community Health Council comprises health* and safety-minded volunteers who think about community health comprehensively with a common desire to improve the overall health of the citizens of greater Estero.
https://www.esterotoday.com/event/may2024/ RSVP
The facts Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 300,000 lives annually. Approximately 95 percent of SCA victims die before they reach a hospital or receive medical attention. How Can We Help Reduce This...
Engage Estero mobilizes volunteers in our schools, sponsors scholarships, and promotes the involvement of the community through announcements and public forums.
By Mike Wasson, Director, Engage Estero The Village of Estero Council issued a Proclamation its Meeting on Wednesday, March 6th honoring 39 Estero High School Students who were presented the Cambridge Outstanding Learners Awards. In his remarks, Jon McLain, Village of...
The Future Plans for our Schools and Students' Education in Greater EsteroBrought to you by the Engage Estero Education Councilby Mark Novitski, Consultant to Engage EsteroPrincipal Leslie Gunderson in her office at Pinewoods Elementary School behind a table full of...
Engage Estero believes the best way to get a community involved is to make sure they are aware of the issues impacting their future, and know how to impact those decisions before they are made. We conduct and publish original research and articles aimed at getting residents Engaged.
“You never spend more money than you make! You never spend more money than you make!” This enthusiastic chant is performed often and quite loudly in every one of Amy Kuchenbecker’s Junior Achievement (JA) sessions at Three Oaks Middle School. Making 8th graders, a typically unexcited crowd, care about personal money management to the point of shouting and cheering is a formidable challenge.
For the past 15 years, as an Estero resident, Grandezza’s Amy Kuchenbecker saw both her daughters going to school and then college with no formal training on how to handle their personal finances. The information on how to use credit cards, get health insurance, apply for a job, or avoid bankruptcy is typically experienced in the adult world. That made Amy determined to become a volunteer with the ECCL to help facilitate JA Programs at Estero-area Schools.
An all-volunteer initiative adopted by the ECCL, the JA’s “2-5-8-Graduate” program caught Amy’s attention in 2018. It is a community-wide collaborative effort involving three Partners; the ECCL, Village of Estero, and Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida. The Program brings together community volunteers to team-teach JA classes at Estero-area Schools, teaching financial lessons to kids in grades 2nd to 12th.
In the first two years of the Program, Amy has worked to help adapt and update the curriculum and engagement level to serve the students better. The Program requires many moving parts to come together in harmony. She can talk with everyone with ease, from school principals to volunteers of various ages and backgrounds.
Jennifer MacLeod, an 8th-grade technology teacher at Three Oaks Middle School and Amy’s primary co-conspirator, attests to the amount of planning and adjustments that go into each session. Angie Guillette, Amy’s teaching partner, adds, “Amy does a great job of working in stories that are relatable to the kids, including examples from her own life and current events that the kids are aware of.”
By volunteering to engage with Estero’s children, she helps educate a generation about these values and how they are essential to building a thriving community.
The ECCL is grateful and most thankful to have Amy Kuchenbecker as a vital member of The ECCL Education Council. For her many achievements, the ECCL honors Amy Kuchenbecker as The ECCL Volunteer of The Year 2020.
Announced by Jim Shields on behalf of The ECCL Education Council.
