Jasmine Robinson

We're 1/3 of the way to our goal for $30K in 30 Days!! The second student I want to introduce you to is my mentee, Jasmine Robinson. She is an outstanding girl and I'm so proud to be her Mentor. 

 

Jasmine Robinson

Middle School: Booker Will Graduate: 2017

 

 

 (Jasmine is the one with pigtails :D ) 

"When I grow up I want to be a nurse because I love taking care of people. My hopes and dreams are to go to college and have a successful life. "

 

This is Jasmine's first year in TSIC! She was one of the T.J. Mills Memorial Scholarship recipients from Emma E. Booker Elementary. She has been a trooper this year! From climbing the Alpine Tower at the YMCA to receiving outstanding first semester grades, Jasmine is excelling in 6th grade. She enjoys playing basketball in her free time and volunteers for many Take Stock events.

 

Favorite subjects: Reading

 

 

 

To donate to 30K in 30 Days, please click here. 

 

30K in 30 Days!

Get Ready..

12.2.11 - 12.31.11

A simple 'Thank You' goes a long way...

We LOVE receiving cards like these in the office. :)

Thank you Connor!!

2011 Fall Festival

We can't believe our Fall Festival has come and gone...Check out some highlights!

Chuck with Cawley Caricatures drawing our lovely board member, Renee Armbruster.

Face Painting !

One of our Relay Race teams - great job guys! :)

We also want to shout out a special thank you to our fabulous volunteers, All Faith's Food Bank, Cawley Caricatures, Booker High School and the Farm Bureau.

Emilio's Visit

Lisa Bechtold, Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, Alyssa Peterson, Danielle Boyette and Dana Bakich.

Yesterday afternoon, Take Stock had a great visit with the new president of Take Stock in Children, Emilio Alonso-Mendoza.

Staff, student advocates and board members met Emilio for a delicious lunch at Libby's. (Thank you Steve!)

After lunch, we took Emilio to see one of our favorite schools - Booker Middle. We had invited numerous friends and partners of TSIC to meet our guest. It was great to see so many of our supporters present. 

One quote from Emilio stuck with me throughout the presentation,  "We are not a program, we are a movement."

Thank you to Boys & Girls Club, Girls, Inc., Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, USF, Take Stock in Children of Manatee County, Take Stock in Children of Lee County, Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce and all to attended. 

- Dana 

Take Stock President Comes to Visit!

Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County is very fortunate to be on the radar of our new president, Emilio Alonso-Mendoza. 

This is your opportunity to ask him questions! Please shoot us a message on Facebook or Twitter and we'll ask Emilio during our round table discussion. 

Facebook: Search Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County

Twitter: TSIChildrenSRQ

3 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE!

 

 

Right now, we need your help! Vote for TSIC on GOOD Maker's website, and we could win $500 to help recruit mentors. Take Stock is one of 1 of 79 projects featured nationwide.

Help spread the word about what Take Stock in Children does across the country! 

Please click link below to vote. :) 

http://makerchallenge.maker.good.is/projects/takestocksarasota

READY, SET, GO!

Are you a runner, walker or just like to get up and be active? 

Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County will be one of many programs across the state to present its inaugural “Strides For Education” 5K Walk/Run at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 19 at State College of Florida Venice Campus as part of a statewide effort to raise college funds for Florida’s low-income and at-risk youth. Take Stock in Children’s “Strides For Education” 5K Walk/Runs will also take place simultaneously in Brevard, Broward, Collier, Escambia, Hendry, Immokalee, Lake, Lee, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Sumter counties.

“Take Stock in Children’s ‘Strides For Education’ 5K is the perfect way to involve the local community in our efforts and help raise funding for our scholars who desire to earn a postsecondary education,” says Lisa Bechtold, Executive Director at Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County. “Our goal is to continue growing our program each year so that we may support even more students along the path to success.”

Take Stock in Children’s “Strides For Education” 5K Walk/Run is open to all individuals, families, companies and local organizations, and will feature family-friendly activities, giveaways, and much more. Registration is $35 for adults and $10 for students, with all proceeds to benefit Take Stock in Children.

To learn how you can support Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County’s “Strides For Education” 5K Walk/Run as a participant, volunteer or sponsor, please call 941-358-4407 or visit give.takestockinchildren.org and click Sarasota County.

Without A Doubt

Mentors are the heart and soul of TSIC. Mentors help to mold each individual child's life to help them become successful young adults.

Here is one outstanding mentor story:

"I am beginning my fourth year as a mentor to a student who attends Pine View. We started together when she was 12 and in 8th grade, and now she is almost 16 and a high school junior. At first she was shy with me, but as time has gone on, we have become very good friends. My student has a supportive family network, so I act as an additional adult friend. 

We talk about her social activities, her school work, her family, her goals for the future, and just about any topic she wants to discuss. Usually we meet for 45 minutes every week. The experience is something I thoroughly enjoy, and I am having a real thrill watching this young woman grow up right before my eyes. We will be starting the college process this year and into 12th grade, and I hope to be able to help her with that, since I recently helped my own two children to choose colleges. With the scholarship that TSIC will provide my student, her future looks exceptionally bright."

Sally Gabriel, PhD, CN
Health Educator

9/11 We Will Never Forget

The Sarasota Community remembers President George W. Bush reading to Emma Booker Elementary students that horrific morning of 9/11/01. This will always be a day to remember and honor those to gave their lives for America. 

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. “
- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

We Believe

I was asked by the Sarasota Community Foundation to write a blog explaining how our Flash Mob came together and what the end result was. Below is the Blog I wrote...

Five, six, seven, eight!

For a month, every Wednesday and Friday evening a group of Take Stock in Children supporters would secretly come together to practice for our first Flash Mob. This world phenomenon known as a Flash Mob is a group of people who suddenly assemble in a public place and perform a song/dance to spread awareness…Or just for entertainment.

Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County has been around for 15 years and has held the unfortunate title of, “Best Kept Secret” for entirely too long. I decided we needed to share with the community what TSIC was all about. Putting together the Flash Mob was a BLAST! I’ve seen numerous Flash Mobs in person and on YouTube. The idea for Take Stock to produce one all started when I heard the song, “I Believe” by Yolanda Adams. The lyrics were so profound and spoke to exactly what TSIC stands for.

We then needed a venue, somewhere that would already have an event going on with a large crowd. The Van Wezel Friday Fest seemed like a perfect fit and they accepted the concept with arms wide open!

We partnered with Wilson’s Dance Sport to get their help with chorography and utilize their ballroom. I sent out a mass email to all TSIC supporters to start some buzz about a Flash Mob. No one was able to know any details until they came to practice. Everyone involved was extremely dedicated, up-beat and always wanting to practice.

The day of, the blistering sun was out despite the fear of rain clouds and it was show time. As a crowd of approximately 1,000 sat around listening to the band we were organizing ourselves for the performance.

As soon as the music started we were pumped! Our Flash Mob started with one person and then slowly built to the entire group dancing together. Everyone had a great time and cameras were up and rolling!  The MC for the night, Cliff Roles, rushed on stage and I joined him for an interview about what had just happened! He was so taken back and missed the beginning that he wanted an encore. We all laughed and eagerly did it again. J We had three immediate videos uploaded to YouTube and word flew on Facebook that a Flash Mob had just been performed at Friday Fest.  We also handed out towels right after the performance that had our website link to offer further brand awareness.

We have more than 1,000 hits with the three videos on YouTube. The Flash Mob has reached not only the local Sarasota community, but the attention of Take Stock’s CEO and was mentioned in a statewide newsletter. We’ve also recently been asked to perform the dance again for another event!

Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County wanted to be known as the non-profit that is FUN and really believes in our youth. We believe, do you?

By: Dana Bakich, Director of Marketing and Development

dana@takestocksarasota.org

941-893-7690



BIG Steps Forward

Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County has been a "Best Kept Secret" in Sarasota for entirely too long.

Did you know that we've been around for 15 years?! Yeah, I didn't either. I was a student at Booker High School and would see students meeting with adults during lunches on a regular basis. I thought, "Hmmm...maybe their a Family member? Friend?" Negative. Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County was mentoring friends of mine throughout the years and I had no idea. How could this great program have minimum publicity in the community?

We have so many exciting fall events approaching and I'd love to start a PR Committee. If you know someone who's bubbly, always surrounding him/her self with lots of friends, and likes having fun let me know. :)

I'd like to have our first meeting start in September. If you're interested, please contact me at dana@takestocksarasota.org or 941-893-7690.

Mentioned in the Message from the TSIC President

Check out our weekly update from the new President of Take Stock in Children. Sarasota County is mentioned in the third paragraph! 

President's Weekly Update

TSIC Flash Mob!

This was an amazing experience for Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County. For about a month, 30 TSIC supporters have been practicing in secrecy at Wilson's Dancesport.

The Flash Mob was a huge success when it debuted on Friday, August 12 at the Van Wezel Friday Fest.

With all the rave reviews, we will be planning another one soon!

On Their Way to Success

We are more than excited to welcome 28 new TSIC students into our program!

Please join us in congratulating the following inductees: James Adams, Vanessa Alexis, Courtavia Allen, Taylor Ballam, Kasi Beauchamp, Autumn Byrd, Christopher Chavez, Kateria Chestnut, Dominick Gomez, Mason Gordon, Tionna Hart, Jordan Hoar, Hassan Hogan, Matthew Hostetler-Eilken, Denzel Hurley, Shania Johnson –Turner, Kayla Jones, Danielle Kendrick, Patricia Lavender, Le’Asia McNeal, Daquontez Mitchell, Alyxzander Reckahn, Jasmine Robinson, Daniela Romero, Jeremy Trebbles, Kaitlin West, Brianna Wheeler, and Ryan Wik.

Schools represented are: Brookside Middle, Emma E. Booker Elementary, Booker Middle, Laurel Nokomis, Heron Creek Middle, McIntosh Middle, Imagine School – Palmer Ranch & Northport, Sarasota Middle, Suncoast Innovative Studies, Pineview, and Venice Area Middle School.

We can't wait to see what these children can accomplish.

A Little TSIC Artwork

 

Got Your Dancin' Shoes On?

WOW! What a great first practice we had for our Flash Mob last night. Thank you to everyone that came out to Wilson's Dancesport. We had a great turnout, but still need more dancers. Invite your family and friends to come out! The dance is fun and very simple to learn - the greater amount of people, the more impact we'll have to spread the word about TSIC.

Next practice will be this Friday starting at 7:30 p.m. at Wilson's Dancesport.

See you all there. :)

Thank You Loft Ristobar!

What a fabulous evening of great music, delicious food and laughter!

Thank you to everyone that came out for, "A Night Out at the Loft." We had a blast and hope you did too. :)

Next week dance practices start for our Flash Mob! If you're interested in joining, please email Dana at dana@takestocksarasota.org for more information.

TGIF :)

Happy Friday!

TSIC is very excited for next week. We will be visiting ABC 7 on Tuesday, July 19 to be on News at Noon! Look for Kelvin Blyden, manager of Loft Ristobar and a surprise TSIC guest to promote "A Night Out at the Loft."

To purchase your pre-sale tickets for only $20, please visit www.takestocksarasota.org.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Summertime around TSIC has been extremely busy! We have a few events this summer we'd love our mentors, donors, sponsors and students to take part in!

Join Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County, Inc. at the Loft Ristobar for “A Night At the Loft” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 for a delicious sampling of hor d'oeuvres and drinks. Wear your best ‘80s outfit and groove to the music and beats from the 80s while supporting a great cause. The ticket for the event includes all food served and one drink. Pre-sale tickets are $20 and available at www.takestocksarasota.org. Tickets are also available at the door for $25.

AND

Participate in our FLASH MOB!!

Practices will be:

Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m.

Friday, July 29 at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, August 3 at 7 p.m.

Friday, August 5 at 7 p.m.

FINAL : Wednesday, August 10 at 7 p.m.

All practices will be held at Wilson’s Dancesport, 2272 Main Street (Off Lime).

It is mandatory to be at the final rehearsal on August 10.

To find out where we will be performing and more information, contact Dana at dana@takestocksarasota.org.

Climbing...Climb On!

Today was too amazing to not post about!

The kids had a great day at the YMCA. They climbed the Alpine Tower and swam in the water park. While climbing, the campers were very supportive of one another!

We were also very lucky to have NY Giants cornerback, Joe Burnett, with us today. He talked to the kids during lunch about his career in the NFL and how it is important to always ask questions and be curious. You never know who will have a huge impact in your life.

Thank you YMCA and Joe Burnett for making this field trip a huge success. :)

Camp is Underway!

In our first week of camp we've already accomplished so much! Along with diving into creative business ideas - we were so lucky to have Star Shooter, (a nonprofit organization equipping children around the world with a tool for expression through photography) come out to teach our kids about photography. http://www.starshooter.org/

Tomorrow we head off to the YMCA Palmer Ranch location to climb the Alpine Tower and have some fun at the water park.

Don't miss our talent show at Booker Middle School on June 30 at 2 p.m. to see the kids present their business ideas!

TSIC Summer Camp - Breaking into Business

WOW! We have received such great support from TSIC supporters about our three-week life skills camp. (http://www.takestocksarasota.org/)

The camp will take place June 13 to June 30, Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Camp­ers will be immersed in all facets of learning: How to create their own business, deal with money, research colleges, and even create their own nutritional menu.  Mentors and sponsors of the program will serve as guest speakers to share their advice and experiences with the students.

With lots of fun and hands-on learning, this camp will be located at Booker Middle School. Campers will also spend Thursdays around Sarasota on field trips relating to that week’s focus. The final day of camp culminates in a talent show put on by the campers. Each camper will share a poem, article, skit, rap or dance that they put together during camp. We invite you to join!

We wanted to give a quick thank you to all of our guest speakers! This camp would not be taking place without you. :)

Dawn Clayton, Principal, Emma E. Booker Elementary School

Joe Bazenas, Principal, Booker Middle School

Joe Burnett, Cornerback, NY Giants

Chendella Bowers, Assistant Vice President, Wells Fargo

Daniel Bechtold, Bechtold & Corbridge, P.A.

Arthur Flood, on Board of Directors for TSIC, previous VP of Marketing for IBM

Megan McDonald, Web Editor, Sarasota Magazine

Hannah Wallace, Sarasota Magazine

Joan Lowery, Director of Media Training, Executive Communications Group

Jill Collins, Director of Nutritional Education, All Faiths Food Bank

The list still grows! Thank you all for enriching our students lives with your knowledge.

For more information on Breaking into Business, please contact Dana at dana@takestocksarasota.org or 941-893-7690.