(Bradenton, Fla., March 1, 2022) – The Community Foundation of Sarasota County awarded $30,000 from the Ira and Patricia Strauss Fund to the State College of Florida (SCF) Foundation to support the college’s Disability Resource Center Dyslexia Pilot Program. The grant supports psychology consultation and evaluation services from a licensed psychologist, standardized assessments and evaluations, assistive technology and software for each student, and services providing training on the use of the assistive technology and academic coaching sessions for students. 

The Disability Resource Center will serve 15 students as part of the new initiative. In addition to improved academic performance, students are also taught self-advocacy, a deeper understanding of their disability, and how to utilize tools for navigating their college and career aspirations. An example of one such tool is a reader pen, a device which can scan text and audibly pronounce a word, define it and identify its part of speech.

The grant funding is part of the Strauss Literacy Initiative, a collaboration by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and strategic partners, including SCF, to help identify students with learning disabilities and intervene so students of all ages receive education and resources to overcome their disability.

“We are grateful to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for involving us in the Strauss Literacy Initiative,” said Cassandra Holmes, executive director of the SCF Foundation. “SCF’s Disability Resource Center provides critical assistance to students every day, and this funding will create new opportunities and tools to remove barriers to learning.”

The SCF Foundation was founded in 1979 and supports scholarship funding, capital improvements and expanding educational opportunities at SCF. To learn more about the SCF Foundation, visit SCF-Foundation.org or call 941-752-5390.