Florida Man Recognized As Extraordinary Volunteer

The Young Marines named Steve Black as the Adult Volunteer of the Year for Division 3. He is the unit commander with the Imagine School Young Marines, located at 2757 Sycamore St., North Port, Florida. The unit is school-embedded, and only Imagine School students can join.

The Young Marines is a youth education and service program for boys and girls, age 8 through high school graduation. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on character building, leadership, and it promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Division 3 includes six states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Imagine School Young Marines has 75 youth members and eight adult volunteers.

Each Young Marine unit is led and guided by adult volunteers. There are nearly 2,100 adult volunteers with the organization. Annually, one adult volunteer is selected from each of six divisions for “Division Volunteer of the Year.”

“The Young Marines provides a positive course as well as high expectations for today’s students,” Unit Commander Black said. “We are a school-embedded unit, and as such, all our Young Marines are also students at our school.”

“Steve’s passion and determination really stand out in all he has done for his unit as well as for the organization,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. "He is a dedicated mentor and teacher, reflecting all the best traits of our volunteers.”

Unit Commander Black creates frequent emails that go to youth members, parents, adult volunteers, and friends of the unit. The emails include praise, recognition, news, video links, narratives, reminders, and many photographs of the Imagine School Young Marines in action. This form of detailed communication ensures that all youth members and parents are informed about unit activities.

“This is my 50th year in public education,” Unit Commander Black said. “Over the years, I have served as a classroom teacher, elementary principal, high school principal, superintendent of schools, and college dean. Of all those roles, serving as the unit commander of the Imagine School Young Marines is the most rewarding.”

For more information, call Steve Black at the school at 941-426-2050, Ext. 711.

About the Young Marines

The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through high school graduation. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Since the Young Marines' humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to more than 238 units with 6,100 youth and 2,100 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in a host of other countries.

For more information, visit the official website at: https://youngmarines.org.