WORDS & PHOTO: Wendy Dewhurst
Nine years ago, a group of three very influential and impactful organizations whose mission is to support early learning came together with the purpose of pursuing initiatives that would enrich the community, prioritizing collaboration while strengthening their individual agencies.
“This all began with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Program,” said Shela Halpin with the School District of Manatee County (SDMC). “We wanted to form a …
WORDS: Rachel Spivey
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Ever heard the old adage, “The early bird catches the worm?” Well, it turns out this saying applies to early learning, too! The earlier children are exposed to stimulating environments, the better the outcome. Years of research have reported that investing in early education programs yields a higher return on investment than at any other time in academia. Estimates on this return are said …
WORDS: Sheri Roca
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
ReImagine Dance is a local, nonprofit organization offering dance classes, at no charge, to young people between the ages of 5 and 25 with any disability. Constructed through the love and imagination of two sisters who both have children with disabilities as a way to involve their kids in a creative outlet where they can socialize and express themselves in healthy ways.
Sisters Shannon …
The City of Bradenton hosted a ribbon cutting last month for the Bradenton Reads! Exhibit Grand Opening. The project, a partnership between the City of Bradenton and the School District of Manatee County through the Public Art Advisory Board, the School District of Manatee County Early Learning Team, and Soar in 4 Manatee, promotes the importance of early literacy through art. Mayor Gene Brown assisted in the ribbon cutting alongside …
WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Station Manager Charles Clapsaddle, along with his Manatee Education Television (METV) staff and board members, have created a legacy here in Manatee County that will transcend time.
Before moving to Bradenton, Charles lived in Washington, DC, where he worked as a television production manager for the US Army. “My 11-year career working with the Army was very rewarding,” said Charles. “It gave me the opportunity …
WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
We see the names Bishop and Parker on buildings throughout Manatee County, but who were Edward and Lillian Bishop and Mary Parker? How did they help to shape our community? What role does the Bishop Parker Foundation have in Manatee and Sarasota County today?
The first thing I found interesting was that they didn’t go by Edward and Lillian. Everyone knew them as Ned and …
WORDS: Gabrielle Versmessen
PICTURES: Wendy Dewhurst
This year marked the return of Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra’s Symphony on the Sand event! Having been unable to hold the event for the last three years, Symphony on the Sand returned with a variety of fine foods and hit music under the talented baton of Maestro Alfred Gershfeld.
This highly anticipated event occurred on the sands of Coquina Beach on …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Due to various unprecedented factors in the last three years, the child care industry has found itself with a huge staffing gap. Not only has it been difficult for centers to keep employees, but it’s also been hard to hire employees, and working with young children is certainly not for the weak.
In the spring of 2022, the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County partnered …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) has implemented a new assessment tool across six child care centers called EarlyBird. This game-based evaluation assesses literacy and identifies potential reading challenges early before they become reading problems.
Administered on an iPad, EarlyBird is fun and easy to use as it utilizes engaging games to assess and score children’s reading skills. EarlyBird was developed and scientifically …
WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Between work, school, dinner, and family time, it can be difficult to find the time in your family’s busy schedule to fit in sports activities for young ones. However, HappyFeet Tampa Bay tries to combat this common problem with this solution: weekly preschool programs.
Offering weekly classes to over 220 preschools and early learning centers throughout the greater Tampa Bay area, the HappyFeet curriculum doesn’t …
WORDS: Gabrielle Versmessen
First opening its doors in 1989, Pace Center for Girls was established in Manatee County and has since served over 1,500 girls locally. They provide holistic social, academic, and career-building services for middle and high-school-aged girls who have fallen behind in their academics for a myriad of reasons.
Their first facility was located on Manatee Avenue with two portables in the back. Then, in 1995, they built …
WORDS: Sheri Roca
PICTURES: Wendy Dewhurst
When avid golfer and Waterlefe Golf and River Club member Bob Buchanan was looking for an avenue to help local kids after moving to Manatee County, he realized the community was lacking a program that would introduce the underserved and minority youth to the game of golf.
There are many occasions for kids to learn how to play basketball, football, soccer, baseball, and even …
WORDS & PICTURES: School District of Manatee County
A handful of professional baseball players were special guests at Tillman Elementary in Palmetto. Brandan Bidois, Elijah Birdsong, Owen Kellington, Patrick Reilly, and Landon Tomkins are pitchers for the Bradenton Marauders, our local minor-league team for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They joined third and fourth-grade students, as well as physical education teachers Tyler Bench, Kyle Mauk, and Hunter McGarry.
The players used their …
MAIN PICTURE: Wendy Dewhurst
I became a member of the Manatee County community on July 3rd, my first day of work as superintendent of schools. It has been a wonderful three months. The warm welcome I received has made the professional and personal transition much easier, and I believe it’s also one reason Manatee County is growing so much—this is a wonderful place for families to live, learn, …
WORDS: Gabrielle Versmessen
After reading about the events and powerful testimonies from students during the Kiwanis Key Leader program in a March 2020 issue of Kiwanis Magazine, Judge Ed Nicholas was sold on bringing the program to Manatee County.
Targeted toward eighth-grade through eleventh-grade students, the Key Leader weekend helps students develop leadership and team-building skills while assisting them in becoming the best they can be. According to the Kiwanis …
