The Education Foundation of Sarasota County has received a $100,000 Assembly Grant Program award from Bellwether, a national non-profit organization that works to ensure all young people have access to an excellent education. The Assembly Grant Program provides awards to organizations designing or developing new solutions to help families furthest from opportunity access flexible, personalized learning options. The program is a result of a partnership between Bellwether and the Walton Family Foundation, which supports organizations working to help underserved youth access individualized education opportunities. With the generous funding for its project “Opening Pathways Through Informed Decision Making,” the Education Foundation will increase awareness of education options and resources available to low-income and minority students through universal school choice. “We are so honored to be a recipient of this prestigious Assembly Grant Program,” said Jennifer Vigne, president and CEO of the Education Foundation. “This award helps us further our strategic priority of supporting underserved and underrepresented students and families so that they can access the exceptional education and educational resources that they deserve.”  The Education Foundation will bring together community stakeholders and families from the Newtown community in Sarasota to identify challenges young people face in achieving academic success. The feedback gained through surveys and in-person focus groups will guide the Education Foundation in developing the position of Educational Navigator. This Educational Navigator will work individually with students and families in the Newtown community to identify their needs and help them access the educational pathways and resources based on their interests and strengths so that they can best reach their full potential.