Led by Mayor Alvin Brown, city education leaders and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller will kick off the inaugural Education Summit, featuring honored guest Dr. Bill Cosby. The two-day event, presented in partnership with Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti and Duval County Public Schools, starts Thursday, Feb. 28, and will focus on strengthening parents’ roles in their children’s education. 

 

“This summit will leverage the current excitement about education in Jacksonville in our continued work to ensure every student in our city has the opportunity for a superior education,” said Mayor Brown. “Some very special guests are joining us and I’m excited to get to work. I’m honored that Dr. Bill Cosby and Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller will lend their experience and skill to this innovative event that will explore ways to increase parental involvement in their kids’ education.”
 

The summit, a collaborative effort between the Mayor’s Office and Duval County Public Schools, will be held Feb. 28 and March 1. The initiative will continue the positive momentum in public education engendered by a host of recent successes, including better graduation rates, better school grades and unprecedented community activism.
 

As part of Mayor Brown’s vision and actions to enhance educational opportunities for Jacksonville’s youth, the summit will bring students, teachers, administrators, elected officials and community partners together in an effort to spur action supporting the summit’s theme, “Increasing Parental Involvement.” Learn more

Civic and business leaders have stepped up with Mayor Alvin Brown in a call for community support, as Jacksonville seeks to host the 2016 US Swimming Olympic Trials. The event features the nation’s top swimmers to determine who will represent Team USA in Rio de Janeiro for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad.

Video: Mayor and City Leaders Announce Jacksonville's Bid for US Swimming Olympic Trials

“We are excited to be under consideration to host the 2016 US Swimming Olympic Trials,” said Mayor Alvin Brown. “As we’ve seen so many times in recent years, swimming is one of America’s strongest sports and hosting this event would make a major impact throughout our community. We would be proud to serve as a proving ground for these elite athletes, and I am confident in our city’s ability to help produce a program that would entertain and inspire thousands of fans. Jacksonville is an ideal destination for sporting events, and just like we’ve seen with the Jaguars, the Florida-Georgia game, the US Soccer exhibitions and many others, the Trials would be embraced by everyone in the community.”

 

Major League Soccer will be coming to EverBank Field for at least the next three years as Mayor Alvin Brown announced an agreement with Philadelphia Union to host an annual exhibition match each February.

 

On Feb. 15, 2013, the Union will face another MLS team, to be announced in the near future, starting at 7:30 p.m.  There will be a free youth clinic at 5:30 p.m.  Tickets are on sale at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena box office and online at Ticketmaster.com.

Mayor Brown and the City of Jacksonville honor the service and sacrifice of Jacksonville's military community with the Week of Valor. The weeklong series of events aims to connect active duty military, veterans and their families with job opportunities and services, as well as honor their service to our great nation. Events include the Veterans Summit, Veterans Job Fair and the Veterans Day Parade. In addition, there will be two nationally televised sporting events with the Jacksonville Jaguars Military Appreciation Game and the Navy-Marine Corps Classic on the deck of the USS Bataan.

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Mayor Alvin Brown is leading an effort to help replenish food supplies in the Northeast as residents and public officials continue the recovery process following Hurricane Sandy.

The mayor joined BI-LO and Winn-Dixie President and Chief Executive Officer Randall Onstead and Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals to announce the collection effort and make a call to action for city residents who want to help.

 

“Many people have been without power. Others have lost wages and some have lost their homes,” said Mayor Brown. “I know the images on the news may stir some painful memories for those of us who have survived storms in the past, but those images say it all. There are people out there who need our help.”

Heralding the onset of Jacksonville’s Week of Valor, Mayor Alvin Brown joined Rear Admiral John Scorby, Commander, Navy Region Southeast, and Mark S. Lee, Vice President of Brand Development & Marketing Communications for Florida Blue to welcome the arrival of the USS Bataan and Commanding Officer Captain Erik Ross. Mayor Brown presented Captain Ross and his crew with the key to the city.