Photo courtesy of the EFSC

Bank of America is granting a total of $410,000 to 19 nonprofits across Sarasota-Manatee this quarter, including the Education Foundation of Sarasota County (EFSC). The bank said it is focusing on creating opportunities in health, jobs, training and affordable housing systemic in order to achieve sustainable and significant progress to the area. Through investment and direct action, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently helped fund the EFSC's College, Career, Life Readiness initiative with a $15,000 grant. 

The gift will go directly towards EFSC's Student Success Program, designed to provide students with the tools and resources they need to prepare a plan for their lives after high school. Jennifer Vigne, Education Foundation president and CEO, said providing access to college and high-quality degree certification to all students in Sarasota County has been the driving force for the Foundation’s growth over the past five years, and the grant will provide needed support to carry out timely, important initiatives such as supporting students' pathway beyond high school to college graduation or certificate and entrance into the workforce.

Another prong of the Student Success Program is PLANit, which aims to help Sarasota students from low socio-economic backgrounds with an array of services to make college and high-value certifications more accessible. According to the Foundation, since 45.4% of students in Sarasota County Schools are economically disadvantaged, these programs are crucial to assuring that students have the support that they need to succeed in life and society. 

"The Education Foundation’s mission of developing and implementing targeted programming aligns with the Bank of America’s commitment to driving economic growth and opportunity for Sarasota-Manatee residents,” says Mike McCoy, President of Bank of America Sarasota-Manatee. “We hope that by providing students with the resources they need to thrive outside of school, we are positioning the next generation for success and are in turn helping the community prosper for years to come.”

More information about the Education Foundation and its programs that support student success is available at EdFoundationSRQ.org.

Photo courtesy of the EFSC