The Patterson Foundation’s DeSoto Digest 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! | | WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS EDITION | | |
Suncoast Remake Learning Days 2025 Is Reaching New Heights
By Beth Duda
This year’s festival featured 380 events, an impressive 25% increase from last year, brought to life by more than 265 dedicated partner organizations. It proved to be our most inspiring yet.
Our event hosts, both new and returning, created engaging, hands-on learning experiences for families across our region. This year, we welcomed 87 new event hosts while celebrating the 143 returning hosts who were committed to fostering curiosity and discovery. Each county thrived with activity:
- Charlotte County: 55 events, 15 returning hosts, 11 new hosts
- DeSoto County: 93 events, 31 returning hosts, 17 new hosts
- Manatee County: 59 events, 25 returning hosts, 7 new hosts
- Sarasota County: 169 events, 62 returning hosts, 32 new hosts
- Virtual: 4 events, 2 returning hosts
The festival’s 15-day schedule was packed with learning adventures, peaking on April 19 with 60 events and April 26 with 68 events. Our event hosts ranged from those offering a single event to one powerhouse host who delivered eight unique experiences, four of which received event support from The Patterson Foundation.
This remarkable growth was a testament to the collaborative spirit of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, The Patterson Foundation, and our passionate community partners. Together, we made learning accessible, joyful, and impactful for families across the region.
Coming Soon: Stay tuned for a video recap of Suncoast Remake Learning Days in the four-county region and a DeSoto Highlight Reel!
| | "The mini golf challenge was a hit. A few parents just supervised, but most assisted or played with their children. They didn't receive their raffle tickets for prizes until they played together! Holding families accountable for engaging with each other made the event more successful. The golf course has a junior golf program and offers summer camps. Many families didn't even know the city of Arcadia had a golf course, let alone opportunities for their children to learn and play golf." | |
One of the most beautiful and unexpected blessings during Color Me Beautiful: Easter Edition – Coloring Therapy was witnessing fathers, grandfathers, and male guardians not only show up but show up fully present. Their presence wasn’t passive. These men sat side by side with their children, coloring their own items with intention and joy. It was a powerful visual of love, connection, and healing.
These tender moments between generations reminded us that healing and hope don’t always come through words. They often show up through presence. The children glowed with pride seeing their fathers and grandfathers fully engaged. The act of coloring together created space for laughter, conversation, and bonding in a way that felt effortless yet impactful.
One family shared that this event helped their usually reserved son open up to his family. They left with smiles, their arms full of decorated items, and a new family tradition in the making.
Thank you so much for your support, help, and guidance throughout the planning and execution of our Color Me Beautiful: Easter Edition – Coloring Therapy event. Your encouragement and resources made it easy for St. Mark AME Church to bring our vision to life meaningfully. We truly appreciate the opportunity to be part of Remake Learning Days and to serve our community with love, laughter, and learning. Everything was organized with care and excellence, and we felt supported every step of the way.
We look forward to participating again and continuing to make a positive impact together!
| “Nocatee is a small community, and sometimes families there can feel left out. By bringing this event to their area, we created a joyful opportunity for families to have fun as they learned to fellowship with each other and other families!” | |  | As of April 21, there were 1,277 app downloads! 17,000 of the 18,000 printed events were distributed, with the rest shared during the festival. A major milestone was reached with an impressive 380 approved events, a 25% increase over last year! | "The festival brought more awareness to the importance of family engagement. We were part of a community-wide celebration and felt more connected to our regional learning ecosystem through the festival. We engaged new families through our event and discovered new organizations through Remake Learning Days.” | "I thoroughly enjoyed hosting this event. I'm very happy to say the event was quite informative for our community and gave information for potential careers in the criminal justice field. The SRLD team was outstanding! I was truly impressed with their communication throughout the entire process of getting ready to host the event. I felt extremely supported and was given the opportunity to ask questions as needed." | |
SRLD Hub
A Private Facebook Page
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With 209 passionate members (and counting!), the Suncoast Remake Learning Hub is where creativity, connection, and collaboration thrive. From Labinars on social media to marketing magic and content creation, the Hub has been a vibrant space to spark ideas and share tools that make every event shine.
Hosted by The Patterson Foundation and the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the Hub is your go-to spot for inspiration, questions, and connections.
Let’s keep growing! Join the Hub, share a resource, ask a question, or drop an idea. Your voice makes this community stronger.
Thanks for being part of the Suncoast Remake Learning Days family!
| | | The DeSoto Digest team reached out to event hosts in DeSoto County to learn more about their experiences with SRLD 2025! | | |
Hands-On Heroes in DeSoto by Ashley Coone
Here's what Nichole Thurek, DeSoto County Sheriff's Office's Public Information Officer, shared with us!
What excites us the most about being part of Suncoast Remake Learning Days is the opportunity to collaborate with neighboring local organizations to support each other for the ultimate goal of connecting and serving the youth and families in our community.
The DeSoto County Sheriff's Office's Remake Learning Days event, called Hands-On Heroes, was held at the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office. We were inspired to host our event because of the festival's success during the last two years we participated. We enjoy participating in every opportunity where our law enforcement deputies and staff can connect with, serve, and support the incredible families of DeSoto County.
This was our third year participating in SRLD, and we plan to participate again next year! We hope the children and families who attended our event felt supported and connected with their local law enforcement deputies and staff, creating memories to last a lifetime. We also hope we left a lasting impact on the children so they know their Sheriff's Office is always here to keep them safe.
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Family Financial Escape Room with Growversity Solutions
By Alicia Exantus
Asha Campbell with Growversity Solutions hosted the Family Financial Escape Room. Families were encouraged to attend this exciting and interactive challenge where teamwork and financial savvy were the keys to success! Attendees solved puzzles, decoded clues, and navigated real-life money scenarios to "escape" while learning valuable financial skills.
"One particular skill I hope they carry with them is the ability to think critically about money decisions and understand that every dollar has a purpose and power. I hope the "aha" moment for many is realizing that financial freedom is achievable for anyone who starts early, plans wisely, and stays consistent."
Growversity Solutions also hosted a Learn to Build Chatbots event, teaching families how to use AI tools like ChatGPT safely.
Read the full story here.
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Suncoast Remake Learning Days: Arcadia Main Street Attracts Young Entrepreneurs by Pam Ames, Arcadia Main Street
Being a host was an opportunity to inspire by bringing families together around a hands-on experience. Our event was designed for young entrepreneurs and was held on May 3rd at the Tree of Knowledge Park. Working with Biz Kids, a non-profit, provided an avenue to take an idea, turn it into a reality, and hopefully build a future.
We loved the idea of sparking interest and hoped to see students become future merchants in the downtown area. We wanted our young entrepreneurs to see what it was like to set up a booth and vend their wares. From greeting customers all the way to placing their purchases in a bag, a customer’s experience was key to a successful business.
It was our second year participating in SRLD, and we hope the experience encouraged guests to return for future downtown events. Most of all, we hope each young entrepreneur left feeling empowered, knowing that if they can dream it, they can build it, and they can sell it!
| | You're Invited to Participate in THIS BOOK IS COOL1 | | |
THIS BOOK IS COOL! is a series of 100 webisodes to encourage a love of reading. Children signed up for TBIC! will receive 20 free books, activity guides, and word puzzles, as a gift from 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 TBIC!, 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 needs
Check out some COOL kids below from 2024 and get inspired! Then register here and join the fun!
1. English Registration Form
2. Spanish Registration Form
3. Haitian Creole Registration Form
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