Take Stock in Children hits 3,000-voucher goal, sending “Mentoring Changes Lives” license plate to production
Press release from Take Stock in Children
DAVIE, Fla. – Take Stock in Children, a Florida-based nonprofit providing mentoring and college scholarships for low-income students, has reached its goal of 3,000 pre-sale vouchers for its new “Mentoring Changes Lives” specialty license plate. The milestone clears the threshold needed to move the plate into production and put it on Florida roads.
Once available in approximately 90 days, the plates will send a portion of every sale directly to Take Stock in Children, creating a sustainable funding source for the organization’s mentoring services. The proceeds will be used to help connect students with volunteer mentors across all 67 Florida counties. That means more low-income students will be paired with a mentor, more will graduate from high school ready for college, and more will have the support they need to earn a degree.
Take Stock’s specialty plate was passed by the Florida Legislature in 2022, and the organization had until September 30, 2026, to reach the 3,000-voucher requirement. Thanks to a donor’s generosity, vouchers were free for supporters. With the goal met, the state will now manufacture the specialty plate and distribute it to supporters across Florida.
“Earlier this year, we asked Floridians to show our students that a whole state is cheering them on, and 3,000 people said yes,” said Bethany Lacey, chief executive officer of Take Stock in Children. “Every one of those vouchers is a promise to a young person who might be the first in their family to go to college. Soon those promises will be on the road across Florida, and they’ll help fund student mentoring for years to come.”
Founded in 1995, Take Stock in Children was established to improve educational outcomes and increase graduation rates for Florida students by providing low-income, high-potential students with mentorship, college readiness support, and scholarships. From the outset, the program recruits participants as early as middle school, pairs them with volunteer adult mentors, and carefully monitors their progress. Students sign a contract to remain crime-free and drug-free, maintain good grades and behavior, meet regularly with their mentors, and complete required workshops and college coaching sessions. Upon high school graduation, students earn a Florida Prepaid Project STARS scholarship and continue their journey through Take Stock in College and Career, a postsecondary support program that helps more than 7,000 scholars each year navigate college, persist to graduation, and successfully transition into the workforce. Today, the program serves approximately 15,000 students annually and has helped more than 46,000 students statewide achieve academic and professional success.
The milestone arrives during Take Stock in Children’s 31st year, highlighting more than three decades of impact across Florida. Mentors, families, alumni, and community members claimed vouchers and shared the campaign with their networks, carrying the effort across the finish line.
“My mentor was the person I called when I didn’t know how to apply for financial aid or whether I was good enough to apply to my dream school,” said Alexis Vu, a freshman at the University of Florida and Take Stock in Children alum. “Seeing this plate on the road means another student out there is going to get that same kind of support.”
Getting the plates on the road recognizes the contributions of Take Stock’s “game changers” while raising awareness of the organization’s work. Every plate seen inspires new supporters, extends the reach of the mentoring message, and reminds students that a team of committed adults believes in their success.
Closer to when the plates become available, voucher holders will receive an email from Take Stock with instructions to redeem their specialty plate at their local county tax collector’s office. After that, any Florida driver can purchase a Mentoring Changes Lives plate when registering or renewing a vehicle, with $25 of each annual plate fee going directly to Take Stock in Children.
To learn more about becoming a mentor or supporting the program, visit www.takestockinchildren.