Survey Shows Sarasota Students had 200,000 Cultural Experiences

The real work of the Cultural Connections with Students Initiative began with a baseline survey in March 2010. To investigate the depth, breadth and frequency of their connections with Sarasota County Public School students, The Patterson Foundation invited Sarasota arts, science and history organizations to participate in an online survey.

The survey was developed with input from the Sarasota County Arts Council, its Arts Education Task Force, Community/Schools Partnership for the Arts (C/SPA), Science and Environmental Council of Sarasota County, Education Foundation of Sarasota County, the Sarasota County School District, and selected organizations that field-tested the survey and provided professional review of the instrument.

Some of the findings from this baseline survey included:

• 36 organizations responded (for the 2007-2009 period)
• 55 cultural and science organizations identified with Sarasota K-12 programs
• There were more than 200,000 hands-on "cultural experiences" during that time
• 50,000 student experiences involved live performances

The data from this survey will be used to help the Cultural Connections with Students Initiative establish a baseline of information as it continues on its journey to create New Realities in education. Click here to view the full survey and results.