Thanks to a gift from United Way Suncoast, the new Earl & Mary Watts After-School Program at Janie’s Garden opened yesterday in North Sarasota. The program provides academic support to families with 6- to 12-year-old children living at Janie’s Garden, a mixed-income housing community. Programming centers around homework support, study skills, reading achievement, social and emotional skills learning, and character building. The program is named for Earl and Mary Watts, former Sarasota County educators and among the county's first black school administrators. In addition to the after-school program, United Way Suncoast and Better Tomorrows are also supporting families by offering financial coaching and volunteer income-tax preparation.