The $5,000 grant will help fund the organization’s rich tapestry of education initiatives.
(Sarasota, FL) The Rotary Club of Sarasota Foundation awarded Embracing Our Differences a $5,000 grant directed to empower EOD’s celebrated educational outreach programs.
Since 2004, EOD’s international, juried exhibition celebrating the theme of “enriching lives through diversity,” showcases the art and words of thousands of artists and writers from around the world, including hundreds of area-based students and educators. Also crucial to the organization’s mission are its ongoing education initiatives. Presented in partnership with the regional school district and nationally recognized educators, these programs positively impact the lives of thousands of area teachers and students every year. These include annual workshops and retreats that provide arts and diversity curricula for area educators, bi-county reading initiatives, free bus transportation for students and teachers to visit area cultural venues, and student docent programs in high schools.
Sarah Wertheimer, Embracing Our Differences’ executive director, says with 932 teachers and 39,211 students participating in the organization’s exhibit and educational programs in 2018 alone, Embracing Our Differences continues to lead as one of the largest education programs in southwest Florida.
“We’re grateful that the Rotary Club of Sarasota Foundation recognizes and puts it support behind one of the most important aspects of our efforts—to positively impact the lives of regional students and educators,” says Wertheimer. “Not only do students explore effective ways to tap into their creativity; they also experience new ways to learn and succeed in the world. This generous grant empowers us to provide more teachers with the resources and best practices necessary to create a comprehensive approach to critical thinking and visual inquiry.”
Embracing Our Differences’ annual juried international art exhibit returns to Sarasota’s Bayfront Park, January 19-March 15.
For more information about Embracing Our Differences, call 941-404-5710, or visit www.embracingourdifferences.org.
About Embracing Our Differences
Embracing Our Differences is a not-for-profit organization that uses the transformational power of art and education to celebrate and promote the diversity of the human family. It accomplishes this through an annual, large-scale outdoor juried art exhibition and a comprehensive series of educational initiatives, programs and resources designed for teachers and students. Visit www.embracingourdifferences.org.