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THE FOUNDATION FOR MANATEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, INC.
OUTSMARTING THE ODDS
Florida is currently ranked 44th out of fifty states in the percentage of high school students who
go on to college – and the U.S. Census Bureau statistics indicate that by 2010, nearly 85% of the jobs in this country will require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. It’s a heart-wrenching statistic for all of us who care so deeply about our Florida community.
Too few students in Manatee and Sarasota counties are oriented towards a college education. For many, the idea of college is only a dream with too many obstacles making it seem impossible. These teens face an uncertain future.
MCC’s Summer Bridge Program is changing the prospects for many of these students. Launched in 2002 with a grant from the William G. Selby and Marie
Selby Foundation, the program provides an intensive six-week “get ready for college” combination
of coursework, mentoring, and advising. Students who might not have considered college graduate from Summer Bridge with self- confidence, college survival skill sets, and academic and financial support.
Donations from Tropicana, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, and many individuals and corporations have enabled this urgently needed program to thrive. Our goal now is to endow the program; to do so, we must raise $1.2 million. To help us meet this goal, Jane’s Trust has initiated an exciting challenge in which every gift marked for Summer Bridge will be matched 375% - including a match by Jane’s Trust and one by the State of Florida.