PLANit Sarasota is a cross-sector group of education and youth services organizations and community partners focused on increasing the rate of students who pursue a purposeful postsecondary pathway, particularly among those historically underrepresented in higher education.
The Education Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to serve as the convening organization for the Sarasota Local College Access Network.
In fall 2018, the EFSC began serving as the backbone organization to convene PLANit Sarasota for its next, broader iteration supported by early funders Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation.
Most recently, PLANit Sarasota workgroups have been focusing on helping families and graduates learn about the potential long-term consequences that taking an untraditional “gap year” could result in, due to unforeseen lasting effects of COVID-19 on families and students. PLANit Sarasota has prepared a resource guide that includes answers to frequently asked questions and other resources for families to make the most informed decisions about continuing with original postsecondary plans this fall.
PLANit Sarasota Workgroups
If you’re interested in joining a workgroup, please contact Thomas Williams, PLANit Sarasota Director.
Short Term Success
Initial concentration is on identifying nearly 43,000 middle school age to 24-year-olds facing particular barriers, including being economically disadvantaged and the first in their families to pursue education beyond high school, and level the playing field by providing resources and tools to access and navigate the postsecondary pathway from preparation to admission to completion.
Long Term Success
To increase the percentage of Sarasota County residents 25 years and under who have obtained a high-value postsecondary certificate, degree, or training experience to 60% by 2030. This multi-dimensional problem demands a multi-pronged approach by a multi-partner collective for transformational change. The PLANit Sarasota collective impact answers the demand with each stakeholder pooling their unique knowledge base and constituent reach for the greater good and use data to achieve the long-term vision to extend outreach and services to all youth and their families throughout Sarasota County.
PLANit Sarasota Members
Alphabetical order as of 09/2020
| Alum-Worx | Rotary Futures College Resource Center |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast | Safe Children Coalition |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County | Sarasota Chamber of Commerce |
| CareerEdge Funders Collaborative | Sarasota County Libraries |
| CareerSource Suncoast | Sarasota County Public Libraries |
| The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation | Sarasota County School Board |
| Community Foundation of Sarasota County | Sarasota County Schools |
| Cross College Alliance | Sarasota Housing Authority |
| Dr. Stacy Herrera Private Practice | State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota |
| Education Foundation of Sarasota County | Stryker Consulting |
| Emerging Lotus Inc | Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative |
| Florida College Access Network | Suncoast Technical College |
| Gamma Xi Boule | Take Stock in Children |
| Girls Inc | UnidosNow, Inc. |
| Gulf Coast Community Foundation | United Way Suncoast |
| Junior Achievement | University of Florida Innovation Station |
| Lapovsky Consulting | University of South Florida – Sarasota-Manatee |
| New College of Florida | Van Wezel Foundation |
| North Port Economic Development Corporation | William G. and Marie Selby Foundation |
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