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Gulf Coast Community Foundation's 2014-15 scholarship application deadline is 4 p.m. on March 5, the nonprofit organization is remind- ing interested persons. The application is available online, a news release points out. Gulf Coast offers scholarship opportunities for local students of all ages who will be pursuing postsecondary education in 2014- 15. Applicants must be residents of Sarasota County, Charlotte County or Boca Grande, and they must be accepted to attend or already attending an accredited postsecond- ary vocational school, college or university, or graduate institution, the release points out. Scholarships are awarded from more than 50 scholarship funds administered by the foundation. Students must complete the entire scholar- ship application online, the release notes. Applicants need to submit only one appli- cation to be considered for all Gulf Coast scholarship opportunities for which they are eligible. Eligibility requirements, answers to frequently asked questions and a sample application can be found on the foundation's website. Information is also available via Gulf Coast's scholarship hotline at 486-4607, the release adds. Community service or other leadership devel- opment activities are among the qualifications considered for Gulf Coast scholarships, just as many other academic scholarships require students to demonstrate volunteer service, the release notes. Students seeking local volunteer opportunities can find many listed on YoudBePerfectForThis.org, a volun- teer-matching website managed by Gulf Coast Community Foundation. "In 2013, Gulf Coast awarded 366 scholar- ships totaling more than $450,000 to help 232 local students pursue their goals of meaning- ful higher education, the release says. "Since 1997, together with its donors, the foundation has invested $5.1 million in scholarships for promising students." GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE technology outside the classroom. Having this Selby Foundation grant means we can reach so many more young people who need these tools and are tremendously motivated to learn with them." Carolyn Johnson, a Selby Foundation trustee, participated in the ribbon cutting. "The Selby Foundation Board was delighted to fund this important project to help students and their families bridge the digital divide," she said. "In today's world, every child needs access to computers and digital literacy — and caring adults to guide them." "The first Education Foundation Digital Learning Lab was established in April 2013 to enrich Laurel Civic Association's after-school, weekend and summer programs," the release continues. A total of 30 labs are under way or planned for other youth-serving sites, such as the YMCA's Triad program, Sarasota County Libraries, Boys and Girls Clubs, Alta Vista's A+ Adventure Club and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the release says. The We R 4 Kids after-school program oper- ates at the Sarasota Housing Authority Monday through Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sarasota News Leader February 21, 2014 Page 84