In today’s environment we have to demonstrate a strong return on investment to validate our success as educators.  Florida’s colleges and universities receive funding – or have it withheld – based on a number of measures intended to indicate how well a school graduates its students and fills employment needs. But what if we’re not measuring the right things to determine our ROI?      

That was the thesis for one of the most compelling presentations at the Governor’s Degrees to Jobs Summit in Orlando in late May. The Great Jobs, Great Lives study produced by Gallup and Purdue University surveyed more than 30,000 graduates across the United States to create a more holistic view of their lives beyond the metrics to determine their level of engagement in the workplace and well-being in their lives.

The study “examines the long-term success of graduates as they pursue a good job and better life.” In other words, did going to college prepare you for the career you hoped for, and did that career create the quality of life you expected? There’s a lot in this study, but I’d like to focus on four of its findings in particular. At the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, we are committed to providing fulfilling educational opportunities that prepare students for the careers they chose.

“If employed graduates feel their college prepared them well for life outside it, the odds that they are engaged at work rise three times. Internships, long-term projects, and extracurricular activities contribute to feeling prepared.”

A major portion of SCF’s 2015-2020 Boldly Engaging strategic plan is committed to the student experience. I couldn’t agree more about the value of internships. At SCF, we have increased internships by 60 percent since summer 2015 and we continue to seek opportunities for our students. I encourage our local business and industry partners to contact me if you need interns or are interested in creating internships for our students. SCF also offers many extracurricular opportunities for our students in any number of clubs or teams – like our national runner-up Brain Bowl team – that enhance the college experience and bond students to the institution.

“The longer it takes graduates to get their degree, the lower their engagement. Finishing school in four years actually doubles the odds of engagement for working graduates.”

Today everyone is looking for ways to accelerate their way through college to reduce debt. At SCF, we’ve got multiple terms and clearly defined degree paths to facilitate getting your associate’s degree in two years or even get a head start while still in high school with dual enrollment. Our transfer students are prepared to pursue their bachelor’s degrees and regularly post higher grade point averages than the native students at Florida universities.

“The higher the amount of school loans that graduates took out for their undergraduate education, the worse off their well-being is.”

SCF provides a low-cost alternative to a public university or private institution. The average debt for a full-time SCF student is about a third to half of that incurred for the same time at a Florida university. Plus, students can reduce expenses by living at home, keeping their jobs and remaining in the community.

“Where graduates went to college hardly matters to their current well-being and work lives in comparison to their experiences in college.”

The study found that a student’s success is determined by the quality of the time they spend in college, not the school’s size or pedigree. Gallup and Purdue determined that “it’s not where you go, it’s how you do it” that matters in higher education. Supporting and engaging faculty are key to a student’s positive experience in college. At SCF, I’m constantly told by students how much our outstanding faculty has motivated and inspired them to get the most from their college experience.

If you would like to see more of this study, please go to http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/gallup/reports.html and download the full report. 

Dr. Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. 

Ask most Sarasota and Manatee County residents, and they will most likely agree when asked if they believe our community is extremely giving. It’s so rewarding to see professionals and businesses step up to the plate to further benefit the place we get to call home. 

Recently, two Argus Foundation members and commercial construction company heads, Jack Cox, president of Halfacre Construction Company, and Jeff Charlotte, president of J.E. Charlotte Construction Corp., worked on the construction of the Nancy Detert Residences at the Loveland Village in Venice. Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children, Jack, and Jeff spearheaded the effort to build a no-cost maintenance building for the nonprofit.

The duo organized the effort to get the $140,000 maintenance building donated through contributions, reduced or donated fees and miscellaneous items after hearing the project was over budget.

True to their word, Jeff and Jack contacted subcontractors they work with – many of whom agreed to participate to help bring the building for the Loveland Village to fruition. These subcontractors, including Mullet’s Aluminum Products and Babe’s Plumbing, provided in-kind services and donations to The Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children, the organization that organized the construction and also provided a donation for the project. Incidentally, the Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children was founded by much of the same group that founded The Argus Foundation.

The Nancy Detert Residences at the Loveland Village, a 42-apartment complex, opened last month. The residential community offers up to 94 adults with developmental disabilities supportive housing and access to an array of social services that support their inclusion into the community through social activities and supported employment.

Argus Foundation members are an integral part of the community. We seek to bring together business leaders – like Jack and Jeff, and so many others – from diverse industries and leverage their talents and experience to benefit the community. These members impact and improve the community through business leadership and also their philanthropy. We are telling many of their stories through an effort called #ArgusImpact.

Not a part of the original capital campaign or state funding for the Loveland Village, the much-needed storage building houses items like tractors, equipment and other maintenance items. Most importantly, however, is the fact that our local businesses pitched in and partnered together to work on project that benefited a worthy nonprofit organization that serves a need in our community.

These community gifts, which Argus members believes is more of a responsibility, go a long way in filling in gaps in government services and funding.  The Argus Foundation is an organization where its members know that giving back is the key to high quality of life and a flourishing community.

Christine Robinson is executive director of The Argus Foundation. 

Every spring, we get to make a fun announcement that resonates throughout our region. What is that special proclamation? Well, Gulf Coast Community Foundation just awarded 451 scholarships worth $544,000 to help hundreds of local students pursue their college dreams next year.

Our scholarship recipients demonstrate a significant financial need bolstered by a strong dose of academic excellence and civic service. Gulf Coast staff helps read the applications of each student. Their stories are heartwarming and amazing.

Like the college senior, raised by her grandparents because her dad was absent and her mom struggles with addiction. Despite her family difficulties and financial burdens, she has become a student leader who excels academically while working to pay her way through school. Her big heart, genuine optimism, and unflagging enthusiasm leapt off the page (or screen, rather, as our scholarship program lives completely online now).

Here’s another: a high school senior who is literally on his own. Incarceration and illness in his family left him without a permanent guardian, but they haven’t extinguished his life ambitions or love for learning. He’s eager to become a physicist, and while the universe is the limit for his curiosity, his goal is making this world a better place.

The other inspiring story behind the stories of our scholarship recipients is that of our donors, who directly invest in improving students’ lives through their scholarship funds. This year, we awarded scholarships from 57 different charitable funds. Nearly two-thirds of them came from funds created by donors. They support higher education in fields ranging from business and health care to performing arts and nonprofit management.

The personal stories of these philanthropists can be just as compelling as those of the students they help. That’s what makes another highlight of this season arranging for donors to share a meal with the recipients of their generosity. It’s an opportunity to actually connect people who have mutually added meaning to one another’s lives.

A wise man once said, “We all recognize that the world is changing rapidly, and ‘doing good’ needs to have its amateur and professional sides to compete for the time, energy, and funding of our population.”

That was the late Steve Wiberding, explaining with typical eloquence and insight why a scholarship fund for nonprofit management studies was valuable, especially in a community known for its abundance of volunteers. Steve helped set up such a fund nearly a decade ago in honor of his first mother-in-law’s 90th birthday.

Our community suffered a profound loss with Steve’s passing last weekend. He was surrounded with the love of family and friends, and his wife Teri A. Hansen—my predecessor and mentor at Gulf Coast—was by his side. But we will hurt for a good long time without his dignified presence and twinkling smile.

Steve was a longtime donor, former Board member, and forever friend of Gulf Coast. He also was a gentleman and a genius; a decorated veteran and a community servant. Steve deeply loved Teri, his family, and this community, and he showed it through steady dedication and unselfish generosity.

The students who just received our scholarship awards are this community’s future. Evidenced by their essays and recommendations, many are eager to lead. But to lead forward is only the beginning; nothing is really accomplished unless you are able to leave behind.

Stephen Van Cortlandt Wilberding leaves behind a community that is better because of him, a philanthropic legacy to continue improving it, and a shining example of service to which we all should aspire. In an age of instant gratification and individualism, Steve was patient, gracious, and inclusive. His is a wonderful reflection of what future leaders might aspire to become. 

Mark Pritchett is president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

Dads love a discount and so do you. The Asolo Rep is offering 50% off all tickets for the Sunday, June 19, 1:00 p.m. performance of HETTY FEATHER. Use the promo code:  HETTYFD online, by phone or in person at the box office. The Discount is valid for maximum of six tickets per household and cannot be applied to previous purchases. HETTY FEATHER, a wildly popular U.K. novel penned by Dame Jacqueline Wilson, tells the coming-of-age story of Hetty, a young orphan who is determined to find her family. Hetty’s quest to find her true home takes her from the English countryside to the traveling circus to the mean streets of London, all by way of thrilling aerial and circus feats, live music and spectacular storytelling. A true celebration of the random nature of life, this is a must-see theatrical adventure for the entire family. 

The Humane Society of Sarasota County’s “Reading Fur Fun” program helps children learn and improve reading skills. Studies show that being with pets, even for a short time, can lower blood pressure, decrease depression, and enhance health in many other ways. The premise of the “Reading Fur Fun” program is that reading to dogs reduces a child’s fear of reading aloud. Dogs are nonjudgmental and supportive, regardless of the reader’s accuracy. This unconditional acceptance allows a child to relax and begin to enjoy reading. 

Orioles fans, enjoy a week filled with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities at the team’s 2017 Dream Week, open to adults. Play at the Orioles’ two-site complex in Sarasota and experience the full major league treatment that includes playing daily doubleheader intrasquad games and receiving instruction from Orioles Legend Jim Palmer and former Orioles Mike Boddicker, Al Bumbry, Rick Dempsey, Mike Devereaux, Chris Hoiles, Scott McGregor, and many more. In addition to on-field play, participants will enjoy luxurious beachfront accommodations on Lido Key in Sarasota; a personalized home uniform, batting practice jersey, and hat; daily breakfast and lunch at the ballpark; evening social events throughout the week, including a Q&A and autograph session with the pros; and a reunion game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore during the 2017 regular season.  

Sarasota Memorial recently announced plans to build a new pediatric specialty outpatient care clinic on the second floor of the Sarasota Emergency Room & Health Care Center in North Port. The new center is expected to open in the first quarter of 2017. For more than 20 years, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH) have been collaborating to improve the health of children in the surrounding communities. 

This Father’s Day, give Dad the gift of food starting with a delicious brunch with Tableside. Spoil Dad with a treat he loves to eat. Whether he’s a seafood lover or burger Bring the family together and gather at Libby’s or Louies Modern this Father’s Day for a meal fit for a king.  

Lillian Leitzel commanded top billing longer than any other circus performer in history, earning her title of Queen of the Air. Leitzel debuted in the center ring of the Ringling show in 1915. Her performance started on the Roman rings and ended with a series of one-arm spins, known as planges, which involved throwing her body over her shoulder again and again. This amazing feat of strength combined with a well-publicized personal life made Lillian Leitzel an American celebrity. Throughout her career, Lillian Leitzel carefully crafted her public presentation, obscuring the reality of her exceptional strength by emphasizing her femininity. A portrait of Leitzel as well as other circus celebrities will be on exhibit in “Circus Celebrities: Portraiture in the American Circus Poster” now until October 3 at The Ringling.

With many cultural activities in the area winding down in the heat of summer, Sarasota Contemporary Dance (SCD) is an exception. The 10-year-old company’s summer season will remain active and high-energy with three performances in July, as well as a roster of dance education programs for both children and adults."The arts are for everyone year-round, not just for visitors and seasonal residents," according to Leymis Bolaños Wilmott, Artistic Director and company founder. "We know that our loyal Sarasota audiences want to see our talented dancers on stage, in rehearsal, and attending our classes, and we love giving them the opportunity to see what we think is an exciting summer season."