Manatee Community Foundation Gift Supports USF College of Education

August 30, 2024 | Sarasota

A local scholarship fund has awarded $7,500 to Grow Your Teacher Leadership (GOYTL) Academy, a graduate certificate program offered through the USF College of Education to help Manatee County teachers become leaders from within their classrooms and help bolster student success.

Cheryl Ellerbrock, Sarasota-Manatee campus dean of the College of Education, is grateful for the gift from Manatee Community Foundation’s Francis E. and Gaile A. McCracken Education Scholarship Fund, which supports aspiring educators.

“We are thrilled with the support of community partners like Manatee Community Foundation, as our faculty members go into local schools to work with teachers to help them develop additional knowledge and skills so they can serve as classroom-based teacher leaders,” Ellerbrock said. “We are confident their students will greatly benefit from what they learn in our program.”

Manatee Community Foundation is excited to invest in the GOYTL program, which “our friends at USF so thoughtfully crafted in partnership with the Manatee County School District,” said Veronica Thames, executive director of Manatee Community Foundation.

“Developing our teachers is an investment in the future of our community,” Thames said. “These educators are the architects of tomorrow’s leaders, shaping the minds and values that will guide us forward.”

GOYTL Academy is a four-semester, 12-credit-hour graduate certificate program that includes classes on leadership, professional development, coaching and teacher research. Students also have the chance to address challenges their campuses might be facing through class projects.

Teachers who complete the program, which started this semester with 15 students who teach in one of five Manatee County elementary schools, earn a graduate certificate that can be applied toward a master’s degree from USF.

“We are deeply committed to enriching the teacher leadership pipeline in the School District of Manatee County and are thrilled to have MCF as a partner in this effort,” said Brett Kemker, vice provost and USF Sarasota-Manatee’s regional vice chancellor for academic affairs and student success.

Another supporter of the GOYTL program is CORE Construction, the construction manager for USF Sarasota-Manatee’s new Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall. The company donated $42,000 to start the program, which will cover the full tuition for the first two semesters for each student. The company also is hosting a benefit golf tournament at the Founders Club in Sarasota on Sept. 30.

“The College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee is committed to working with local school districts to recruit and retain qualified teachers,” said USF Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook. “With the support of CORE Construction and the Manatee Community Foundation, as well as the Manatee school district, we are confident the GOYTL Academy will help keep great teachers in our schools.”