Every kindergartner in Christine Powell's classroom mastered their letters and sounds last school year, according to the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County. Most were reading at a first-grade level by May.

Powell, known as "Grandma Powell" to students at Maximo Elementary School in St. Petersburg, earned JWB's third KidsFirst Cooperman-Bogue Award of 2026. JWB Interim CEO Karen Boggess recognized Powell on June 29 and honored her publicly at JWB's July board meeting, according to the Clearwater-headquartered agency.

The volunteer has spent seven years in the Foster Grandparent Program run by Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay. For the past three years, she has worked one-on-one with kindergartners in teacher Laura Nordstrom's classroom, providing literacy support that JWB's award citation described as the "heart and soul" of the room.

"I just love it, I love it because they are our future and it also motivates me to get up out of bed and get dressed and keep my brain active," Powell told Tampa Bay's WFTS in August 2025, when Seniors in Service was recruiting new classroom grandparents for the school year. "I learn from them and they learn from me, and also help the teachers in the classroom because they really do need the help."

Powell also serves on Maximo Elementary's School Advisory Council, where she helps shape school-wide initiatives. Pinellas County Schools previously named her a 2024-2025 Outstanding School Volunteer Nominee.

The KidsFirst Cooperman-Bogue Awards have recognized frontline professionals and volunteers working with Pinellas County children for more than 30 years, according to JWB. The agency is headquartered at 14155 58th St. North in Clearwater and funds programs across the county.

How Pinellas seniors can become classroom grandparents

The Foster Grandparent Program, part of the national AmeriCorps Seniors network, places volunteers age 55 and older in schools and after-school programs to mentor children with individualized attention. Seniors in Service works with about 16 schools in Pinellas County alone, and program coordinator Kim Skrovanek told the St. Pete Catalyst in August 2025 that 99.5% of students paired with a classroom grandparent show measurable improvement by year's end.

Low-income seniors who volunteer may qualify for a small stipend. More information is available at seniorsinservice.org.

A new school year starts Aug. 11

Pinellas County Schools opens the 2026-2027 school year on Aug. 11. Volunteers like Powell will be back in classrooms that week.