View the 2023 Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Breakfast Program
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Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Orlando’s first African American City Council Member
Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy took the oath of office in 1973 and serving two terms until 1980. Pappy Kennedy was an advocate of higher education. He served as the organizer of the Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce, President of the Jones High School Parent-Teacher Association, and was instrumental in the organization of the Orange County Parent-Teacher Council. With the goal of improving his community, he worked with many organizations including Meals on Wheels, the United Negro College Fund, and the NAACP. Although Pappy Kennedy passed away in 2000, his legacy lives on in our Central Florida community and is celebrated each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Keynote Speaker – Dr. Barbara Jenkins
Dr. Barbara M. Jenkins, Ed.D., Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, will serve as the keynote speaker at the 32nd Annual Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Prayer Breakfast.
Dr. Barbara Jenkins has been dedicated to serving the needs of students for 30 years. She was named superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in 2012.
Under Dr. Jenkins’ leadership, the district won the prestigious 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education. The prize earned half-a-million dollars for student scholarships from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. The district also received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2014 and 2015 and the Sustained Excellence Award in 2017 for its exemplary performance using research-based best practices in its business.
In 2015, OCPS received District Accreditation from AdvancED for its best practices in the education field. OCPS has repeatedly been recognized by the College Board for increasing access to Advanced Placement course work, while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the number of students earning exam scores for college credit.
Dr. Jenkins is a recognized education leader. In January 2017, she received a presidential appointment as a director of the National Board of Education Sciences. She serves as Chairman of the Board for the Council of Great City Schools and is a member of Chiefs for Change and the Florida Council of 100. She is a board member for Educational Testing Service and is past president of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
In 2017, Dr. Jenkins was named the Florida Superintendent of the Year and one of four finalists for the national title. The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents named her Hispanic-Serving School District Superintendent of the Year and the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education named her CTE Superintendent of the Year. In 2016, the Florida Music Education Association named her Superintendent of the Year.
Recognized for her commitment and influence, both the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Magazine have named her as one of the 10 most powerful people in Central Florida on multiple occasions; Orlando Magazine ranked her number one in Education among its 2018 “50 Most Powerful.” The Orlando Business Journal honored her as a CEO of the Year in 2015. In 2014, she was named the Visionary Award recipient by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council and the Central Florida Woman of the Year by the Women’s Executive Council.
Deeply engaged in the community, Dr. Jenkins has served on the boards of Advent Health, Orlando Economic Partnership, United Arts of Central Florida, Central Florida Regional Commission on Homelessness and the Orange County Youth Mental Health Commission.
Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Family
Southwest Orlando Jaycees
City of Orlando’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
Letter from Senator Rick Scott
View LetterScholarship Information
Scholarships are awarded on behalf of the YMCA of Central Florida and the Southwest Orlando Jaycees. Recipients must be available for award presentation.
The scholarships are designed to assist a minority high school senior who’s planning to attend an accredited post-secondary institution in the Fall of 2023, but may lack the finances to cover all of the cost associated with attendance and/or books. Applicants must be in good academic standing, demonstrate strong leadership skills, and have some involvement with community service initiatives.
About the Scholarship
These scholarships sponsored by generous community donors are designed to assist minority high school seniors who are academically motivated and plan to go onto an accredited post-secondary institution of their choice.
Application Deadline
Applications are closed. Scholarship winners will be announced on January 16, 2023.
Virtual Prayer Wall
Be part of a community in prayer no matter where you are!
The YMCA movement was founded by people who came together to pray for their co-workers and community. That tradition still lasts today at the YMCA of Central Florida. We invite you to share your prayer request with us and also to pray for those who have asked us to keep them in our prayers as well.
Impacting Communities
Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to working side-by-side with our neighbors for more than 175 years.
Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission
The mission for the Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission is to strengthen our community by promoting Dr. King’s legacy of service, equality, justice, peace, respect and inclusion for all.
For more than three decades, the MLK Commission has joined with corporate and community partners to plan and promote a variety of programs and events that celebrate his life and legacy. Visit their website to view a calendar of events hosted in the City of Orlando to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.