Three Miami groups win $25,000 awards for work on housing, education and climate
Three community groups were named on Thursday as the first winners of the Elevate Miami Awards and will each receive $25,000 to further their work in three major areas of need in Miami: housing, education, and climate.
The three groups were chosen for making a tangible, positive difference in people’s lives — especially in ways that build connection, belonging, and opportunity in their communities, said the Elevate Prize Foundation, the main sponsor of the awards.
The winners were chosen by a panel named by the Elevate Prize Foundation and included seven Miami Dade College students – Elevate Miami Impact Fellows – who wrote the stories below about the winners.
Propelling Into Triumph (PIT Center)
Why is this organization’s work important in Miami right now?
Propelling Into Triumph, better known as The PIT Center, stands out as a guiding force for young adults aging out of foster care. These people are often overlooked once the system lets them go. In a city like Miami where independence can feel overwhelming without guidance or stability, The PIT steps in to provide mentorship, life skills and community. “We’re not just preparing them for adulthood; we’re helping them build a foundation for their future,” says founder LaToya Stirrup. Their presence becomes vital now, more than ever, as costs rise and support is limited, leaving too many youths at risk of homelessness or unemployment.
What makes this organization’s approach compelling?
The PIT Center’s programs go beyond the bare minimum. From their Success Coaching initiative to the Mommy & Me support group for young mothers, they offer emotional, educational, and financial guidance all under one roof. What makes them especially compelling is how they blend structure with love. Every participant gets the opportunity to feel seen and heard. “They didn’t judge me — they helped me grow,” one participant said on their Instagram page, where The PIT regularly posts inspiring transformations and graduation moments. The PIT’s authentic connection with youth on social media brings its message to life, showing Miami the beauty of second chances and resilience.
What excites you about what this organization can accomplish?
We chose The PIT Center because its model of empowerment has the potential to break generational cycles. With more visibility and support, it could expand its housing partnerships, create more career pipelines, and open additional centers across South Florida. The PIT doesn’t just prepare young people for independence, it teaches them how to thrive with purpose. If more people from all across the globe knew about The PIT’s work, the city could witness a new wave of empowering youth, turning their struggles into success.
The Hive MIA
The Hive is one of Miami’s up-and-coming youth spaces, dedicated to empowering and facilitating innovative thinking by combining community with new mediums of self-expression and discovery. Earlier this year, county Mayor Daniella Levine Cava proposed cutting arts and cultural grants, affecting a large portion of Miami’s artistic population who make a livelihood from the arts. Most of those cuts were eventually cancelled. However, amid reversion of funds and future fiscal changes, locations like The Hive become necessary for community strengthening, engagement and hope. This nonprofit enables its members to explore various artistic avenues, ranging from design and fashion to media and visual arts. It provides equipment, technological and life skills, leadership, and much more.
Miami needs spaces like this where teens can create culture, not just consume it. Supporting The Hive means investing in the next chapter of Miami’s story, one written and led by its youth. While The Hive is currently looking for a permanent space to continue its mission, Miami’s young people have found a place where they can develop and pursue their passions. With the visibility and new support provided, their voices will amplify and resonate across Miami, ideally expanding programs and tutoring opportunities for students with the support of new partners, inspired volunteers, and community members. Now more than ever, it is important to bring teens together; to build communities and find passions that will carry them through the next stage of their lives.
Why is this organization’s work important in Miami right now?
The Hive MIA reimagines what the teen spaces look like in Miami. It’s a city full of talent but lacking safe, creative hubs for youth expression. Founded by Andrea Mirabal, The Hive is a teen-led creative studio that gives young people access to design, tech, and media tools they might not have otherwise. “We wanted to build something that feels like freedom for teens,” Mirabal said in a recent feature. At a time when youth need both guidance and independence, The Hive gives them both, right in the heart of a city bursting with creativity.
What makes this organization’s approach compelling?
What sets The Hive apart is that it’s designed for teens, by teens. Its programs invite young people to take leadership roles, teach workshops, and even manage events. Its social media presence on Instagram (@thehivemia) is filled with bright visuals, student projects and community events that spotlight teen voices. “I come here to be myself,” one student shared in a post, smiling beside a mural she helped to paint. This hands-on approach and digital visibility help The Hive meet youth exactly where they are. This overall inspires confidence through creativity and collaboration.
What excites you about what this organization can accomplish?
We chose The Hive because it represents the next generation of innovation and self-expression in Miami. With more support, it could expand its mobile studio program, reaching teens in neighborhoods that lack access to art and tech spaces. The Hive’s vision isn’t just about creativity. The vision is about opportunity. If given more exposure, The Hive could help shape Miami into a true hub for youth-led innovation, with inspiration fueled by student-empowerment.
Health in the Hood
Miami is on the front lines of climate change, extreme heat, flooding, and rising costs of living, which are putting extra pressure on families, especially in underserved neighborhoods. Many of these communities also face “food deserts,” where it’s easier to find fast food than fresh produce. That lack of access to healthy food deepens health problems and weakens resilience in the face of climate-change impacts.
Health in the Hood tackles this challenge directly by turning vacant lots into thriving urban gardens. These spaces don’t just grow vegetables, they grow shade, community, and opportunity. Its gardens bring life back to the block, helping cool neighborhoods and reconnecting people to the land and to each other as a community.
What makes Health in the Hood so powerful are its simplicity and heart. Founded by Asha Walker, a Miami native who saw firsthand how food insecurity affects families, the organization plants community gardens in the very neighborhoods that need them most.
The organization’s model blends sustainability, education, and equity:
▪ It gets local residents to manage the gardens.
▪ It distributes fresh produce for free to families who might otherwise go without.
▪ It teaches kids to plant, harvest, and cook, helping them understand where food comes from and why it really matters.
Each garden becomes more than a source of food; it’s a community hub and a classroom. Walker’s vision is simple: “We’re planting seeds of health and opportunity, right where people live.”
Health in the Hood has already shown what’s possible when communities take climate and health into their own hands. With more visibility and support, their gardens could bloom across the entire county of Miami-Dade, transforming unused land into green, sustainable food sources that fight hunger, improve health, and strengthen resilience in the neighborhoods.
Imagine a Miami where every neighborhood has access to fresh produce, where children grow up surrounded by green spaces instead of empty lots, and where climate action starts right in our backyards. That’s the future Health in the Hood is building, one seed at the time.
Why is this organization’s work important in Miami right now?
Health in the Hood tackles one of Miami’s biggest hidden crises: food insecurity. In communities where fast food is often the only nearby option, Health in the Hood brings gardens, fresh produce, and wellness education right to people’s doorsteps. “Access to healthy food shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code,” Walker said in an interview, capturing the heart of her mission. As Miami continues to grow and gentrify, her work ensures that equity and wellness grow with it.
What makes this organization’s approach compelling?
Its approach is simple yet eye catching. It turns vacant lots into gardens that feed humans healthy foods. Health in the Hood doesn’t just drop off vegetables; it teaches residents how to grow their own food, hosts cooking workshops, and provides nutrition education for families. The organization’s Instagram page, @healthinthehood, goes beyond implementing vibrant photos of kids planting seeds, volunteers harvesting greens, and neighbors coming together to celebrate health. One post caption reads, “We’re planting more than gardens — we’re planting hope.” That realistic approach and community connection make their impact impossible to ignore.
What excites you about what this organization can accomplish?
We chose Health in the Hood because it is redefining what community health looks like. With increased visibility and funds from the Elevate Miami Award, the group could expand its network of gardens, create youth employment programs, and bring fresh produce to every underserved area in Miami. Its work proves that health equity is achievable when people come together with heart, purpose, and a shared vision for a better city. Health in the Hood shows that change can literally start from the ground up, and that’s something worth investing in.
This article was written by seven Miami Dade College students who are Elevate Miami Impact Fellows: Alejandro Fayad, Ian Rodríguez Galán, Diego Guiu, Sarahi Lovo, Madisson Orozco, Drew Raph-Lundeen, Darmonique Rivers and Malcolm Sims.
This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM.