WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: School District of Manatee County

Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning. —William Arthur Ward 

If you‘re a parent, you‘re probably used to your kids asking all kinds of questions. Why is the sky blue? How do airplanes stay in the air? What is the internet? Or that classic question that suddenly makes you wish you had paid more attention …

WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst & Florida Studio Theatre

You know who are experts in turning ordinary things into the extraordinary? Children. Walk with them into their little worlds, and you’ll find a puddle has become an ocean. That cardboard box has become a rocket. The living room carpet is now lava.  

Florida Studio Theatre’s (FST) Write a Play program takes the sparks of imagination that only kids have …

WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst

It’s 7:45 a.m. on a Tuesday, and one by one, fourth grade girls trickle into the STEM lab at Palm View K-8. They bring their differences—various backgrounds and personalities, likes and dislikes. But they walk together on common ground, drawn by a growing curiosity about coding. 

They’re also all wearing the same shirt, and they’re excited. Because Tuesday mornings at Palm View belong to …

WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst

Under bright gym lights, a team forms a perfect circle, arms outstretched like spokes in a wheel. The coach crouches low. “Your effort matters more than the scoreboard,” she says, locking eyes with each player. “Play hard, play fair, and have fun.”

With a resounding cheer, the huddle breaks, and the players take their positions. The whistle cuts through the buzz of the crowd, …

WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst

For nearly five decades, the Manatee Area Youth Soccer Organization (MAYSO) has been more than just a soccer program—it’s been a community where kids thrive. Founded in 1976, MAYSO serves boys and girls across Manatee County, prioritizing fun, teamwork, and character development. Whether through recreational leagues or competitive teams, the organization believes every child deserves a chance to play the world’s favorite sport. MAYSO …

WORDS: Shannon Evans 
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst 

To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak, goes the Hopi proverb. 

For Michele Mercier, owner and director of Dance University in Lakewood Ranch, dance not only speaks the language of the heart but helps its students find an identity—and discover community. In the seven years since it opened, this family-owned studio has produced a family-like environment among its students, fostering close-knit …

WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst 

As a 5th Grader at Prine Elementary, Elyan Rivera is described by his teachers as an all-around amazing kid! As a member of the Technology Student Association (TSA), Elyan is excelling and, in his words, is “really having a lot of fun with it!” 

“I really enjoy the problem-solving part of technology,” said Elyan. “It’s really entertaining, and I think I’m really good at …

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 …

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

In a town where baseball and football are the dominant youth sports, two Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School seniors are overcoming challenges and defying stereotypes to put Manatee County girls’ lacrosse on the map. 

Sienna Cassella and Ashling Marshall have put in an unbelievable amount of effort throughout their youth, especially at the high school level, to earn scholarships to play lacrosse at separate Division I …

WORDS: Sheri Roca
PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen

There is a safe haven for the inner-city kids of central Bradenton to grow, learn, be creative, and play ball, and it is called 13th Ave Dream Center. For the last 86 years, the United Community Center (UCC) in Bradenton has been building dreams, changing lives, and strengthening families. 

The many dedicated volunteers, or “Dream Builders,” work tirelessly to encourage about 1,500 kids yearly …

WORDS: Sheri Roca
PICTURES: Whitney Patton

Ms. Tracey Vita is a name you may recognize. She has become something of an icon in Manatee County, touching the lives of more than 200 families each and every year, for more than 42 years, through the art of dance. 

At Tracey Vita’s School of Dance, the kids don’t dance for trophies, medals, or ribbons. They don’t dance to prove they are the …

WORDS: Sheri Roca
PICTURES: Whitney Patton

Hunter McGrath has always had a love for cows (all animals, really), and when she saw some of her friends showing animals through the 4-H club, she knew that it was something she just had to do. Armed with a cattle halter, a show stick, and determination, Hunter took first place with her steer, Big Mac, in the 2023 Manatee County Fair. For Hunter, …

WORDS: Sheri Roca
PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen

Coach Logan Wells is more than simply a coach. He has made it his mission to give young athletes a chance to play baseball or even go on to college when they may not otherwise have the means to do so. During his five years as a coach of a Florida Travel Baseball team, three of those years have been at the high school …