EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY

Community initiatives program:resiliency initiative. Launched in 2023, this initiative seeks to build resiliency in students, schools and across the community, which has been through so much in the past four years. The project provides school-based resiliency success coaches who provide coordinated, professional, caring support to students most at risk of not graduating high school. It trains professionals who support students in ways to promote resiliency, purpose, and well-being in their lives. It provides grant funding to teachers and schools most affected by hurricane ian, and it unites the community to identify challenges that students, families, and the community face today.planit sarasota. The local college access network (lcan) for sarasota county, planit sarasota is a cross-sector group of over 40 education, youth-serving, philanthropic, and business partners working to increase the rate of students who pursue purposeful education after high school. Its mission is to convene, connect, and collaborate with organizations and individuals to address the barriers that hinder students, especially underserved students, from attaining specialized training or a college diploma. The goal is to raise sarasota county's attainment rate to 60% by 2030 in alignment with florida's sail to 60 initiative.launchpad4u. A comprehensive community resource center available for students, teachers, parents, and community partners, including the school district, launchpad4u is designed as a learning lab where we can pilot innovative programs and resources. It serves as a stand-alone student success center. It is a meeting space for volunteer mentors and students, teacher ambassadors, and the planit sarasota steering committee. It is also a space to host teacher roundtable talks and to record our biweekly podcasts.stop-out and summer-melt initiative. This regional initiative with reach manatee and leap tampa identifies students who attended college but didn't finish and students who were accepted to college but never enrolled. A completion coach works with students and helps reduce barriers so they can resume their studies and earn a college degree or high-value certification.career explorations. Students receive a hands-on opportunity to explore careers in different industries that partner with the education foundation and planit sarasota such as sun hydraulics, fpl, chris craft, and tervis tumbler. Students visit these local businesses or related field sites to see them in action.career chats. Local businesses such as coke florida, pgt, fpl, and others as well as educational partners such as suncoast technical college meet with students to discuss career pathways and how to prepare for them. Students can learn about fast-tracking opportunities as well. Fafsa open houses. Because completing the fafsa is a key indicator of a student's likelihood of pursuing postsecondary education, planit sarasota harnesses the power of education and youth-serving partners to raise awareness of the fafsa and to directly help families complete the application. Planit sarasota coordinates with local high schools throughout the county to conduct open houses, where families can access direct, expert support to complete the application.education conversations. Hosted by jennifer vigne, president and ceo of the education foundation of sarasota county, education conversations is a podcast that brings together teachers, students, community stakeholders, and thought leaders to explore and share innovative and relevant thoughts, research, and ideas on education today. The podcast seeks to unite the community to explore ways to help students thrive.

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