The Library Foundation Awarded $15,000 Grant

The Library Foundation for Sarasota County is pleased to announce a $15,000 grant from the Harry Shapiro Charitable Foundation to support the 2024 Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources’ Summer Learning program.

Summer Learning at Sarasota County Public Libraries provides critical programming to help children stay engaged with educational activities during the summer when many students experience a decline in academic skills. The program provides hands-on enrichment focused on STEM, the arts, and literacy, helping to ensure children return to school refreshed and ready to learn.

The 2023 Summer Learning program offered over 1,200 programs, collaborated with 22 community partners, and served over 24,000 participants.

“Summer Learning at the libraries helps children stay connected to learning and prevents the ‘summer slide’ in academic skills. We’re so grateful to the Harry Shapiro Charitable Foundation for their support of this critical program,” said Alisa Mitchell, Executive Director, Library Foundation for Sarasota County.

Since its founding in 2011, the nonprofit Library Foundation for Sarasota County has raised more than $8 millionin private funds for the benefit of Sarasota County public libraries. To learn more about the Library Foundation for Sarasota County, please visit SarasotaLibraryFoundation.org or call 941-404-3139.