FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (August 12, 2021) – Step One Automotive Group is on a mission to support classrooms and students in Okaloosa County through a larger Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) initiative this month called Subaru Loves Learning. Teaming up with philanthropic partner AdoptAClassroom.org, Subaru Fort Walton Beach and more than 600 Subaru retailers across the county, will supply local schools with the resources necessary for students to learn and grow in the classroom. Nationally, this landmark partnership will benefit more than 114,000 students, including those in the Fort Walton Beach community.

As part of the August initiative, which aims to help make learning accessible to as many minds as possible, Step One Automotive Group will support W.C. Pryor Middle School students and parents to help teachers purchase the supplies, materials, and tools their students need to succeed. These vital classroom resources are intended to enhance education and help Fort Walton Beach students as they learn to grow academically. The educators of the middle school agreed on an essential tool to help a large percentage of their students who fall under the category of English Language Learners.

“We plan to purchase headsets that translate Spanish to English and English to Spanish for our Spanish speaking students and parents,” said Brooke Barron, Principal of Pryor Middle School. “We have about 30% of our populations as English Language Learners who don’t know English and neither do their parents.”

Apart from the $10,000 in financial support, Step One Automotive Group has taken a large role in supporting Pryor Middle School throughout the year. Step One Automotive Group kicked off the 2021-2022 school year for W.C. Pryor Middle School teachers with a pancake breakfast. Located in the heart of Fort Walton Beach off Racetrack Rd., Pryor Middle School has roughly fifty teachers. The start of the school year is a busy, exciting time for teachers and staff, who begin classroom setup, lesson planning, and everything in between, weeks before children step through the door.

Step One also invited the teachers of Pryor Middle School to hear motivational speaker and retired Air Force Colonel Ed Hubbard speak about his experiences as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and how overcoming adversity can be an opportunity for personal growth and development. The message resonated with many educators still reeling from a year of COVID.

Pryor Middle School has a large population of English Language Learners who sometimes struggle just to keep up with their classmates. To help encourage these young people, Step One CEO, Fernando Arellano, and members of his Executive Team came to Pryor to speak to the ELL students about the importance of hard work and how anyone can achieve their dreams if they stay focused and work hard.

The entire management team at Step One became involved with the children at Pryor when they came together to raise money for students who needed eye care. In partnership with Shalimar Eye Care, Step One provided eighteen sixth graders eye exams and a pair of glasses completely free of charge. These students will now be able to focus on learning and experiencing middle school all while being able to see with corrective vision.

And every Christmas, Step One partners with Pryor to support their Christmas Wish Program, helping purchase bicycles for the children at the school. Many of these children use these bikes to travel back and forth from their homes to school.

“Since first meeting Ms. Barron and hearing how passionate she is about her middle schoolers, all of us at Step One wanted to help make a difference” said Maureen Bierman, Communications Director, Step One Automotive Group. “The opportunity to partner with Subaru of America, Inc. and AdoptAClassroom.org to donate $10,000 to Pryor Middle School has been as equally exciting to us. We hope to continue providing resources to the local students, families, and teachers in our community.”

Thank you to Subaru of America, Inc. and AdoptAClassroom.org for their Subaru Loves Learning initiative which has already helped over 114,000 students throughout the nation. The numbers continue to grow, and we are thankful our community is part of that effort.

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About Step One Automotive Group

Step One Automotive Group is an American company based in Florida that was built on a singular dedication to empowering lives through smarter and easier way of accessing mobility.

Step One Automotive Group owns 19 dealerships in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, representing 16 brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Volkswagen, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, Ford, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. Please visit www.steponeautomotive.com/ or find Step One Automotive Group on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

All children deserve an education that will help them achieve their dreams. However, students in many schools across the country lack the supplies and resources needed to succeed in the classroom. Subaru of America, Inc. and its retailers want to help.

This August, through #SubaruLovesLearning , Subaru and its retailers have partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org to support schools and students in need by equipping them with the resources necessary to learn and grow in the classroom.