Sensory Tools 

Some students exhibit characteristics that interfere with their learning, focus and ability to complete legible and accurate work.

Thanks to a grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, students in Charlotte County can use weighted lap pads, weighted vests, or weighted pencil grips to help them maintain control of their wiggly tendencies and relieve stress or anxiety.

AVID Field Trips

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation was proud to partner with the Citrus County Education Foundation to work with Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) to fund field trips to college campuses. These field trips enrich students’ lives and encourage them to achieve long-term success in college, career and life.

The opportunity to visit college campuses allows AVID students to visualize themselves attending post-secondary institutions. For many students, this is their only opportunity to visit college and university campuses.

Summer STEAM

Girl Scouts on Campus provided middle school girls from across Southwest Florida with an exciting opportunity to learn about crime scene investigation, DNA, blood typing, and careers in forensic science. Funding from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation made it possible for girls to participate at no cost.

During the week-long day camp, Girl Scouts met at Florida SouthWestern State College’s Collier campus to enjoy immersive, hands-on activities led by crime scene investigators from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, FSW professors and other guest presenters. The girls also completed American Red Cross first aid training.

Links2Success

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation was proud to award a grant to Links2Success which enabled them to host the fifth annual Leadership & Career Conference for DeSoto County Middle School students.

Links2Success offers students an opportunity to participate in hands-on career exploration activities by providing field trips to colleges and technical schools.

During the free program, students are exposed to several careers, including healthcare, banking, STEM, judicial, government, law enforcement, non-profit and agriculture.

Suncoast Credit Union Scholars

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation awarded $2,000 scholarships to two high school seniors in Dixie County as part of the Suncoast Credit Union Scholars program. We are proud to support public education and help future generations achieve their goals.

Arts4All Florida

We were proud to award a grant to Arts4All Florida to support their artist in residence programs in Gilchrist County. Students create 3D printed models, make cards using graphic design software and design artwork and animated stories using virtual reality software.

The students have even created a small business making and selling 3D printed necklaces for the holidays.

Perfecta Plus Printer

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation funded the purchase of a Perfecta Plus Printer for students in Glades County. The printer is used to print educational posters for classroom use.

Hardee County Accelerated Reader Program

Thanks to a grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, the Hardee County Accelerated Reader Program was able to purchase AR books and celebrate the ongoing success of students. This program offers reading time in classrooms, an after school book club for K-5 students and celebrations with games and other activities. Most importantly, students get individual recognition for their accomplishments.

Footsteps2Brilliance

Thanks to a grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, students at LaBelle Elementary began working with the Footsteps2Brilliance literacy program. This incredible tool helps expose students to vocabulary words and improves reading comprehension.

This program has been so successful that an additional 6 schools were added. We love to see how many books students read and write thanks to the help of Footsteps2Brilliance.

The Future Engineers at Work

Our foundation proudly awarded a grant for the Future Engineers program in Hernando County. This program gives students the opportunity to use science and math standards to participate in fun, hands-on learning.

Students have been building and creating ramps and testing them with the Keva planks. They’ve also explored magnetism, created vehicles with K’nex and created pixel art with Rubik’s cubes.

Build a Story

Teaching students with special needs can be a challenge since each child is in such a different place with their learning and they may require different adaptations or modes of presentation to access learning. That’s why the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation was proud to fund Build a Story, a project that targets skills related to retelling a story through students building characters and settings with Lego Duplo blocks.

Even a nonverbal student can be successful retelling a story by demonstrating understanding of the story by building and acting the story out with props. Students also develop social/emotional skills as they work side-by-side or together and STEAM skills as they create or build. 

Heart Gallery

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation proudly funded the Heart Gallery of Tampa’s custom exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center. Telling the story of the foster care and adoption experience, the exhibit garnered media attention and allowed the Heart Gallery of Tampa to engage the community in new and meaningful ways. 

The Heart Gallery of Tampa improves outcomes for foster children by raising awareness of Tampa’s foster children waiting to be adopted, engaging the community in their welfare and securing permanent, loving adoptive families.  Suncoast Credit Union Foundation funding will also support the touring of customized photographic exhibits throughout Hillsborough County in 2020. 

STEM@Work

Thanks to funding from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, students were able to experience the endless career opportunities STEM has to offer with STEM@Work.

One student who is a passionate video game player learned how his specific skillset and could be very useful to do microscopic procedures and surgeries. This program shows students how the skills they have and the things they love to do can translate into careers within STEM fields.

Reading Software for Pre-K

Through a grant from Suncoast Credit Union each Pre-K students had access to the new reading software. Students use this software daily, to build on their letter recognition, phonemic awareness, vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Since testing is usually performed on a computer now, this software also helps students build the skills they need to operate a computer with a mouse. Some of these students live in rural communities and have only experienced touch screen technology.

This program has helped prepare our Pre-K students for Kindergarten by boosting their phonological knowledge and preparing them for computer-based learning and testing.

Stillpoint Diaper Program

Many young mothers go to Stillpoint Mission in Bradenton seeking assistance for their children. One of their greatest needs is for diapers and wipes for their infants and toddlers. 

In 2019, more than 79,000 diapers were distributed to needy mothers in the community.  The Diaper Program is funded solely through grants from local organizations and foundations.  We were proud to offer a grant to help these families with this expensive necessity.

Kinder Tool Kits 

Thanks to a grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, almost 700 kindergarten students in Marion County were positively impacted by the Kinder Tool Kit project. The Kinder Tool Kits contain learning materials for students to use at home with their parents.
 
Kindergarten parents were invited to school to receive the kits and got valuable training on the standards being taught in kindergarten and how to help support learning at home. The parents were thrilled to get the tools and training to be able to help their students.

Aquaponics

Wendell Krinn Technical High School’s trade programs like robotics, electrical, commercial arts and auto mechanics are working together to build an aquaponics farming system.

Our grant helped fund the project that will have a lasting impact on students for years to come. The science, math, history and language arts curriculums will all benefit from having this hands-on system on campus.

Tune Into Reading

A grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation helped the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg incorporate Tune Into Reading into its overall literacy-intervention program. 

The program uses a fun singing game to help children develop critical literacy skills and improve their reading. Participants average a reading level improvement of one grade level every six months!

Free Teacher Market

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation partnered with the Polk Education Foundation to help provide school supplies for needy students in Polk through the Free Teacher Market.

This store allows teachers to shop for classroom supplies at no cost. Teachers can shop four times a year, filling a Suncoast Credit Union reusable tote with much needed school supplies to ensure all students have the tools they need to succeed. Students win when they are adequately prepared with proper supplies and can concentrate on learning!

Robotic Platforms

Through a school-wide grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, Atwater Elementary School was able to provide STEM exposure to over 650 students and get them engaged at an earlier age in science related subjects.

This grant allows the opportunity for students to participate and get excited to learn about robotics, coding and learning a new skill. Research suggests that the earlier we engage our students in these fields, the more likely they will continue with them and see successful transition into college degrees or careers that use this technology.

Math Field Day

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation supported Sumter County’s Math Field Day. Students are chosen to represent their schools and get the chance to compete in a grade-appropriate exam, a team competition, a mental math and estimation session and a combo game.

Students exhibit skills in mental math, mathematical rules, working together and problem solving. Being a Math Field Day winner is a big deal in Sumter County, and something that students work toward all year long.