Boys and Girls Club offers alternative to remote learning in Sarasota County

SARASOTA, Fla. - Some parents are able to take time away from the office to help their children learn, but that option isn't available to everyone. For that reason, learning pods have popped up across the country, allowing students to have in-person instruction without the large school environment and potentially less exposure to COVID-19.

"We heard most from the parents that we serve that they had to go back to work and they weren’t ready to send their kids back to brick and mortar schools," said Bill Sadlo, the president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota, which now offers remote learning support for families. "Parents that have to work can drop their kids off at the Boys and Girls Club in the morning. We have staff there, the kids are kept safe with social distancing. We have staff there to help them through their virtual platform."

The program comes with peace of mind. There's space for 250 kids from ages 6 to 18. Remote learning is offered at all 6 Boys and Girls Club locations.

Sadlo said many parents are concerned about the effectiveness of home learning, including whether their home WiFi system can handle the task.

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"They were worried about not having the proper technology in their homes to support the virtual platform. That was a load off their minds as well," Sadlo said.

The Boys and Girls Club's mission has always been to help children reach their full potential. It's a mission that's now more important than ever.

"We built that trust with the parents and I do think it’s a big relief for them to know while they are doing their learning," said Sadlo.

For more information on remote learning support in Sarasota County, visit https://www.bgcsarasota.com/.