The Guardian Catholic Schools is a non-profit organization located in Jacksonville, Florida. Established in 1995 by community and business leaders of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, our mission is “to participate in God’s work by supplying resources to St. Pius V and Holy Rosary Catholic schools to support them in providing educational and spiritual opportunities to children and families regardless of religious preference or economic status.”

To date, we’ve provided over $7.9 million in assistance to help fund the schools’ daily operations, expansion programs and tuition assistance scholarships. We raise money and in-kind gifts through fundraising events, donations from private citizens and businesses, grants, and community partnerships. One hundred percent of all gifts are passed directly to the schools.

The legacy of our work has been to make a profound difference in the lives of children and a positive impact within the life of our community. If you would like to take part in this important mission, find out how to become a Guardian Catholic Schools donor by clicking here.

 

 

 

Executive Director

Shariffa is a bi-lingual certified Mental Health Professional who received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Tuskegee University, Master of Science in Conflict Resolution from Nova Southeastern University and is certified in Deprivation Mediation in the state of Georgia where she served as the Mental Health Director for the Child/Adolescent & Adult Departments.

Shariffa comes to Jacksonville with over fourteen years of experience in Health Care Administration, Program development, building community partnerships, overseeing budgets, grants & contracts, and event planning. As an active Public Health Educator she has been acknowledge and recognized for her great work and contributions for co-publishing statewide statistics regarding high risk health concerns affecting youth (About Our Youth- June Edition 2001,GA).

Having served as a consultant for the Dekalb County School System and Fulton County Housing Authority, Shariffa contracted services addressing the need for improved classroom behavioral management, coordinated leadership programs with various government branches, administered contract audits for Fulton County programs, orchestrated community coalitions, and planned events for County Elected Government officials. As a past member of the Dekalb Community Service Board Speakers Bureau, Mrs. Spicer is a dynamic motivational speaker that inspires through communication. She firmly believes life is about indentifying, correction, and consistency that should ultimately bring about overall improvement.

Message from the Executive Director, Shariffa A. Spicer

It is truly an honor to have been appointed the Executive Director of the Guardian Catholic Schools. I welcome the opportunity to engage in the ongoing collective efforts of Guardian and its community partners. In order to remain an active driving force that addresses the educational needs of children in north Jacksonville, particularly the Durkeeville and Brentwood communities where our schools are located, The Guardian Board of Trustees has clearly outlined three primary areas of immediate focus. These areas involve maintaining great relations with our existing donor base, special efforts placed towards identifying & securing national grants and foundations, and placing greater emphasis on expanding our existing donor base.

We invite you to read through our website, which contains snap shots of the latest trends of donor contributions and highlights of our overall successes. We stand ready to assist you in any way we can on particular matters on school reports, statistics and community collaboratives. Please, do not hesitate to call us if you think we can be of some help.

I look forward to continuing in the efforts of formulating a better Jacksonville, one student at a time.