MANATEE COUNTY – Young boys start their learning careers at an early age with Step Up Suncoast. A partnership with Visible Men Academy (VMA) leads to a new program to prepare kids for success in the future.
Preparing young boys of today to have a head start for tomorrow, Step up Suncoast and Visible Men Academy create a pilot program to help young boys become future leaders.”
Step Up Suncoast is a community action agency with an overarching mission to move low–income families into long–term self–sufficiency. Out of their fifteen programs, they have a Rise and Shine Early Learning center to prepare kids to develop school readiness skills.
President of Step Up Suncoast, Barbara Patten, believes they’re the farm team.
“We feel that the Visible Men program is very special and really addresses the needs of our Rise and Shine kids,” Barbara Patten said. “And, we’re hoping that through having our rise and Shine boys on this campus for a whole year, that they will transition to the Visible Men Academy.”
VMA is a charter school instilling young boys from at–risk communities, the high standards, and confidence they need to become “visible” leaders.
There are currently 20 young boys from Step Up Suncoast’s Head Start program in the program.
A teacher of the program, Harriet Dunn, loves the all-boys learning center.
“We need more of these kind of classes. It’s working out perfectly,” Harriet Dunn said. “Some parents was skeptical at first, but not they want to put their kids in.”
Patten hopes the most valuable thing the learning center brings to kindergarten is a life-long love of learning.
“When that kindergarten bell rings,” Patten said. “Not only are they academically ready, but they’re ready to love learning for a lifetime.”
These boys are building their future one block at a time.
Parents can enroll their kids next year. If you’re interested, you just need to call step-up Suncoast and ask for early learning program or go to their website.
