Manatee County schools help with history book for Florida Status of Women Foundation

The Florida Commission on the Status of Women Foundation wants to get a book about historical female figures into the hands of more Florida students.

They’re looking to Manatee County as an example.

During a foundation meeting held at University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee on Saturday, Superintendent Diana Greene talked about how the district has encouraged media specialists to promote and showcase the book in the school libraries.

“We went in front of all our media specialists and showcased the book,” Greene said, adding it would do little good to just distribute the book and have it on the shelves.

In March, during Women’s History Month, Manatee County became the first school district in the state of Florida to have a copy of “They Dared to Dream, Florida Women Who Shaped History” in each school library in the district. The books were donated to the district by the commission, which was founded in part by Dr. Mona Jain.

The book was written by Doris Weatherford, was commissioned by the foundation, and looks at contributions and achievements of Florida women from prehistory to now.

The book is also available for teachers to use when they explain the history of women in Florida, Greene said.

“Some of the media specialists are already doing it, because I see them around,” Jain told the foundation board members.

The foundation wants to see more schools in the state have copies of the book available, whether through donations like Manatee or having the districts purchase copies. Jain reported there were copies ready to go into Sarasota schools and some of the local Manatee and Sarasota colleges.

Greene said she’d be able to provide the foundation with contact information for the other school districts as well.

This story was originally published November 5, 2016 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Manatee County schools help with history book for Florida Status of Women Foundation."