Resilient Retreat Founder, Dr. Sidney Turner, and Executive Director, Lisa Intagliata recently joined national radio host, Elaine Miller-Karas, for an episode of Resiliency Within - Building Resiliency During Unprecedented Times on the VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel. Recorded last month, this far-ranging and personal interview delves into the history of Resilient Retreat, its unique approach to trauma-informed care, and how beliefs and wellbeing are being challenged during these unprecedented times. The program also touches on how the COVID pandemic has, and continues, to generate a wide spectrum of trauma-related illnesses and impacts within all sectors of the community including among survivors of abuse, first responders, and helping professionals.

“Resiliency Within is an essential national voice for information and hope about trauma at a very challenging time for individual and community health here and around the world,” said Dr. Sidney Turner, Founder and Chair, Board of Directors. “Understanding trauma and how it’s treated opens doors to healing and hope for victims of abuse and those experiencing trauma so that they thrive, not just survive. I was especially pleased with the opportunity to share my story and how trauma-informed care transformed my life.”

Airing Mondays at 1 PM Pacific Time (4PM Eastern) on VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel, Resiliency Within is about cultivating individual and community resiliency. Elaine Miller-Karas has been called an "ambassador of hope" and a "resilience guru." She is an author, a social worker, a trauma therapist, co-founder of an international organization, the Trauma Resource Institute, Inc., and a key developer of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. The goal of the program is to spread wellbeing and give individual and community examples to inspire how wellness skills, including ones based upon neuroscience and the biology of the human nervous system, can be integrated into one's life, family and community during difficult times. 

To listen to the episode click here.

High school and middle school students from across Sarasota County Schools benefited from a statewide investment by AT&T this year, one that seeks to engage students who may have fallen behind during the pandemic as well as those in underserved communities, families needing support with distance learning, and high school students seeking to jump start their STEM careers through industry certifications.  For the 12th consecutive year, AT&T is working with the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (Consortium) to support hands-on learning opportunities. Nineteen separate projects organized and funded through Consortium member local education foundations will re-engage students who have gotten behind in academics and/or are in underserved communities through hands-on STEAM enrichment activities, student-led digital divide support or increasing CTE certification completion.  

With the Full STEAM Ahead for Florida’s Future grant, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County will provide innovative, hands-on learning opportunities while raising awareness of STEAM-related fields. In a project titled Building STEAM through the Career Skills Challenge, it will help make possible two Career Skills Challenges. Students and teams of students from area high schools and middle schools will compete in 12 career skills challenges in areas such as video production, VEX Robotics, CAD design, and coding. These hands-on, enrichment activities will be held at Suncoast Technical College. The first skills challenge, for high school students, was held on December 9, 2021, and was a tremendous success, with 175 students from all seven high schools participating. Venice High School won the all-around school championship for the Career Skills Challenge. Middle school students competed on March 31, 2022, at Suncoast Technical College-North Port, with 120 students from area middle schools participating. Laurel Nokomis School won the all-around school championship for the Career Skills Challenge. The Career Skills Challenge increases career awareness, exploration, and concentration throughout the Sarasota County school district. It celebrates students interested in STEAM-related fields and affords them an opportunity to network with peers and meet the judges, adult experts in the career fields these students are interested in. This year’s statewide grant brings the total investment by AT&T over eleven years to more than $1 million. More than 79,000 students have been directly impacted through 469 projects involving 954 local workplace partners throughout Florida.   

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Give OUT Day is a month-long fundraising campaign culminating on June 30, the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ+ community. Last year Give OUT Day raised over $1.9 million for LGBTQ+ nonprofits! Give OUT Day is hosted by Horizons Foundation, the world's first LGBTQ+ community foundation. Give OUT Day 2022 takes place during Pride Month. While Give OUT Day itself is Thursday, June 30, donors can give any time starting June 1. Donations throughout all of Pride Month count toward the prizes for nonprofits. Why Support ALSO Youth During Pride Month? ALSO Youth needs your support now more than ever. In recent months, there have been countless attempts to disenfranchise our youth and the LGBTQ+ population in Florida at large. The services we offer are designed to promote affirming and engaging experiences for ages 10-24 in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. With your support, we can continue offering monthly programming, free counseling, various support groups, and so much more. 

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Sixteen-time Grammy award-winning musician, composer, and producer David Foster and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star, Katharine McPhee are bringing their viral Instagram show on the road. The Kat and Dave Show comes to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 24 at 10 a.m. Coming directly from the living room to the stage, this intimate show with the powerhouse duo will be packed with David’s hits from Chicago, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and more, and Kat’s biggest songs from American Idol, Smash and Waitress. Plus, some of their favorites that they just love.

Dave is gearing up to take on Broadway with several projects including writing the music for a new musical about the iconic, animated character “Betty Boop.” He is also writing the music for a musical based on the Amy Bloom novel and New York Times bestseller, Lucky Us. Katherine can most recently be seen starring in the Netflix Original Series, County Comfort. Previously she starred as Paige Dineen on the CBS spy drama Scorpion and starred in NBC’s award-winning musical series Smash, executive produced by Steve Spielberg. Her other television credits include CSI: New York, Community and Family Guy. Katherine appeared on the big screen in Relativity’s Shark Night 3D and Columbia’s romantic comedy The House Bunny. In addition to her acting career, she finds great success in the music space after her turn on season five of America Idol. Katherine’s first single debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart. Her debut album landed on the Billboard 200 chart and went gold in 2008. She also has a presence in theater, having recently starred in both the U.S. and U.K. productions of  Waitress. 

Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is asking Sarasota County voters to consider becoming poll workers for the coming August 23 Primary Election and the November 8 General Election. The supervisor of elections office recruits and trains several hundred poll workers in advance of each election. These workers are vital to the administration of elections in Sarasota County. With two countywide elections approaching, Turner is putting out the call for additional poll workers to ensure election day polling places are run efficiently, accurately and fairly. Requirements for becoming a poll worker include being a registered (or pre-registered) voter of Sarasota County and being able to attend training and work on election day. Poll workers are paid a total of $175 to $300 per election, based on position. For the August 23 Primary Election, there is a particular need for inspectors and deputies. Turner also urges local high school and college students who meet the requirements to become poll workers. In addition to getting paid for their service, students may also receive valuable community service hours for training. More information about becoming a poll worker can be found at SarasotaVotes.gov/Poll-Workers or by calling 941.861.8640.  

DreamLarge is excited to announce A RADD Show, a free, community-centric concert in the Rosemary Art & Design District, featuring two Sarasota local bands, Physical Plant and Me Umbra, and Orlando-based blues band, Shreddie King. Physical Plant, founded at New College of Florida and self-described as reanimated from the cryogenics lab of 1976, is a four-piece rock band incorporating high-energy funk, heavy guitars, and ambitious arrangements – they’re that velvety punch of alternative southern rock missing from your life. Me Umbra, graduates from New College’s music program, blends electronic synths, organic keys, and deep bass, all topped with the silky vocals that keep you entranced. Shreddie King, a blues powerhouse band from Orlando, fully embodies the soulful, distinctive guitar playing of Freddie King. Their high energy blues with dueling guitars keeps crowds moving to their beats. A RADD Show is part of ongoing efforts of DreamLarge to activate and energize the Rosemary District through free community events. Other upcoming events include Yoga at Rosemary Park, taking place every Friday evening through June, and LOVEWINS: Art Exhibition featuring LGBTQ+ artists and creatives. For any questions, please contact hello@dreamlarge.org or visit www.dreamlarge.org for more information and to RSVP for events.

This free, outdoor concert takes place Saturday, June 25 from 8 - 10 pm in the DreamLarge Yard, 600 Central Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236. 

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Dan Ceaser, the Head of School of Hershorin Schiff Community Day School, was recently selected to serve on the Alumni Council of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Ceaser’s term begins on July 1 and will run for four years. The Alumni Council is an international committee of highly accomplished Harvard Graduate School of Education alumniselected by Harvard to provide a valuable connection between the university and its growing network of alumni. Council members work to strengthen the relationship between the school and its alumni through engagement and outreach, including event development and support, admissions recruitment, strengthening volunteer opportunities, and broadening alumni networks. Council members serve as both representatives of the larger alumni body and as sources of information for the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.Dan Ceaser is a nationally recognized school leader with more than 18 years of administrative leadership experience. He is a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and the Fisher School Leadership Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Dan also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from American University and a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College. In addition, Dan taught at the University of South Florida School of Education, served as a member of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Principal Center Advisory Board, and has worked to create professional development offerings for outstanding school leaders around the world. 

Pictured: CDS Head of School Dan Ceaser with students.