Engage

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has a new team ensuring the safety of students. A report questions the efficacy of active shooter drills in American schools. New research points to positive approaches to reducing the chances of developing Alzheimer’s. An Orlando based bandleader brings the sounds of Puerto Rico to Central Florida.

A battle is brewing over protecting rural land in Orange County after the state determined the long-term plan for managing growth is against the law. A local swim instructor tackles racial inequities around swimming safety to help students survive and thrive. Punk bands unite for a benefit concert to support Central Florida Public Media following major funding cuts.

Engage dives into how a slowdown in international visitors is being felt in a region fueled by its tourism economy, and whether shifts in political policies play a part. A race against time to preserve overlooked Black cemeteries in the state. A local chef and therapist serves up healing in more ways than one.

The passage of the federal spending reduction bill is predicted to result in the loss of healthcare for millions of Americans. Also, the state is scheduled to carry out the most executions in 45 years and a class in the Milk District is teaching women how to man the DJ decks.

Central Floridians are being taken to the new, remote ICE detention center in the Everglades. Supporters say it’s a necessary part of illegal immigration enforcement, but critics call it inhumane. Also, after years of planning, Winter Park has erected a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. as a memorial that also calls for civility and kindness.

A new law went into effect that allows houses of worship to circumvent local zoning codes to create on-site affordable housing. Public broadcasting entities are facing a major clawback of funding. The general managers of two of Central Florida’s public media stations discuss the impact on our communities. The Mary McLeod Bethune Home is reopening after more than two years of renovations.

Breaking down the impact of Governor DeSantis’s veto on environmental spending in the state. How tariff wars threaten the future of the fireworks industry. A new community resource hub is bringing together the region’s Caribbean American communities.

The 2025 state legislative session marked by budgetary disagreements and personal animus is finally over. We break down what’s being funded, what got cut, and the impact to the state’s education system. We look at trends in gun ownership in Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ communities. The City Beautiful welcomes soccer royalty and the huge international fanbase for the global showdown happening in Orlando on the pitch.

Planning Juneteenth commemoration events and the annual BLK Joy Festival under the backdrop of efforts to eliminate Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs. Growing interest in urban farming with Central Florida’s youngest farmers can shape the future of city agriculture and food insecurity. A group of skateboarding moms learn to skate, stumble, and support each other.

Thursday June 12, 2025, marks a solemn time of reflection as communities across Central Florida remember the friends and family lost at the Pulse Nightclub nine years ago. Engage speaks with survivors about how that night changed the rest of their lives. We hear the voices of a first responder and a grief counselor about the continuing efforts to provide healing for a scarred community. Zebra Youth’s Pride Prom provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth.