This September, we got to hear from our tenant partner, Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County. #GlasserPassports is a monthly program in which one tenant partner talks to their neighbors about what they do, and connections are made. The setting is casual, with the help of Apple Spice Catering, who sponsored the event with some of their free boxed lunches.
Among many other things, ELC provides financial scholarships to income-eligible families. In fact, 95% of ELC's funding goes directly to those scholarships and child/family services.
But ELC is committed to going beyond scholarships, administering the VPK program, and ensuring quality for Sarasota childcare facilities. Their outreach in the community covers a variety of ways to improve learning and care for children. For example, they have a great program called the Literacy Buddy Project, which pairs preschool children with an adult volunteer to correspond with letters and books. They also have a preschool quality rating system called Look for the Stars, helping parents identify quality childcare programs.
Attendees at this #GlasserPassports presentation were particularly interested in how they might help their clients connect with preschool scholarships, how they might find childcare for their own families and friends, and how they might be able to volunteer through the Literacy Buddy Project.
For more information about ELC's offerings, and ways you can get involved, visit their website for more resources and opportunities to make a difference.