SFSC Receives Donation from Local Donor through DeSoto County Education Foundation

The DeSoto Campus of South Florida State College (SFSC) received a check for $10,000 on Thursday, Jan. 11 from the DeSoto County Education Foundation (DCEF) through local resident John Olin. This check is the first of nine that the College will receive to create possibilities for DeSoto County students to become teachers and boost employment in the local public school system to reach their goal of becoming fully staffed with certified teachers.

Olin has a passion for education and believes it is the key to improving the community. He specifically wants to remove barriers between potential educators and the needed degrees to ensure that they are on the path to a career in education.

“SFSC responded to the needs of our school district and our community, and with the very generous support of this donor and DCEF, we are set to make local dreams come true,” said Asena Mott, director for the DeSoto Campus. “This is a great example of a caring community that works together for the benefit of its future.”

The majority of the donated funds will be used to hire the instructors needed for SFSC’s DeSoto Campus. The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education (BSETE) at the DeSoto Campus is a hybrid program with some online classes and the remainder of classes at the DeSoto Campus in the late afternoon/evening, making it ideal for schedules of current paraprofessionals or substitute teachers who wish to take classes and fulfill their dreams of becoming teachers, without giving up their current jobs.

“We are so grateful for the DeSoto Education Foundation and their dedication to enriching the lives of our students,” said Jamie Bateman, SFSC’s vice president for institutional advancement and external affairs. “What adds to this, is the dedication and support that we have from our community friends who also see a need and want to step up in an attempt to make a change for the better”

DCEF offers teacher scholarships for those who are currently employed by DeSoto County Public Schools. For more information, call 863-231-2611 or email marykay@burnsbrian.com.

Interested students can begin the program with the prerequisite course, Introduction to Teaching, which is a 13-week course beginning on Feb. 1 and continuing each Thursday from 4-6:45 p.m. at the DeSoto Campus.

For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education (BSETE) at SFSC’s DeSoto Campus, or to inquire about prerequisites, call the DeSoto Campus to speak to an advisor at 863-784-7040.

About the DeSoto County Education Foundation

DeSoto County Education Foundation, Inc. is an independent not-for-profit organization whose corporate purpose is to focus the private sector upon enhancing the quality of and support for public education in DeSoto County.