The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to support the partnerships between the Boys & Girls Club and Take Stock in Children – Sarasota County, to bring the College Resource and Success Center to the Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club.  The College Resource and Success Center will utilize an innovative approach to post-secondary decision-making by bringing together up-to-date resources with trained staff and volunteers to provide free assistance to local area residents. Some of the assistance provided by the center will include: support with selecting colleges (including technical/vocational schools), applying for admission, resume and essay writing, volunteer/community hours, and searching for and securing educational funding (including FAFSA, Bright Futures and scholarships). 

“This is going to be an incredible resource for our community,” says Earl Young, Manager of Scholarship and Special Initiatives. “The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has been exploring various ways to implement or support a resource center of this magnitude in the northern part of the county, and thanks to the partnership between the Boys & Girls Club and TSIC – Sarasota County, we have found the perfect scenario to implementation this invaluable resource. Both do a great job in preparing young adults to tackle the challenges associated with ensuring college and career readiness and we couldn’t think of better partners to make this resource a reality.”

Opening its doors soon, the College Resource and Success Center will be open to the public via an online registration/appointment system. The center will be equipped with 12 laptops and a custom built and managed database with hundreds of scholarship opportunities available. The College Resource and Success Center will have a fully dedicated staff trained in utilizing the system to assist prospective students. The format of this new resource center is based off of the long-term success of a similar program operating out of Venice High School’s Rotary Futures Scholarship Program.

Photo provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to partner with SRQ Media Group to highlight stories about community impact powered by philanthropy in our region, thanks to the support of donors and our local nonprofit partners. The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County