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The Patterson Foundation’s DeSoto Solutions to Actions Newsletter strives to educate and engage while sharing the work of TPF initiatives and ways residents can participate. We each have a role in forging a positive future! | |
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What’s Included in This Issue
- Fostering Widespread Participation in DeSoto County
- Participate in Suncoast Remake Learning Days from Saturday, April 20 to Saturday, May 4
- Hear about DeSoto’s Catalytic Community Guide Spotlight: Carrie Fuller, Founder and Owner of Grants on Point
- Sign your kids up for THIS BOOK IS COOL!
- Explore the DeSoto Communications Survey Results
- Learn more about the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo
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Fostering Wide Participation in DeSoto County
By Cheri Coryea
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Engaging stakeholders and residents in DeSoto County has been one of the joyful efforts The Patterson Foundation (TPF) has undertaken in the Aspirations to Actions initiative in the last several years. Reaching residents where they are is a key ingredient to this recipe. TPF, along with other *funder partners, has been contributing to expanding the DeSoto County recipe and fostering wide participation since the DeSoto “Solutions to Actions” Dive into Discovery Community event in October 2023.
As the spring of 2024 unfolds, we look forward to sharing our cookies with all DeSoto County stakeholders. We know that the cookie jar has just begun to fill up with people who care about DeSoto County and want to spread knowledge, perspectives, experiences, and aspirations. Read Cheri’s full blog here to learn more about fostering new connections and celebrating efforts to forge a positive future in DeSoto County.
| DeSoto Catalytic Community Guide Program Spotlight |  | |
As a part of The Patterson Foundation’s work with DeSoto County, The Harwood Institute’s Catalytic Community Guide Program in DeSoto County is an intensive week program for community members who have a desire to guide their community to create lasting change using Harwood’s approach. Catalytic Community Guides are local community leaders trained in the Harwood approach and positioned in the community to help people adopt a mindset and a practice that enables them to step forward, take action, create meaningful change, and unleash the potential of their community. Five DeSoto County community leaders are participating in this transformative 12-week course.
This month, we’re spotlighting Carrie Fuller, the Founder and Owner of Grants on Point, who embodies over thirty years of dedicated service and expertise in the field of education. When asked what she sees as the impact of this project on DeSoto County residents, Carrie said, “The participation of the Harwood Institute and the support from The Patterson Foundation (TPF) in DeSoto County represent a transformative catalyst for positive change. Their collective work is not solely about tackling immediate problems but fundamentally altering how communities perceive and enact change. Read the full blog here to hear more of Carrie’s thoughts!
Read the DeSoto Catalytic Community Guide Program Spotlight on Ashley Coone, co-founder and CEO of Links2Success, here.
| The Desoto Communications Survey Results Are In! |  | |
The Patterson Foundation (TPF) and MagnifyGood conducted the DeSoto County Communications Survey from February through March. Thank you to everyone who participated and to all the people and organizations that helped us spread the word!
In the spirit of TPF initiatives fostering wide participation, the purpose of the survey was to discover how TPF could better communicate with DeSoto residents and if there are ways for communications to be strengthened in DeSoto County. Separate versions of the survey were produced in English and Spanish.
A total of 337 respondents were included in the results: 284 from the English version and 53 from the Spanish. Three key findings from the survey:
- The top three sources for finding information in DeSoto are Facebook (62%), Shopping Guides (45%), and Church (37%)
- The top three sources for people under 40 were Facebook (72%), Google (39%), and Shopping Guides (25%), while those over 60 were Shopping Guides (65%), Facebook (53%), and Google (29%)
- People were almost evenly divided on whether finding local information falls in the easy or difficult ranges.
Review a PowerPoint of all the survey results here.
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Participate in Suncoast Remake Learning Days happening Saturday, April 20 through Saturday, May 4 | |
From Saturday, April 20, 2024, through Saturday, May 4, 2024, Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties will have a free regional learning festival. Join us and celebrate the joy of adults and children learning side by side, all while embracing curiosity and wonder!
Click here to view all the events, their dates and times, and to plan which events you will attend this year! (English Only)
On mobile, click here to download the app.
Did you know DeSoto County will host 100 Remake Learning Day events? That makes up about 33% of all the events hosted throughout our four-county region, including Charlotte, Manatee, and Sarasota County.
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Community Conversations
Held in DeSoto
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Recently, a series of community conversations in English and Spanish were held across DeSoto County, and more than 100 residents were in attendance. These conversations focused on understanding community members' feelings about DeSoto County, their aspirations for their community going forward, and the areas of growth that residents believe are central to improving the quality of life for those who call DeSoto County their home. We believe that your perspective is essential to strengthening DeSoto County's civic culture and helping the community take action on the issues that matter most to residents. We encourage widespread participation in these conversations because everyone's voice deserves to be heard.
Community conversations are part of The Patterson Foundation and Harwood Institute's Catalytic Community Guide Program in DeSoto County. This project kicked off in January, and the community has continued to show up. If you are interested in getting involved in this project or learning more about the process, please reach out to Cheri Coryea here.
| Sign Your Kids Up for THIS BOOK IS COOL! | |
THIS BOOK IS COOL! is a series of 100 webisodes to encourage a love of reading. Children signed up for THIS BOOK IS COOL! will receive 20 free books, activity guides, and word puzzles, thanks to the generosity of The Patterson Foundation! To maintain an active status in THIS BOOK IS COOL!, parents must submit the total number of books their child has read biweekly.
To qualify for THIS BOOK IS COOL!, you must be:
- A resident of Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, or Sarasota counties
- Entering PreK-3rd grade
- Enrolled at a Title I school, eligible for free/reduced lunch, or have other demonstrable need
Click here to register in English
Click here to register in Spanish
Did you Know? As of April 4th, 102 students who reside in DeSoto County are registered to participate in THIS BOOK IS COOL!
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Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo | |
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The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo has evolved from its pioneer beginnings – from starting as a way to collect the money needed for a new building to now being Florida's longest-running event (96 years). This national sport draws top athletes from all over the nation! Events held at the Arcadia Rodeo include bareback bronco riding, steer wrestling, calf scramble, shootouts, team roping, saddle bronco riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. Athletes competing for purses and points aim for the National Finals, held annually in Las Vegas.
The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, also known as "the granddaddy of 'em-all," has events throughout the year, like 2Xtreme Monster Trucks (held April 6th) and Bulls and Bands (August 24th). March and October are the featured Rodeos, where people come from all over Florida and the nation to see the very best in their sport.
Almost half of Florida remains agricultural land and is involved in cattle production in some way. According to sources from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida produces more than 800,000 calves a year. You can understand why these Cowboys' skills are needed in our part of Florida.
Last month, the largest show of the year, from March 7-10th, the 96th Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, took place. Over 10,000 people watched the events over 4 days. Coming in the fall, October 19-20, the 11th Annual Arcadia Fall Rodeo will be hosted at the arena.
The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo is a nonprofit organization. The proceeds from its events traditionally support the community and are donated to local nonprofits. This year, 17 different organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, The Lion's Club, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, benefitted from the rodeo funds.
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