INDICATORS: New initiatives fuel excitement for upcoming Manatee County school year
Two weeks from now, another school year will begin for students in the School District of Manatee County. Growing up in the Midwest, I remember it as a bittersweet time, sad that summer vacation was ending but excited about the beginning of a new school year. Now, as an adult, I am equally excited about what is in store for our public schools as the district rolls out new initiatives that will continue to enhance education and workforce training in our community.
The quality of education and relevant workforce training are key hot buttons for corporate decision makers who choose where business locate and expand. At the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation, marketing our community as a business location is one of our core functions. That is why we are deeply engaged with the region’s educational institutions, including the school district.
I am eagerly awaiting the new Aviation Maintenance Technician School planned at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Thanks to $5.5 million allocated for the project in the 2022 state budget, the school will provide career certificate workforce training for aviation airframe mechanics and aviation powerplant mechanics. Manatee Technical College and Sarasota County’s Suncoast Technical College will provide training. The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee will also be involved, preparing students for licenses in aviation maintenance and employment, and advanced training in the aviation industry.
This one-of-a-kind partnership represents a powerful marketing opportunity for the EDC as we seek to recruit more aviation-related businesses to Manatee County and to support established businesses in that industry as they seek qualified technicians.
I am also excited about the first Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science coming to Anna Maria Elementary School this school year. A partnership of the school district and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the academy is named for the world-renowned wildlife artist, conservationist and businessman. It will focus on marine sciences, conservation and the arts.
This school year, the collaboration of the school district and the foundation will develop a K-5 curriculum, including a special aquarium to be installed at the school for the program, and accompanying art components. Students who finish the program will receive a certificate from the academy. Future years will see development of Guy Harvey Academy curriculums for middle and high schools, slated for King Middle School and Manatee High School.
This school year the district also will expand its Community Partnership School model to Daughtrey Elementary. Manatee Elementary became the Tampa Bay area’s first Community Partnership School in 2019. Community Partnership Schools bring together four core partners (a school district; a college or university; a nonprofit organization; and a health care provider) to provide support and services to the school and surrounding community to address impediments to education, such as poverty, homelessness and hunger.
We applaud the district for working to get to the root causes of risks for students’ academic careers. The EarlyBird Early Literacy Diagnostic Assessment, funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County through the Strauss Literacy Initiative, assists in identifying students who demonstrate indicators of dyslexia and other literacy deficits in grades PreK-1. If unidentified during the critical years of language acquisition and foundational literacy skill development, these students are likely to remain at-risk for their academic career.
EarlyBird provides practical, reliable, and comprehensive assessment that identifies reading issues early, then connects teachers to the right interventions for improved early literacy learning outcomes.
These are just a few of the exciting initiatives we will be watching as Manatee County schools fill with students this fall. To learn more about the good things happening in our schools, visit manateeschools.net/goodnews.
Sharon Hillstrom is president and chief executive officer of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. (BradentonAreaEDC.com). She may be contacted at info@bradentonareaedc.com or 941-803-9036.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: SHARON HILLSTROM: Bradenton Area EDC also engages with Manatee schools
