Sarasota-Manatee educational foundation receives $30,000 grant

An educational-driven foundation that serves youth in Sarasota and Manatee counties was the recipient of a $30,000 grant from Bank of America. 

Gamma Xi Boulé, designed to promote educational excellence while also providing youth development programs for underserved children, received the funding June 1, according to a statement. The nonprofit is based in Bradenton, though its reach extends into both Manatee and Sarasota counties. 

The grant was given to further the foundation’s Journey to Success initiative, but most specifically was geared for the summer internship program. 

The initiative was developed to provide career focused speakers at local high schools, as well as internship, scholarship, college study abroad and good citizenship programs.  

The foundation’s student internship program was expanded through the summer with Bank of America’s support over the past three years, the release states. 

“Partnering with ‘Journey To Success’ to create effective academic programs for students in need is part of our commitment to fostering economic mobility and equitable progress,” Erik Vatter, president of Bank of America Sarasota-Manatee, says in a release. “Providing this funding to Gamma Xi demonstrates how we are taking steps to address economic inequality in our Sarasota – Manatee community.”