Education Foundation of Sarasota County

Student success program: to help each and every student graduate high school prepared to thrive in a fast-changing, 21st-century, global economy, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County launched its college, career, and life readiness (cclr) initiative in 2016. The initiative seeks to provide proven, comprehensive support to students who need it most and to instill in them a mindset of readiness. We develop and staff student success centers where students work one-on-one with our trusted, expert student success coaches to plan and prepare for college, career, and life. At these centers and at launchpad4u, our community resource center, students can access technology, workshops, open houses, and college and career fairs. We provide mentoring for at-risk and first-generation college students, and our mentors support their mentees through the completion of a college degree or high-value certification. We help students fund their Education through scholarships such as jumpstart your future!, which cover low-income students' tuition for a year at the Florida state college tuition rate. We also celebrate remarkable students who have overcome challenges to succeed through the strive awards. At the heart of this comprehensive, impactful support is our belief that each and every student should have access to relationships and resources that make a difference so that they can thrive.

Community initiatives program:planit Sarasota is the local college access network (lcan) for Sarasota County. With the Education Foundation serving as the backbone organization, planit Sarasota is an alliance of over 40 community, Education, and business partners working to increase the rate of students who pursue purposeful Education after high school. Planit Sarasota is especially focused on improving that rate among underserved and underrepresented students. Its goal is to convene, connect, and collaborate with organizations and individuals to address the barriers that hinder students from gaining an Education beyond high school. Through the coordinated and intentional efforts of its partners, planit Sarasota seeks to increase the percentage of Sarasota County residents 24 years and under who have obtained a high value certificate or degree to 60% by 2030.

Teacher support program:we champion teachers because they play an essential role in preparing students for life after high school and instilling in them a lifelong love of learning. We support teachers through educatesrq classroom grants, the ignite Education teacher of the year awards, and teacher leadership initiatives. Each year, we provide teachers with grants they can use to purchase classroom materials and learning opportunities and that schools can use for schoolwide, multidisciplinary, hands-on learning experiences that infuse lessons with excitement. These grants help teachers innovate their lessons and do more to meet their students' unique needs. We also celebrate exceptional teachers each year at an event that brings together teachers and their families, school and district administrators, local politicians and business leaders, and philanthropists. The ignite Education teacher of the year award celebration highlights the amazing and often overlooked work that great teachers do every day to help students thrive. To further support teachers, we have launched initiatives such as the teacher ambassador program and teacher roundtable talks. These programs bring together teachers to engage with peers, the Education Foundation, and Education leaders to collaborate, grow, and lead.