By: Alexander Sylvia

Sea Turtles are an endangered species, yet they are a staple in Florida’s ecosystem. I was lucky enough to actually meet one of these beautiful animals at a public turtle release through Coastal Connections. Coastal Connections has a mission of helping not only sea turtles, but helping the entire Indian River County ecosystem. Beyond turtle conservation, Coastal Connections is also involved in environmental education, plastic waste reduction, and Indian River Lagoon Conservation. I got the privilege to go to a public turtle release, where they publicly say goodbye to turtle that has recently been rehabilitated. The turtle, named Turtsiops, was found two months ago with a lot of predator damage and a nasty infection. After rehabilitated at the turtle healing center in the Brevard Zoo, he was released back into the ocean on the beach where he was found. Turtsiops is a green turtle, and a small one at that. Fun fact, his name comes from the Latin name for dolphins, because he was found on World Dolphin Day.

Photos by Joseph Rimkus

By: Alexander Sylvia

The Vero Beach Museum is pretty much heaven for local kids that like art, and I was definitely one of those kids. Not only do they offer one of the only free interactions with fine art in the county, but they also offer a wonderful summer camp for children interested in art. They have a lovely permanent sculpture garden in both the front and the back of the building, as well as permanent fixtures throughout the museum. The real gem of this museum is the temporary exhibits. Currently, the museum is featuring a very interesting exhibit by Korean artist Chul Hyun Ahn entitled: New Light. Chul Hyun Ahn is a light artist and has created a wonderful exhibit of illusions using light and mirrors. I strongly recommend checking it out. There are also some absolute treasures in their permanent collection, like the statue of a horse made of sticks. If you do end up checking it out, ask someone there to hold one of the spare sticks to see how the statue was made, it’s pretty shocking!

By: Alexander Sylvia

This organization has been in Indian River County for longer than I have and is still working to make sure that every child has access to exemplary early-childhood education. Childcare Resources of Indian River helps children ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age. They not only have their own early education school, they also partner with local preschools to make sure that no child gets left behind. Even beyond the children themselves, Childcare Resources of Indian River provides certification trainings for local teachers and expert speakers in their fields. In addition to their educational resources, Childcare Resources of Indian River also offers mental and physical health resources for both the children and their families. 

By: Alexander Sylvia

A staple in the community for helping children, the Boys and Girls Club of Indian River County continues to make sure that children have an enriching place to go and simply, be kids. I had the pleasure of visiting the Vero Beach location, but they also have locations in Sebastian and Fellsmere. Typically, the childrens’ time at the Boys and Girls Club is split between schoolwork and off time, but during Christmas break its all play, no work. The club has a full-size indoor basketball court, a full turf soccer field, multiple computer labs, and many different rooms for many different age groups. The club takes in children ages 6 to 18 and has many different activities and programs for all of those ages. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Indian River is an amazing safe haven for the children of Indian River County.

By: Alexander Sylvia

In their new campus, United Against Poverty is fully equipped to fight the good fight against poverty in our community. Not only do they have a member share grocery program, which offers affordable groceries to those who can’t afford it in a traditional grocery store setting, they also have a four-week program called STEP where they teach people the skills they need to be employed. I found their STEP program really interesting because of how comprehensive it is. Not only does it teach people how to get a job, it teaches people how to keep said job. They also have a comprehensive health clinic to deal with any mental or physical health issues that may be preventing them from finding employment. Even with COVID, United Against Poverty is unwavering in their mission to help those below the poverty line.