Since 2011, Goodwill Manasota and The McKay Academy—formerly known as Ave Maria Preparatory School—have partnered on the Workforce Education Scholarship Program. Program participants are Goodwill Manasota employees with disabilities who wish to earn a high school diploma while working. This past week, six students—Johana Contreras Calderon, Selina Frazier, Irma Orona, Timothy Swart, Mario Tomlinson and Eureka Wiley—graduated from the program. The length of time it takes to complete the Workforce Education Program depends on how many high school credits the student already has; however, the average commitment is approximately two years. The students meet twice a week, once at the Goodwill Corporate Campus in Bradenton and once at The McKay Academy campus in Myakka City. The program offers small class sizes, enabling students to benefit from more personal attention from instructors. It is free to all participants thanks to the Florida Department of Education, which covers the cost of books and tuition. Approximately 50 have participated in Goodwill’s Workforce Education Program since its inception in 2011; to date, 30 have graduated.

Goodwill Manasota