A dire need for top engineering talent exists in the Sarasota market, and the growth of local companies and the economy depends upon the development of this talent. Through a five-year, $1 million investment, the Barancik Foundation partnered with the University of Florida Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering to create the UF Innovation Station, which focuses on opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math. The project establishes a K-12 outreach program that creates service learning experiences and pipelines students to UF and then back into local companies after graduation, strengthening the economy and developing role models for future generations.
