Since its beginning in 1999, the Scheidel Foundation has been dedicated to supporting education and promoting college success. The foundation believes that education after high school can transform the lives of students and their families for generations to come.
Caroline Wertz, Senior Director of Foundation Programs at the Scheidel Foundation, knows well the power of education. Before coming to the Scheidel Foundation, she worked at Fair Chance, which supported organizations working directly with students and families to help them reach their full potential. Wertz would see firsthand how educational support and opportunities change the lives of low-income students in the Washington, D.C. area. “Without the support of these organizations,” Wertz said, “many of these kids wouldn’t reach their dreams.”
Her experience of seeing lives changed by education after high school, of hearing about young people finding their first higher-skilled, higher-paying job, how proud they felt and how hopeful—it inspires her work today. She loves being part of a nimble, responsive family foundation that supports organizations so they can do more to improve communities through educational opportunities.
For the 2022 – 2023 school year, the Scheidel Foundation gave $25,000 to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County in support of its leadership in PLANit Sarasota, the local college access network (LCAN) for Sarasota, and its work to prepare students for life. Thanks to this generosity, we can do more to help students get ready and go further.
Wertz sees the Education Foundation filling a need to prepare students for life after high school and to serve as a hub that can harness diverse community partners to create opportunities for students. She sees the tremendous value of PLANit Sarasota, which brings together stakeholders from across the community to reach and support underserved students so they can access education pathways—be that through Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) support, career explorations, and student-led campaigns to promote college, career, and life readiness. She is also excited about the Student Success Center model, where students, especially first-generation college students, can access so many resources in one convenient place and work one on one with a Student Success Coach.
The belief in the transformative powers of education inspires everything we do at the Education Foundation, and we are grateful for the Scheidel Foundation’s ongoing support and for their faith in our work to help prepare each and every student for life after high school.
