Florida Student Workplace Mentoring Program Receives $60,000 Grant: 80 Students Matched With Workplace Mentors
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast announced on November 2 that it has received a $60,000 grant from the Charlotte Impact NOW! Initiative to support its Beyond School Walls program in Charlotte County, Florida. The initiative is a partnership between Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Elsa and Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation.
Beyond School Walls connects students in Charlotte County and across the Sun Coast with workplace mentors and career experiences, helping them explore future opportunities, develop professional skills and envision pathways beyond the classroom. This school year the organization is operating seven Beyond School Walls programs in Charlotte County, serving 80 students, under Christa Hollenbeck, its Director of Impact.
The grant will support program and operational expenses, including transportation to workplace mentoring experiences, student meals on program days, and restricted gift cards that help students buy interview- and work-ready clothing. 'Expanding learning beyond the classroom helps students explore their interests and see new possibilities for their futures,' said Erin Minor, Vice President of Community Leadership for Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
'We are grateful to Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Elsa and Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation for investing in the potential of young people in Charlotte County,' said Kamala Martinez, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast. 'This support helps ensure students have access to meaningful workplace mentoring experiences and the resources they need to take their next steps toward a successful future.'
In fiscal year 2025-26 the organization served more than 1,800 youth across its ten-county footprint: 99% of youth graduated or advanced to the next grade level, and 100% of graduating seniors transitioned to postsecondary education, military service or employment. Nearly 1,900 volunteers contributed an estimated 265,000 hours of service. Founded in 1968, the agency is the 10th largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the nation. (Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast)
Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：学生导师在课堂活动上指导年幼学生（资料图）。Shrenil19 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Student mentors guide younger students during a classroom activity (file photo). Photo by Shrenil19, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
