The Gulf Coast Community Foundation has awarded a $40,000 grant to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County (EFSC) to support “Partnering for Student Success,” EFSC's collaborative initiative with the Local College Access Network (LCAN). The leveraged grant supports the EFSC’s work as backbone organization and convener of LCAN, a cross-sector group of education and youth services organizations and funders focused on increasing the rate of students who pursue a purposeful postsecondary pathway—especially those historically underrepresented in higher education. The EFSC is committed to identifying and supporting the nearly 43,000 middle-school-age to 24-year-olds who face particular barriers, including being economically disadvantaged and the first in their families to pursue education beyond high school.

Through the collective long-term work of LCAN, the aim is to increase the percentage of working-age residents in Sarasota County with a high-value postsecondary certificate, degree, or training experience to 60 percent by 2030. Currently, 40 percent of Sarasota County residents hold such credentials or training.