The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation board has approved $1.8 million for three new initiatives, four grants and support for programs the Barancik family funds annually. The three new initiatives aim to address immediate needs in the areas of student success, environmental stewardship and family enrichment.
With Florida and Sarasota County continuing to experience a shortage of qualified teachers, the Barancik Foundation partnered with Sarasota County Schools to spend $87,500 over five years to launch the Educators Rising Initiative. The program will recruit high school students to become teachers by offering career and technical education and dual enrollment courses, the foundation said in a news release Thursday. Students will gain additional career experience in a new Florida Future Educators of America student club.
“When students succeed, our entire community prospers,” said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO of Barancik Foundation. “While K-12 enrollment is increasing, there is a 35% decline in those entering the teaching profession. Educators Rising will alleviate this shortage by offering students a clear, quick and meaningful career path.”
The initiative also meshes with the Barancik Foundation Emerging Educators Initiative. In combination, they address the teacher shortage by recruiting students and adults into the profession. Barancik Foundation Emerging Educators, launched in 2017, recruits adults with college degrees interested in a second career in teaching. Participants earn a teaching certificate at State College of Florida’s Educator Preparation Institute and are immediately eligible to become teachers.
Through the environmental initiative, this summer select students from Boys & Girls Clubs, Girls Inc. and Laurel Civic Association will attend a new week-long environmental education camp. Developed in partnership with Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Conservation Foundation, Mote Marine Laboratory and Selby Gardens, the foundation will spend $39,100 to offer summer camp to low-income youth. Youth will learn about science and nature through hands-on experiments and reflective outdoor exercises. Campers will also attend Asolo Rep’s production of Jungle Book.
In addition, Barancik is helping form First 1,000 Days Sarasota County, an effort launching in April with nearly nearly 30 community partners that will provide families and babies better access to needed community resources. Barancik Foundation will spend $50,000 to seed a charitable fund to support First 1,000 Days Sarasota County’s ideas. Another $15,000 was approved for marketing and communications.
Baranciki's board also approved a series of grants:
Asolo Rep’s received $30,000 over two years to help underserved populations experience the arts and attend the theatre in the summer.
Cross Campus Alliance (formerly College Consortium on the Creative Coast) received $30,730 to continue its work to broaden student experiences and establish the region as a destination for academic excellence.
JoshProvides Epilepsy Assistance Foundation received $9,800 to pay for seizure detection and monitoring devices, including therapy dogs, in-home cameras and wrist watches.
Barancik Foundation also joined in a community effort to address adult homelessness by offering rapid rehousing and support to individuals. Over $1.5-million has been raised to support this strategy, which will be led by St. Vincent de Paul of South Pinellas, an organization with a proven track record of delivering rapid rehousing and stabilization services.
The Charles and Margery Barancik was established in 2014 and awards grants in Sarasota and beyond in the areas of education, humanitarian causes, arts and culture, the environment and medical research.