Elijah Arreaga, John Henry, Kerby Henry, Elijah Basile

With the help of The Immokalee Foundation, the Greater Immokalee Front Porch Youth Empowerment Academy (YEA) held its second annual conference this summer in Immokalee, giving five highly driven students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, become better résumé writers, gain workplace experience, and generally grow on personal and professional levels. Above, the five students who participated in this year’s YEA pose for a picture with YEA leaders.

As part of the YEA experience, each student was asked to write an essay that answers the question: "What is your defintion of poverty and what would you do to change the way poverty looks in your community?" Click here to read the TIF student responses.

TIF student Alejandro Arreguin and TIF board member Louise Penta share a moment together this summer at Camp Joslin in Massachusetts — an experience Alejandro enjoyed thanks to TIF and our wonderful Fund A Dream™ donors.

Nine TIF students recently completed a five-week medical internship co-hosted by Collier Health Services and the Florida State University Immokalee Health Education Site. Here the students join with TIF and on-site staff to celebrate the end of a very successful experience.

Continue on for more highlights from the final day of the internship.

In June, eight Immokalee students ventured to Washington, D.C. for a week-long trip that one student described as "life changing." The students toured the U.S. Capitol, rode the D.C. Metro, walked the National Mall, wandered the halls of the Smithsonian museums, and visited monuments to wars and soldiers and presidents. They had the opportunity to interact with D.C.'s diverse collection of residents and tourists. And they met other students from all over the U.S.

“You actually get to experience a new world," said Jesus Valezco, one of TIF's Take Stock in Children students. "It’s so different than what you see in Immokalee.”

Five of the eight students made their way to the nation's capital thanks to the generosity of donors who contributed to our Fund A Dream™ "auction" at the 2010 Charity Classic Celebration. This year's Fund A Dream™ — part of the 2011 Charity Classic Celebration at the Ritz-Carlton Naples Beach Resort on November 11 — will offer similar opportunities to help Immokalee's children experience the world.

“I’ve seen so many things on this trip," said Diana Avila-Pineda, a Take Stock in Children participant and Immokalee Readers tutor, as she stood outside the U.S. Capitol building. "It’s amazing.”

Continue on to see great photos from the D.C. experience.